The Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) is partnering with the National Cherry Festival to provide free transportation to and from festival activities. Riders can avoid traffic and parking hassles by taking BATA’s free Bayline Cherry Festival route. Buses run until midnight throughout the festival to accommodate late night firework shows and concert events.

Free Park-n-Ride lots are located at Meijer US-31, Northwestern Michigan College’s Cherry Lot, and Woodland Creek furniture. Buses arrive every 15-20 minutes and can be tracked in real-time using BATA’s online Bus Tracker.

Riders can board at any of the featured Park-n-Ride lots or anywhere along the Bayline route, including all the hotels located along East Grand Traverse Bay and US-31, and will be dropped off in downtown Traverse City at BATA’s Hall Street Transfer Station just steps from The Open Space. When festival goers are ready to return to their cars, they simply head back to Hall Street and catch the bus heading west toward Meijer or east to the NMC Cherry Lot, East Bay Beach District hotels and Woodland Creek.

Last year BATA’s Bayline route provided close to 12,000 rides during the Cherry Festival.

Click here to learn more about BATA’s Cherry Festival transportation.