LIFE

Bus program helps Flint residents get rides to groceries

Susan Selasky
Detroit Free Press Food Writer

The lead water crisis in Flint has made food a very hot topic.

The new Ride to Groceries bus picks people from Kroger on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, in Flint, MI. The bus service takes residents to three grocery stores on the outskirts of city of Flint.

It’s important that the diets of lead-exposed individuals include calcium, iron and vitamin C — found in a plethora of fruits and vegetables.

That said, connecting Flint residents to fresh foods in an area considered a "food desert" is challenging.

The Bus Rides to Groceries offers help.

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The transportation program, created last spring, has a fixed route anchored with a Kroger store at the north end on Richfield and Center, a Fresh Choice Market Place on Franklin at Davison Road in the middle and a Walmart on Court between Genesee and Belsay roads at the south end. The route runs on the east side of Flint (east of I-475) on Richfield Street to Franklin to Court and Center with specific pickup stops along the way designated by Ride to Groceries signage with a shopping cart.

The bus operates 10-7 p.m. daily, and costs 85 cents each way. Edgar Benning, general manager and CEO of Flint's MTA, said ridership is increasing. In December, about 700 people used the bus, up from 500 in November.

The new Ride to Groceries bus is seen on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, in Flint, MI. The bus service takes residents to three grocery stores on the outskirts of city of Flint.

“But our consideration was never to have the bus full, but in providing hope, options and opportunity and that it would grow over time and that’s precisely what happened,” Benning said.

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The MTA also offers a call-in program where residents can schedule rides to and from their home. It costs $2.25 a ride. Benning said they began offering that service when they found out that some people were riding the grocery route every day because they couldn't carry all their bags in one trip.

Kerrie Moore, 47, of Flint, MI, takes the the new Ride to Groceries bus to shop at Walmart on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, in Flint, MI. Moore is also an employee at Walmart. The bus service takes residents to three grocery stores on the outskirts of city of Flint.

Just this week, the MTA unveiled a new design on the Ride to Groceries bus. It's wrapped with pictures of produce so that the bus is easily identifiable.

Kerrie Moore, 47, a Flint mother of eight, said she is  happy about the bus service and uses it every day. Moore uses the bus to grocery shop and to get to work at the Walmart store stop.

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“When I found out about it, it was perfect,” Moore said. “It's so convenient for me. I am a bargain shopper and go to Kroger to get the deals there, but also shop at Walmart because they have good prices and I get the employee discount.”

Moore says using the grocery bus also saves her time and money.

"My bus ride used to be 2 hours and now it's 30 minutes," she said. "It's also cheaper. Before it cost me $1.85 to get on the bus and get the transfers and when I didn't get the transfer, I was paying five-something to get to work."

According to the U.S.  Department of Agriculture (USDA), food deserts are found mainly where there is higher levels of poverty (Flint's is 40%) and sparse grocery stores. Instead, residents rely on smaller, often more expensive, grocery stores or convenience stores that often don’t have fruits and vegetables or fresh meats.

For info on Ride for Groceries: Call 810-780-8918. 

For Your Ride phone numbers and boundaries: mtaflint.org.  

Contact Susan Selasky: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @susanmariecooks on twitter.