WAVE Bus Adds Weekend Service Runs in Dexter, Chelsea

The Western Washtenaw Area Value Express shuttle, a public transportation system that services 30,000 riders in the Dexter/Ann Arbor area annually, is expanding the scope of its services.

The non-profit service organization, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, has expanded its Community Connector route linking Chelsea with Dexter and Ann Arbor, from five to seven days a week.

"We are trying to do everything we can to provide more public transit options for local residents," WAVE president Jim Carson said.

The Community Connector route operates from 5:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. beginning in Chelsea on Park Street and ending at Jackson and Wagner roads in Ann Arbor. Users can visit the WAVE website to find the closest bus stop and view weekly routes.

Carson said a common misconception is that the WAVE is a service for seniors only.

"Anyone can ride the WAVE," he said. "We have people of all ages who use it to get to work in Ann Arbor or folks in Scio Township coming into Dexter to work at ."

Michelle Smith, a resident of Scio Farms, said she has been riding the bus since 2003 and is grateful for the service.

"I take it to Chelsea every day to see my mother and sister," she said. "It's absolutely a commodity for me. Without the WAVE, I would have to move."

Smith said she has made several friends with the "regulars" who use the service.

"I find all the drivers very friendly and all the passengers are pleasant. After awhile you get to know each other over time and you become friends," Smith said. "I look forward to the contact with other people that I wouldn't necessarily get if I drove by myself."

In addition to the Community Connector, WAVE offers a variety of other services including a door-to-door service in the Chelsea and Dexter school districts from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and a Lifeline service that takes passengers to area hospitals and entertainment venues.

The bus can get travelers from potentially one end of the county to the other, so long as one end of the trip begins in western Washtenaw, according to Carson.

Riding the wheelchair-accessible van cost just $2 one way for riders over 65 and $4 one way for those under 65, and there is no charge for personal attendants. Childen ages 5 and under can ride for free while accompanied by an adult.

For more information, or to schedule a trip, visit www.ridethewavebus.org.