Blue Water Area Transit (BWAT) is the public transit operator serving Port Huron, Michigan and surrounding St. Clair County. Operated by the Blue Water Area Transportation Commission (BWATC), the BWAT system includes fixed-route buses in the Port Huron area, plus commuter routes (connecting the city to SMART in Metro Detroit) and paratransit services. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 865,300, or about 4,100 per weekday.
Following the cessation of private buses in Port Huron in 1968, BWAT commenced operations in 1976, with the assistance of neighboring SEMTA.[3]
BWAT began operating buses powered by compressed natural gas in 1996, and soon held the largest alternative-fuel transit fleet in Michigan.[4] The system's current fleet consists almost entirely of CNG-powered buses.
December 2015 saw the opening of the Blue Water Transit Bus Center in downtown Port Huron, which serves as the system's main hub. The $9.8 million facility includes a small store, as well as underground boilers to keep the sidewalks clear of snow and ice in the winter.[5][6]
In 2021, BWAT acquired two Proterra ZX5battery-electric buses, becoming the first Michigan transit agency since the 1970s to operate electric buses.[7]
These routes operate from 6am-11pm Monday-Friday and 7:45am-11pm on Saturdays. Numbered routes begin and end at the Blue Water Transit Bus Center downtown.
Blue Water Trolley (downtown tourist trolley circulator, runs June-September)
Regional routesedit
These operate only on weekdays, connecting Port Huron to Chesterfield Township in Macomb County, where connections are available to SMART's route 560 and Gratiot FAST.
I-94 - express from Port Huron to Chesterfield, with intermediate stops at park-and-ride lots in Marysville and Casco; two trips each way in the morning, one trip each way in the evening.[8]
blue, water, area, transit, bwat, public, transit, operator, serving, port, huron, michigan, surrounding, clair, county, operated, blue, water, area, transportation, commission, bwatc, bwat, system, includes, fixed, route, buses, port, huron, area, plus, commu. Blue Water Area Transit BWAT is the public transit operator serving Port Huron Michigan and surrounding St Clair County Operated by the Blue Water Area Transportation Commission BWATC the BWAT system includes fixed route buses in the Port Huron area plus commuter routes connecting the city to SMART in Metro Detroit and paratransit services In 2022 the system had a ridership of 865 300 or about 4 100 per weekday Blue Water Area TransitBWAT bus in downtown Port HuronFounded1976Headquarters2021 Lapeer AvenueLocalePort Huron MichiganService areaSt Clair County MichiganService typebus service paratransitRoutes9Daily ridership4 100 weekdays Q2 2023 1 Annual ridership865 300 2022 2 Fuel typeCNGWebsitebwbus wbr com Contents 1 History 2 Routes 2 1 Local routes 2 2 Regional routes 3 Cost 4 References 5 External linksHistory editFollowing the cessation of private buses in Port Huron in 1968 BWAT commenced operations in 1976 with the assistance of neighboring SEMTA 3 BWAT began operating buses powered by compressed natural gas in 1996 and soon held the largest alternative fuel transit fleet in Michigan 4 The system s current fleet consists almost entirely of CNG powered buses December 2015 saw the opening of the Blue Water Transit Bus Center in downtown Port Huron which serves as the system s main hub The 9 8 million facility includes a small store as well as underground boilers to keep the sidewalks clear of snow and ice in the winter 5 6 In 2021 BWAT acquired two Proterra ZX5 battery electric buses becoming the first Michigan transit agency since the 1970s to operate electric buses 7 Routes editBWAT operates eleven fixed bus routes using a fleet consisting mostly of Gillig Low Floor ElDorado Axess and ElDorado E Z Rider buses Local routes edit These routes operate from 6am 11pm Monday Friday and 7 45am 11pm on Saturdays Numbered routes begin and end at the Blue Water Transit Bus Center downtown 1 Electric Ave 2 24th Street 3 Sams Club transfer 4 Holland 5 Pine Grove Mall 6 Home Depot 9 Beard Dove Shopper Shuttle circulator through Fort Gratiot Township serving Birchwood Mall and other retail stores Blue Water Trolley downtown tourist trolley circulator runs June September Regional routes edit These operate only on weekdays connecting Port Huron to Chesterfield Township in Macomb County where connections are available to SMART s route 560 and Gratiot FAST I 94 express from Port Huron to Chesterfield with intermediate stops at park and ride lots in Marysville and Casco two trips each way in the morning one trip each way in the evening 8 M 29 local service via Marysville St Clair Marine City Algonac and New Baltimore one trip each way in morning and another in the evening 9 Cost editAdult fare 80 Children 17 and under 65 Senior disabled 40 Under 5 freeReferences edit Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2023 PDF American Public Transportation Association September 13 2023 Retrieved September 21 2023 Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022 PDF American Public Transportation Association March 1 2023 Retrieved March 29 2023 Our History Blue Water Area Transit 2017 01 23 Retrieved 2023 04 02 SMR pilot program with Blue Water Area Transit to end this fall The Voice 2022 08 02 Retrieved 2023 04 02 Downtown Transit Center Retrieved June 27 2022 Port Huron bus hub to open in November Retrieved June 27 2022 McElroy Dave 2021 07 06 New all electric buses coming to Port Huron WPHM Retrieved 2023 04 02 I 94 Express Blue Water Area Transit 2017 03 29 Retrieved 2023 04 02 M29 North amp South Blue Water Area Transit 2017 03 29 Retrieved 2023 04 02 This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Blue Water Area Transit news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message External links editBWBus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blue Water Area Transit amp oldid 1147903197, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
