Written by Sara Swanson, The Manchester Mirror
Just five years ago (unless you were a senior citizen) there was no public transportation in the Manchester corner of the county. Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) secured funding from Chelsea Hospital and started as a twice-weekly shuttle bus service on a route between Manchester and Chelsea. Over the last few years this has expanded into five-day-a-week, door-to-door service for western Washtenaw residents to anywhere in the county and back.
Because of ongoing reductions in state and federal funding, as well as rising operational costs, WAVE announced that starting this week they will be decreasing some of their services. While many of the changes won’t affect Manchester-area riders, they are going down from nine door-to-door drivers to eight on weekdays. Marie Gress, executive director of WAVE, explained that this means Manchester-area riders may experience increased wait times and decreased availability. She added, though, that they will still prioritize medical-, food-, and employment-related rides.
WAVE’s Door-to-Door service is available Monday through Friday, from 6am to 9:30pm, and offers curb-to-curb rides anywhere in Washtenaw County. Rides range from $.50 to $5 based on destination and riders’ age, student status, and/or disability status. To book a ride, call 734-475-9494, press 1 to schedule a ride today or tomorrow, or press 2 to schedule a ride more than one day in advance; email bookmyride@wavebus.org; or download the Ride Pingo app on your smartphone.
Gress continued, “We know these changes will inconvenience some riders, especially those who rely on our weekend and Door-to-Door services. Until we secure additional financial support, we must scale back our services to remain operational. We are exploring alternative contracting arrangements with local units of government that utilize our services, and we are also pursuing grant opportunities to support these efforts.”
Freedom Township recently became one of the local units of government contracting with WAVE, joining Bridgewater Township, Sharon Township, Manchester Township, and the City of Manchester. On July 8, Freedom Township approved a $2,500 investment for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. This directly supports WAVE’s Door-to-Door services utilized by Manchester-area riders.
Gress explained that while every dollar makes a difference, unfortunately the state and federal decreases, inflation costs, and tariff costs are greater than the increase in local service agreements with the townships. WAVE is actively seeking donations and community partnerships to help restore and sustain critical services. If you are interested in donating to WAVE, you can send a check to 12172 Jackson Rd, Dexter, MI 48130 or go to https://givebutter.com/ridethewavebus. WAVE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service provider.
Not only is funding decreasing and costs increasing, WAVE’s ridership has doubled in the past 18 months, from 27,000 to 50,000+ expected rides this year. There has been an increase in the Manchester area as well, going from 85 rides per month to an average of 235 rides per month. Even before this coming decrease in drivers, the demand for door-to-door service has outpaced WAVE’s capacity. In the last year and a half, the door-to-door service averaged 2,300 rides per month, with 1,300 rides canceled or declined due to insufficient capacity.
For more information, visit www.ridethewavebus.org.
