By Madeleine Graham

The Flint Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced proposed changes to five of its 15 primary routes.

The changes are the result of a 2024 study that aimed to improve the MTA’s service, operations, and riders’ access to groceries, medical facilities, and educational institutions.

Flint MTA CEO Ed Benning announced the proposed changes at a public open house at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library on Thursday, September 4, 2025. 

He noted that some of the proposed changes are due to a decrease in system usage by about 30% since the Covid-19 pandemic, but also that the study was needed given the overall changes to Flint’s population.

“It has been over thirty years since a study about the community has been done,” said Benning. “At one time the city was over 200,000 [people]. Now it is 100,000, maybe even 80,000.” 

While all proposed route changes can be found on the MTA’s website, Benning highlighted some alterations directly during his remarks, such as steps being taken to service the Genesee Public Library.

“One of the longest routes is in Grand Blanc – South Saginaw – which is fourteen miles,” he said, presumably referring to Route 8, which stretches from downtown Flint to Grand Blanc, Michigan. “We are adding a bus to the route. The buses will have 30 minute intervals.”

Benning also noted that there will also be new service on Hill Road, given the job growth in the area and the newly opened Costco. However, that change may be serviced by four “small vehicles” of 30 feet rather than the MTA’s larger buses, he said. (This service change is not visible on the proposed primary route maps on the MTA website.)

Benning said the MTA’s fixed route study was funded through a state appropriation of roughly $300,000 and meant to help the Flint MTA “realign services to create a great quality of life.”

While the study itself involved an outside firm conducting dozens of meetings and feedback sessions to determine what route changes may be needed, public input was more recently sought to gauge the acceptance of the proposed route changes through a series of “input sessions” this summer. 

When the Sept. 4 session was opened to the public, an audience member asked whether the proposed changes had been advertised on the buses. Benning responded affirmatively, saying that “QR codes were available to announce the proposed changes.”

Another member of the audience inquired as to whether a bus route could service the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) schools, as currently many young people are not able to participate in after-school activities. 

“We can look at that,” Benning responded.

Ultimately, the proposed route changes will be reviewed by the service committee and then taken to the MTA Board for approval, Benning told East Village Magazine. If everything goes as anticipated, the proposed routes will be approved and new routes will be in place in November. 

All the proposed route changes presented on Sept. 4 are viewable on the Flint MTA’s website.