Living Sustainably: Bus ride to Farmers Market pays off in MAX Market Bucks

By Shelby Pedersen, Macatawa Area Express

A new program will offer $10 of MAX Market Bucks for riding the MAX bus to the Holland Farmers Market.

Holland Farmers Market shoppers will be able to double up their savings simply by riding the MAX bus to the market in June.

A new program will launch June 1 in which people who ride the bus to the market can earn MAX Market Bucks to redeem at market vendors. The program will run through June 30.

Many community members go to the Farmers Market every Wednesday and Saturday throughout the summer. Often, however, they experience busy traffic and limited parking because of how popular the Farmers Market is.

The popular Holland Farmers Market attracts crowds – and traffic congestion – on some of its busiest days.

An alternative is this new program that encourages everyone to use a green way to commute to the market and purchase farm fresh produce. Not only will this ease the troubles of parking and traffic, but riders will earn up to 10 Market Bucks and reduce their CO 2 emissions.

To join in the program, hop on the Route 3 MAX bus to get to the Farmers Market and receive a punch card. To get to the market, riders will get off at Eighth Street west of Maple. Buses stop there at three minutes after every hour.

Riders who get off at this stop will get their card punched by the MAX driver. Then, on the market grounds at the Market Office trailer, riders can get another punch and a reusable MAX bag.

After two trips on the MAX to the Farmers Market, riders will have earned 10 MAX Market Bucks!

Macatawa Area TransitThe MAX Market Bucks are redeemable through the Holland Farmers Market and are accepted by most vendors at the market.
MAX is excited to kick off this challenge to encourage local residents to participate in a greener transportation option. For any more information, reach out to MAX at (616)355-1010 and watch social media for more updates.

 Shelby Pedersen is the marketing assistant and ADA coordinator at the Macatawa Area Express. Go to www.catchamax.org/ for more information on routes and riding the bus.

This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Transportation: The movement of people, goods, and services within the area is an evolving system that links us to our regional, national and global networks.

ABOUT THIS SERIES
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.