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This article is about the bus company. For other uses, see Indian Trails (disambiguation).

Indian Trails
Indian Trails bus in Pontiac, Michigan
Founded1910
HeadquartersOwosso, Michigan
LocaleMichigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Service typeInter-city bus
Annual ridership1 million+[1]
Websiteindiantrails.com
Indian Trails at Milwaukee Intermodal Station

Indian Trails, Inc., is an intercity bus operator primarily serving the U.S. state of Michigan, with routes also serving Wisconsin and Minnesota. Indian Trails is based in Owosso, Michigan, with offices in Romulus, East Lansing, and Kalamazoo.[2]

History

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Indian Trails was founded in 1910 in Owosso by Wayne and Cora Taylor as the Phillips-Taylor Livery Service, whose main business was transporting cargo to and from Durand Union Station and the surrounding Shiawassee County. Cora Taylor was the first woman in the United States to be issued a chauffeur's license.[3] Beginning in the 1910s, the company expanded to include intercity offerings, becoming known as the Owosso-Flint Bus Line and by the 1930s served much of southern Michigan. Many of its buses ran along US 12, known as "the Old Indian Trail." Reflecting this, in 1935, the company took its current name, Indian Trails.[4]

Indian Trails offers charters, casino trips and regular fixed-route daily service.[5] In 2006 Indian Trails assumed responsibility for a number of routes in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula which Greyhound Lines had discontinued.[6]

Indian Trails' daily scheduled bus service is part of Michigan's Intercity Bus System recognized by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

In November 2006, Indian Trails, in partnership with Okemos Travel, launched the Michigan Flyer, an express service connecting East Lansing, Jackson, and Ann Arbor with Detroit Metro Airport.[7][8] In 2012, the Michigan Flyer absorbed the AirRide express service operated by TheRide, and service to Jackson was discontinued.[9][10] In October 2019, a new stop was added at the Meijer store in Brighton.[11]

On March 1, 2023, Indian Trails ended its longtime operating agreement with Greyhound Lines, and introduced a new ticketing system.[12][13] The company also overhauled its route network, reintroducing direct service from Detroit to Chicago, among other changes.[14][15] Chicago service was subsequently discontinued in November 2023.[16]

Current routes

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Mainline

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Effective November 1, 2023.[16]

Route Major stops
1483 Detroit, Southfield, Pontiac, Flint, Owosso, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo
1484 Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Cadillac, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, St. Ignace
1485 Detroit, Southfield, Pontiac, Flint, Bay City, Alpena, St. Ignace
1488 Detroit, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Clare, Gaylord, Petoskey, St. Ignace
1489 St. Ignace, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Crystal Falls, Ironwood
1490 Hancock, Houghton, Marquette, Escanaba, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Milwaukee
1491 Ironwood, Hurley, Ashland, Iron River, Superior, Duluth

Michigan Flyer

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Michigan Flyer coach in East Lansing

Indian Trails operates the Michigan Flyer, an express service connecting East Lansing, Brighton, and Ann Arbor with Detroit Metro Airport. As of March 2024, the service makes twelve round trips daily.[17]

Hytch

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In May 2023, Indian Trails introduced Hytch, a shuttle service which provides door-to-door transportation from Lansing-area addresses to the Michigan Flyer stop in downtown East Lansing. Operated by Via Transportation, Hytch uses minivans, driven by independent contractors (referred to by Via as "driver partners") to provide rides.[18] The service was available exclusively for ticketed Michigan Flyer passengers, who were able to add the service to their trip reservation for $10 extra per ride.[19] Hytch service was suspended on February 10, 2024.[20]

D2A2 and DAX

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Indian Trails operates the D2A2 and Detroit Air Xpress (DAX) public transit routes under contract with the RTA of Southeast Michigan.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Indian Trails: About Us". Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  2. ^ "Locations". Indian Trails. Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012. Owosso (Main Office) 109 East Comstock Street Owosso, MI 48867"; "Kalamazoo 1015 East Michigan Kalamazoo, MI 49048"; "Romulus 28685 Smith Road Romulus, MI 48174
  3. ^ "Cora V. Taylor 1884-1971". Michigan Department of Transportation.
  4. ^ "Indian Trails: History". Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  5. ^ Rauschert, Jeff (February 15, 2008). "Mid-Michigan Companies Major Players in Motor Coach Industry". MLIve. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  6. ^ Foran, Janet (November 22, 2006). "MDOT Announces Indian Trails to Provide Upper Peninsula Bus Service, and Expand Routes in Lower Peninsula" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  7. ^ "Indian Trails Launches Michigan Flyer Fleet With Near-Zero Emissions". CBS News Detroit. January 25, 2012.
  8. ^ Hillman, Sarah (November 20, 2013). "Early birds and night owls rejoice: Michigan Flyer is spreading its wings". Capital Gains. Second Wave Media. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Flory, Brad (February 20, 2012). "Michigan Flyer drops Jackson from Metro Airport bus route". MLive. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  10. ^ "Michigan Flyer and Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Partner to Provide 12 Daily Detroit Metro Airport Trips" (PDF). Michigan Flyer. Indian Trails. February 17, 2012.
  11. ^ "Michigan Flyer Launches Brighton Service, Adds More Runs in East Lansing & Ann Arbor". Michigan Flyer. August 22, 2019.
  12. ^ Miller, Chloe (February 22, 2023). "Greyhound ends busing contract in Jackson, new provider will continue routes". MLive. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Rowe, Corey (August 21, 2023). "Intercity Connections: Navigating a Volatile Bus Network". The Café Car: Mode Shift in the Mitten.
  14. ^ Bus & Motorcoach News (February 27, 2023). "Indian Trails launches national bus ticketing system". Bus & Motorcoach News. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Bus Routes". Indian Trails. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ a b "Bus Routes". Indian Trails. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "Michigan Flyer Schedule". Michigan Flyer. Indian Trails. March 23, 2024.
  18. ^ "Driver Partner | Lansing, MI". helpwanted.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  19. ^ "Hytch Rideshare by Michigan Flyer FAQ". Michigan Flyer. Indian Trails. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  20. ^ "Hytch Rideshare by Michigan Flyer FAQ". Michigan Flyer. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
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