Transportation/Auto

New Year’s Eve revelers in St. Joseph County will once again have the benefit of a free ride home at the end of the night. For the seventh time in eight years, the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority is providing free rides home, with pick-up and drop-off service anywhere in the county. CTA director Steve Yorks said the program costs …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority saw a ridership increase during its 2014-15 fiscal year compared to a year earlier. Steve Yorks, executive director of the Three Rivers-based agency, said 97,506 rides were given during the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30. That figure tops the 95,942 rides given the previous fiscal year. Yorks said the CTA has maintained a …

Nearly two dozen local officials, including State Rep. Aaron Miller and State Sen. John Proos, took part Tuesday in a tour of the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority headquarters as well as a ride-along. Officials from the CTA said the first-of-its-kind event was staged to help promote the services it offers countywide. The group, which featured representation from Sturgis police, …

State police are appealing to the public for help in identifying suspects involved in a rash of larceny-from-vehicle incidents last week in Park Township. According to a department media release, the incidents occurred between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 6:30 a.m. Wednesday along Buckhorn Road between Heimbach Road and South Fisher Lake Road.

A three-way traffic signal on South Nottawa Street at Wenzel Street will become a blinking light for the next 90 days, in anticipation of its potential removal. Sturgis city commissioners have approved a temporary control order that will change the stoplight to a flashing yellow signal for two-way traffic on South Nottawa Street and a red flashing light for Wenzel …

Motorists along state routes are advised to use extra caution, as the second Adopt-A-Highway roadside cleanup event of the year begins Saturday and continues over an eight-day period. Thousands of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers will be back picking up litter along state roadways starting Saturday, as they’ve done each summer since 1990. Every year, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers collect about 70,000 bags of trash, …

A detour on a major north-south route in St. Joseph County will remain in effect at least through September while a bridge is replaced. Crews from Hudsonville-based Grand River Construction started work Tuesday on the Silver Street bridge at the Portage River. The job is a full rebuild to replace a bridge that job foreman Dean Stewart said was in …

State Rep. Aaron Miller last week praised Gov. Rick Snyder for signing a fiscally responsible budget that increases funding for classrooms and continues to build a solid public-safety foundation. Miller, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police, said the 2015-2016 budget pays down debt while prioritizing spending for transportation, education and law enforcement. Miller said the budget, after …

Three Rivers officials are advising motorists to use caution around the intersection of South Main and Broadway streets, where a small sinkhole has been detected. Partial lane closures in the area will be in place until a repair has been completed and the area subject to repair is in a condition to handle traffic. Motorists who approach the area should …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority has saved more than $5,000 a month the past two months as the result of low gas prices. CTA director Steve Yorks said the agency’s monthly fuel bills are typically about $25,000. In November it spent about $19,000 on gas, while its December fuel expense was about $18,000. Yorks said neither he nor anybody …