Michigan DOT Contractor Named ‘Best Bus’ in U.S.

The Michigan Department of Transportation recently congratulated transit contractor Indian Trails for topping the list of the 10 best bus services for 2025 in the United States; a list compiled by the USA Today newspaper.

[Above photo by Indian Trails]

Based in Owosso, MI, Indian Trails is a family-owned, intercity motorcoach carrier that connects 80 towns throughout Michigan and specifically partners with Michigan DOT to provide service on five state-sponsored routes.

Indian Trails also operates the popular Michigan Flyer airport shuttle service, which connects East Lansing, Whitmore Lake, Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro Airport.

Additionally, Indian Trails was the only Michigan-based bus service to make USA Today’s list, noted Jean Ruestman, administrator of the Michigan DOT Office of Passenger Transportation.

“We are proud to have an exceptional partnership with Indian Trails,” Ruestman said in a statement. “Only through first class transportation professionals, such as Indian Trails, can Michigan DOT achieve its vision to provide Michiganders with a safe, interconnected multimodal transportation network with equitable options.”

Across the country, state departments of transportation support a variety of bus services as part of providing transit options in their respective regions.

Photo by the Maine DOT

For example, the Maine Department of Transportation recently awarded $2 million in state funds for fiscal year 2026 to support discretionary transit projects.

The agency also marked the one-year anniversary of its Lewiston, Auburn, and Portland or LAP bus service in July.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation recently began seeking public input to develop the Statewide Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan and the very first North Dakota Intercity Bus Plan.

The agency said in a statement that those plans will identify critical mobility needs and opportunities for improvement, especially for older adults, people with disabilities, and residents in rural communities.

Meanwhile, the New Mexico Department of Transportation just launched a new five-day-a-week intercity bus service in partnership with Greyhound.

“We are proud to partner with Greyhound to provide a link between Farmington and Albuquerque and to connect with Red Apple Transit and Navajo Transit, our local partners in the New Mexico public transportation network,” said NMDOT Secretary Ricky Serna in a statement. “Affordable public transportation along long-distance corridors are essential to connect our communities and expand travel options.”

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