Indian Trails Inc., in partnership with the Michigan Dept. of Transportation (MDOT), is putting eight new motorcoaches on the road covered with giant photos of some of Michigan's most popular vacation destinations and largest cities as well as a “Pure Michigan” logo.

The scenes on the new buses include Lake Huron; Pictured Rocks National Seashore; Old Mission Peninsula; the Mackinac Bridge; Sleeping Bear Dunes; the state Capitol, Glen Lake; two lighthouses; a Marquette marina; and the skylines of Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing.

Besides helping to bring tourists into Michigan, the new motorcoaches should accelerate growth in ridership that connects Michiganders with one another and the rest of the world. On the sides of each vehicle, the prominent slogan "We're Going Your Way—Daily" instantly tells viewers the buses offer regular route service. To emphasize the point, 28 of the more than 100 towns that Indian Trails serves are listed along the roof lines of the coaches in bright green lettering.

The eight new buses are all Motor Coach Industries’ (MCI) D4505 model. Each can carry up to 51 passengers and comes equipped with technology that reduces exhaust pollutants to near-zero while achieving fuel economy of 240 passenger miles per gallon.

Safety features include antilock brakes, automatic traction control, electronic stability system, engine fire detection and suppression system, GPS tracking, tire pressure monitoring system and three-point retractable seatbelts for each passenger.

Among the comfort features are ergonomic seating with ample leg room; individual airflow controls, reading lamps and footrests; tinted side windows; 110-volt AC outlets at each seat for charging mobile devices; free Wi-Fi; on-board lavatory; enclosed overhead parcel racks; hearing loop; and an ADA-compliant wheelchair lift.

In keeping with a tradition begun in the 1930s by Cora Taylor, who co-founded Indian Trails with her husband Wayne in Owosso 104 years ago, each of the new coaches is named in honor of a Native American Indian chief: Black Hawk, White Pigeon, Moa-Na-Hon-Ga, Sagamaw, Wa-Na-Ta, Esh-Tah-Hum-Leah, Chebainse and Cheogemaw.

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