Macatawa Area Express (MAX) is a public transport system serving the Holland–Zeeland area of western Michigan. It is operated by the Macatawa Area Express Transportation Authority, a public transportation authority serving Holland, Holland Charter Township, and neighboring communities. MAX operates fixed-route bus service and demand-response transportation, including paratransit.
History Public transportation operated by the City of Holland predates MAX. The city's Dial-A-Ride service began in 1974. On January 17, 2000, the system became the Macatawa Area Public Transit System when the City of Zeeland and Holland Charter Township joined Holland under a cooperative service agreement.
The City of Holland and Holland Charter Township subsequently established the Macatawa Area Express Transportation Authority. The authority was incorporated in 2006, and voters approved a dedicated transit millage that November. Operational and financial responsibility transferred from the City of Holland to the independent authority on July 1, 2007. Zeeland did not join the authority and instead continued to obtain transit service through a contractual agreement.
Services MAX operates eight fixed bus routes, numbered 1 through 8. The system also provides demand-response transportation through its Reserve-A-MAX service.
The Louis and Helen Padnos Transportation Center in downtown Holland serves MAX buses as well as Amtrak's Pere Marquette passenger train.
In May 2025, MAX changed its operating schedule and suspended Saturday fixed-route service as part of a reallocation of financial and staffing resources. The changes also expanded weekday service to begin earlier in the morning.
Funding The authority receives funding from federal and state transportation programs, passenger revenue, contracts, and a dedicated property-tax millage in Holland and Holland Charter Township.
On May 5, 2026, voters in Holland and Holland Charter Township approved a 0.6-mill property-tax levy for 2027 through 2031. The measure, which renewed and increased the authority's existing millage, received about 70 percent of the vote and was projected to raise approximately $2.45 million in its first year. The additional funding was intended to maintain existing transit services and support new mobility services, including microtransit.
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