Battle Creek Transit’s county-wide mobility pilot, BCGo, celebrated its 10,000th passenger ride this week, and a first place award for a one-minute commercial.
BCGo provides door-to-door micro-transit service across all of Calhoun County, including Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, and Springfield.
On Wednesday, 16 months after launching the service, the team celebrated BCGo’s 10,000th passenger trip, taken by Christina Gable. She uses BCGo frequently to get to work at TRMI in the Fort Custer Industrial Park.
“BCGo helps me get back and forth to work, as I am going through a rough time, and I do not have transportation right now,” Gable said.
And that is one of the main goals for Battle Creek Transit and BCGo – helping our neighbors get where they need to go, reliably and safely. Since launching in March 2021, BCGo has shown the positive impact this type of public transportation service has on our community.
BCGo serves a large number of riders who are part of vulnerable groups, such as those in low-income households, those facing mobility challenges, and those who have disabilities. A recent survey showed that 66 percent of responding users have a household income of less than $50,000 per year, and 51 percent of respondents said they face mobility challenges that affect their ability to travel.
The survey also explored how riders use BCGo in Calhoun County. Many use it to get to work, like Gable does. The survey showed 52 percent ride to/from work, 42 percent ride for medical appointments, and 42 percent ride for shopping.
In addition to reaching the ridership milestone, BCGo also recently received first place in the American Public Transportation Association AdWheel Awards for Best Marketing and Communications to Support Ridership and Sales.
Check out the BCGo commercial that won the award, here on the city’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/iji4l0eFbPQ. Ingalls Pictures produced the commercial, designed to show that BCGo service is accessible to children, parents, grandparents, and young professionals, creating a great public transportation option for all communities, without feeling like a traditional bus service. BCGo offers a modern vehicle design, new technology, a focus on customer service, and expanded access to transportation to neighbors across Calhoun County.
The commercial will be judged again, with other first-place category winners, for a grand prize award. The APTA 2022 TRANSform conference will honor the winners in October.
To BCGo in Calhoun County, please download the smartphone app, available on Android and Apple devices. No smartphone? No problem. Call the Transit team at 269-966-3474.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up