Easy Rider
It’s no secret that the Saugatuck/Douglas area can be busy with traffic, especially in the warmer months. Don’t let that deter you. Since 1980, the communities have offered an extremely inexpensive, eco-friendly, and convenient way to get around town—the Interurban.
Door-to-Door Service
If you’re from a bigger city like Chicago, ridesharing is nothing new. But in small villages like Saugatuck/Douglas, public transportation can be a rarity. That’s why the Interurban is such a gem. One of the fleet’s six buses will pick you up at your doorstep and take you anywhere in their 30-mile service area within Saugatuck, Douglas, or Saugatuck Township. The service also offers a trip to Holland every Tuesday.
Convenient, Economical, and Accessible
For those of you used to paying big city prices for transportation, you’ll be delighted to know just how low-cost and easy it is to catch a ride on the Interurban. Here’s a quick snapshot of everything you need to know:
Cost: $1 for adults or $.50 for children under 12, seniors over 61, and persons with disabilities. Exact change required.
Hours of Operation:
March–June & September–October
Weekdays: 7am–7pm
Saturday: 9am–7pm
Sunday: 9am–7pm November–February
Weekdays: 7am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: 9am-4pm July–August
Monday–Thursday: 7am–7pm
Friday: 7am–11am
Saturday: 9am–11pm
Sunday: 9am–7pm
Park-and-Call Service : Available year-round at Saugatuck High School, plus free parking shuttle between the high school and downtown Saugatuck on the weekends.
Accessible to All (Even pets!): Equipped to accommodate wheelchairs and with bike racks. Friendly pets are welcome!
How to Ride: Call 269.857.1418 or visit saugatuckinterurban.org to schedule a ride as early as 15 minutes ahead.
Why Catch a Ride?
Saugatuck/Douglas has a welcome influx of visitors in the summer months. Along with these guests come parking issues in small downtown areas. If you’re staying at a rental, the Interurban makes it easy to park your car in the driveway and catch a ride to dinner downtown, a performance at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, or a gallery anywhere along Art Coast. If you’re feeling adventurous, take the Interurban to explore the surrounding communities of Fennville and Glenn. Have a group who wants to check out Fenn Valley Winery or Virtue Cider? Schedule a pickup with the Interurban.
A Trip Back in Time
The Interurban Transit Authority was founded on May 8, 1980, after a community organizer applied for a grant to cover all two-year service costs matched by funding from the Saugatuck township and villages of Saugatuck and Douglas. The dispatch office was Civic Hall, and in the first year, two Interurban buses carried 29,000 passengers.
A Modern Upgrade
Over the past decades, the Interurban has expanded its fleet. Now, more than 50,000 people utilize the service each year. The Interurban Transit Authority plans modern enhancements to keep up with demand, including upgrading its dispatch software and implementing a passenger app. The service will also convert two of its six buses to more eco-friendly propane fuel. The Interurban Transit Authority aims to carry more than two million passengers in over two generations of operation. And you can be one of them!
