Saline Council Discusses Public Transportation Contract

Saline’s public transportation system, People’s Express, presented rider usage data to city council at the Dec. 1 meeting so the council could decide whether or not to renew the city’s contract with the organization. People’s Express has offered public transportation in Washtenaw County since the 1990s, and in 2007 became a non-profit.

“Today, we have a fleet of 130 vehicles that allows us to scale services to meet local demands, and we provide demand response to community based transportation that allows us to accommodate non-emergency medical, employment, grocery stores and social trips,” said Eveliina Taylor, interim Managing Director of People’s Express.

Through October of 2025, the People’s Express provided 1,892 rides in the Saline area. According to data from towns with similar population demographics, the expected number of rides in the city is over 7,000. Taylor spoke about raising awareness for the services provided if the city decides to renew their contract.

“We want to work more closely with the city to identify areas of joint communication, including updating the website, social media platforms, really pushing out sustainably that this resource is available, having brochures available in the rec center, the Senior Center, the City Hall, even considering infographic mailers,” she said. “We found success in our other communities with that.”

Currently services are provided at $2 per one-way trip, with a 50% discount for seniors and those with disabilities. To offset the cost of services to the city, some municipalities People’s Express works with have increased fare rates. Taylor emphasized the quality of services being a necessary factor in the cost of providing them.

“With our services, we’re providing drivers who have de-escalation training,” Taylor said. “They have first aid and CPR. They’re professional drivers who go through background checks and safety sensitivity. They have wheelchair securement that a lot of privatized companies do not offer.”

Mayor Pro-Tem Janet Dillon on the importance of accessibility in public transport.

“Transportation has always been an issue in our community, as we don’t have access to normal public transit, so providing private public transit I think is crucial for us, and especially those that are able to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility devices,” she said.

No decision has been made yet regarding the contract.