TRAVERSE CITY — The Bay Area Transportation Authority has partnered with the National Cherry Festival to provide free and easy transportation for people to enjoy all the festival activities. Riders can avoid traffic and parking hassles by taking BATA’s free Bayline Cherry Festival route. Buses run until midnight throughout the festival to accommodate late night firework shows and concert events.
Free Park-n-Ride lots are located at Meijer US-31, Northwestern Michigan College’s Cherry Lot, and Woodland Creek furniture. Buses arrive every 15-20 minutes and can be tracked in real-time using BATA’s online Bus Tracker www.batabustracker.com.
“We’re excited to offer a free, easy and green way for people to enjoy the Cherry Festival without having to find that elusive parking spot that’s blocks away or get stuck in festival traffic,” said Kelly Dunham, BATA’s Executive Director. “Let BATA do the driving so people can spend more time with their friends and family enjoying all the wonderful activities the Cherry Festival has to offer.”
Riders can board at any of the featured Park-n-Ride lots or anywhere along the Bayline route, including all the hotels located along East Grand Traverse Bay and US-31, and will be dropped off in downtown Traverse City at BATA’s Hall Street Transfer Station just steps from The Open Space. When festival goers are ready to return to their cars, they simply head back to Hall Street and catch the bus heading west toward Meijer or east to the NMC Cherry Lot, East Bay Beach District hotels and Woodland Creek.
Last year BATA’s Bayline route provided close to 12,000 rides during the Cherry Festival.
In addition, BATA is also providing transportation to the Coast Guard Open Ramp activity this evening (June 28) and the MSU Orchard Tours July 1-5. Learn more about BATA’s Cherry Festival transportation at www.bata.net/cherryfestival.