Policies & Legal

Passenger Conduct

We politely request that Harbor Transit riders observe the following rules for the comfort and safety of all of our passengers.

General Conduct

Please remain seated while the bus is in motion. Seat belts are provided and encouraged for your safety.
Keep hands, arms, and other objects inside the bus.
Be respectful of other passengers.
Keep aisles clear.
Collapse strollers and shopping carts before boarding the bus.
Carry small children and bags on your lap
Please secure any loose items while the bus is in motion.
All electronics must be used with personal headphones. Please do not disturb other riders.

Help us keep the buses clean!

Harbor Transit works hard to provide a comfortable, clean riding experience for every passenger. You can help us maintain clean buses by demonstrating good housekeeping practices and disposing of any and all trash that may have accumulated during your trip as you exit the bus. Every bus has designated trash cans — please use them.

Prohibited Items and Actions

No eating, drinking, or smoking on board the bus.
No use of profanity or insulting language or gestures.
No yelling, roughhousing or throwing of objects.
No loitering, panhandling or soliciting of any kind.
No physical assaults of any kind.
No harassment of Harbor Transit drivers or staff.
No possession or use of alcohol or illegal substances.
No vandalism or graffiti on the inside or outside of the bus.
No skates/rollerblades are allowed.
No animals, except those used as ADA service animals.
Carrying weapons, flammable or explosive materials is strictly prohibited.

If it’s unwanted, it’s harassment.

Whether the harassment is based on race, gender, or religious affiliation, Harbor Transit does not tolerate it. Any unwanted or persistent attention that is physical, violent, or threatening in nature is strictly prohibited.

Harbor Transit reserves the right to deny service or to have a passenger removed from the bus, or Harbor Transit property, for displaying poor conduct or violating system rules.

Accommodations with respect to the Rules of Courtesy and Personal Conduct will be provided as required by federal, state, and local disability laws and ordinances.

Harbor Transit is committed to providing public transportation services without regard to race, color, or national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Questions or concerns regarding Title VI obligations may be addressed to the Harbor Transit Human Resources Director, 440 N Ferry Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417 or by calling 616-842-3220 Ext. 7.

No-Show Policy

If you do not cancel your ride within 30 minutes before your scheduled pickup, you will be considered a no-show. The following situations also qualify for no-show status:

A passenger does not board the bus after the driver 1) stops, 2) waits for two minutes after the scheduled pickup time, and 3) honks.
A passenger is not ready to board within two minutes after the arrival of the Harbor Transit vehicle.
A reservation is canceled less than 30 minutes before the scheduled pickup time.

After Two Reported No-Shows

Passenger will receive a letter warning that any further no-shows can result in the suspension of ridership privileges.

After Three Reported No-Shows Within a 30-Day Period

Passengers who have accumulated 3 no-shows within 30 days risk the suspension of Harbor Transit services. A suspension means that the passenger will not be able to schedule or receive rides during the suspension period. Reinstatement of Harbor Transit ridership will be considered following the suspension period. Harbor Transit reserves the right to extend the suspension period or withhold reinstatement of ridership dependent on the passenger’s frequency of missed trips.

No-Shows Due to Extenuating Circumstances

If you are unable to make your ride due to a medical emergency, snow day, extreme weather, or any other extenuating circumstance, your no-show will not be counted. However, you are responsible for notifying Harbor Transit that the no-show was beyond your control.

*Please note that only Non-ADA Passengers will be charged a fare for the no-show trip. Final reinstatement of ridership privileges only occurs after all previously owed fees are paid in full.

Lost & Found

Any lost items found on Harbor Transit vehicles will be held in our office located at 440 North Ferry Street in Grand Haven, MI. Lost and found items are kept for 30 days. If not picked up within the 30 day period, items will be offered to local charities.

If you lose an article on one of our buses, call our office at 616-842-3200. All articles must be identified and claimed in person at our office location. Harbor Transit’s lobby hours are 9AM-5PM, Monday through Friday.

EEO Policy Statement

The Harbor Transit Multi Modal Transportation System (Harbor Transit) has a strong commitment to the communities that we serve and to our employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to have a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or other protected class. Harbor Transit’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy applies to all employment actions — including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and use of facilities. All applicants and employees have the right to file complaints alleging discrimination. The Harbor Transit Transportation Director will maintain overall responsibility and accountability for Harbor Transit’s compliance with its EEO Policy and Program. Any complaint of discrimination will be investigated thoroughly and promptly, no employee will be retaliated against for a good faith complaint.

