Back in 2009, some of the bumpers on BATA buses in Traverse City were held together with duct tape. Today, the 75-strong BATA bus fleet is taking more commuters than ever before to and from their jobs. They did this by adding routes and providing services that “fit residents’ lifestyles,” according to BATA’s business development director. This caught the attention of Jeffrey Tumlin: It is fortunate “you have a transit operator that really gets it.”