By Shelby Pedersen, Max Transit
There’s no need to tiptoe to the tulips this year – or walk or drive downtown, for that matter.
The Macatawa Area Express (MAX) is again pairing with Tulip Time to offer an inexpensive way to avoid parking and traffic problems during the festival that begins May 4.
To avoid traffic and congestion, local residents and visitors alike are encouraged to leave their vehicles in MAX’s designated Park & Ride lots and hop on the shuttle into downtown Holland.
This year’s Park & Ride lots will be located at D&W off of Douglas Avenue, Dutch Village on the corner of James and U.S. 31, and at Ditto, near the corner of Clover and Eighth Street.
The shuttle’s main transfer point in downtown Holland will be at Windmill Island, with other stops downtown at City Flats Hotel (Seventh Street and College Avenue) and the Holland Rescue Mission Men’s Mission (Seventh Street and South River Avenue).
In keeping with this year’s Tulip Time theme of “Paint the Town Orange,” the shuttles will be identified by orange window clings to show pride in 90 years of celebrating this traditional festival.
The Park & Ride shuttle will arrive at stops every 15 to 20 minutes to make pick-ups and drop-offs.
The shuttle runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day during Tulip Time. The last shuttle of the day will arrive at each stop between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
To take advantage of this sustainable and efficient travel option, festival-goers must purchase a $5 wristband. The wristband gives riders unlimited rides for the entire festival on the Park & Ride shuttle as well as on MAX’s fixed bus routes. Wristbands are non-transferrable and non-refundable.
Riders can purchase wristbands online at tuliptime.com, catchamax.org, or during the festival week at Ditto, D&W, Nelis’ Dutch Village, the MAX Transit depot office, and the Tulip Time office.
An additional sustainable transportation option for festival goers is the opportunity to ride a bike part way and use the MAX bus to complete a trip. All of MAX fixed route buses can accommodate three bikes on a bike rack; the spaces are first-come, first-served. Using a personal bike, riders will be able to reach locations that fixed routes may not meet.
MAX’s fixed route buses operate 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. The fixed bus routes do not operate on Sundays, although the Park & Ride Shuttle will.
For more information on the shuttle or fixed bus routes, visit www.catchamax.org or
www.tuliptime.com/transportation or call MAX Customer Service at (616) 355-1010.
As Shelby Pedersen grew up in Holland, she and her sister would ride the MAX bus all over Holland. Two years ago, aware of the importance of public transportation, Shelby joined MAX Transit as an information specialist. She is now marketing and customer service managers assistant.
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.