To ensure day-to-day management — including program preparation, monitoring, and complaint investigation — the Transportation Director for Harbor Transit, 616-842-3220, has been appointed as Harbor Transit’s EEO Officer and the Training and Safety Coordinator, 616-842-3220, will support the record keeping and training end of the EEO plan. For EEO concerns, the Transportation Director when necessary, will report directly to the Harbor Transit’s Board of Directors and will act — with full authority — with all levels of management and employees.

If any employee believes that accommodation of a disability is necessary to perform essential job functions, the request for reasonable accommodation may be made to the EEO Officer. Michigan law requires that Harbor Transit be given written notice within 182 days after the employee knows or reasonably should have known of the need for accommodation.

All Harbor Transit executives, management, and supervisory personnel, however, share in the responsibility for implementing and monitoring Harbor Transit’s EEO Policy and Program within their respective areas, and will be assigned specific tasks to ensure compliance is achieved. Harbor Transit will evaluate its managers’ and supervisors’ performance on their successful implementation of Harbor Transit’s policies and procedures in the same way Harbor Transit assesses their performance regarding other agency’s goals.

Harbor Transit is committed to undertaking and developing a written nondiscriminatory program that sets forth the policies, practices, and procedures — with goals and timetables — to which the agency is committed, and to make the EEO Policy available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment upon request. The Transportation Director is personally committed to a workplace that acts upon its daily responsibility to treat all applicants and employees with dignity and respect, as well as equitably under the guidelines of our EEO Policy and Program.

Title VI

Harbor Transit Title VI Notice

Notifying the Public of Rights Under Title VI

Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System

Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System (“Harbor Transit”) operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Any person who believes he or she has been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with Harbor Transit.
For more information on Harbor Transit’s civil rights program, and the procedures to file a complaint, contact Harbor Transit Human Resources Department at (616) 842-3220 Ext: 7 or visit the Administrative offices at 440 North Ferry Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417. For more information, visit www.harbortransit.org.
A complainant may file a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration by filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, Attention: Title VI Program Coordinator, East Building, 5th Floor-TCR, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington DC 20590.

If the information is needed in another language, contact (616) 842-3220, Ext. 2.

Title VI Program & Procedures

Title VI Complaints

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal Financial assistance. Specifically, Title VI provides that “no person in the United States shall, on the ground or race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d).

Title VI Complaint Form (English)

Titulo VI Formulario de Queja (Español)

Title VI Complaint Process Overview

Limited English Proficiency Policy

Please direct Title VI Complaints to the Transportation Director at sborg@harbortransit.org or deliver by mail to

Attn: Transportation Director

440 N Ferry Street

Grand Haven, MI 49417

ADA Eligibility

Harbor Transit system buses are all equipped with a lift or ramp ensuring those in wheelchairs and people with mobility impairments are able to use the bus system. These ramps are designed to be ADA-compliant and will accommodate most mobility devices. Once onboard, each vehicle has designated areas where wheelchairs and scooters will be securely fastened for the duration of the ride.

Harbor Transit is committed to providing transportation to all those in need; regardless of age, disability, or personal circumstance. If you are a person with a disability, please contact our customer service representatives at 616-842-3220 for more information.

Download ADA Reasonable Modification Policy

ADA Complaint Procedures

Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System ADA Complaint Procedures

Any citizen who feels that their Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) rights have been violated alleging any action prohibited by 49 CFR Parts 27, 37, 38, and 39 may file a complaint with Harbor Transit using the following procedures:

The complaint can be made either by mail (United States Postal Service), by telephone, or by email.
1. To make a complaint by mail, please send to Harbor Transit, ADA representative, 440 North Ferry Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417.
2. To make a complaint by email, please send to sborg@harbortransit.org or make a complaint by telephone, please call (616) 842-3220, Ext. 5.
The complaint will be reviewed and investigated within seven (7) working days. Harbor Transit staff may contact you for additional information regarding the complaint.
The ADA representative will contact the individual who made the complaint and share the results of the investigation and offer possible remedies within seven (7) working days.
If the individual who made the complaint is not satisfied with the remedy offered, they may appeal the complaint by asking for an appeal by telephone, email, or mail within seven (7) days of being offered the remedy.
If an appeal is received, a panel consisting of the Harbor Transit Director of Transportation or their designee, the ADA representative, and a member of the Local Advisory Committee will hear the appeal within ten (10) working days either in person or by telephone.
All complaints will be maintained for one (1) year.
A summary of all complaints will be maintained for five (5) years.

This information can be made available in an alternative format such as Large Print, Braille, etc. upon request to Harbor Transit, 440 North Ferry Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417 or by email at sborg@harbortransit.org.

An Americans With Disabilities Act complaint alleging discrimination against a State or local government or public accommodation can also be made online, by mail, or by fax to the Department of Justice.