An effort to form a new transit authority in Berrien County to assume oversight of the Dial A Ride bus service has been gaining some momentum.
Speaking to the Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority Board this week, TCATA Director Todd Shurn said the organization has reached out to municipalities throughout the area to gauge their interest in joining a multi-jurisdictional authority to handle mass transit. Shurn floated the idea this year as the Dial A Ride millage will be up for renewal in 2027 and costs to operate the service rise. He says getting more communities involved and contributing would be of benefit.
Shurn told the board this week the state recently sent letters to nearby local governments stating its support for the creation of a successor to TCATA.
“They let these other municipalities know that, you know, ‘You need to get your act together,’ and what has been occurring is the other municipalities want to complain and want to criticize transit, but what they don’t want to do, which you all know, they don’t want to pay,” Shurn said. “They don’t want to pay.”
Shurn said the idea is to create a new authority under Michigan’s Public Act 196, which would result in a more modern authority than the Public Act 55 authority TCATA has now.
Benton Harbor City Commissioner Ron Singleton said it’s time to explore more options for Dial A Ride’s future.
“Definitely it is time to get in the modern era now because over the years the needs have changed also,” Singleton said.
Shurn said he’s thinking of getting involvement from Benton Township, the city of St. Joseph, St. Joseph Township, Lincoln Township, and Royalton Township, among others. With more municipalities contributing to the region’s transit service, costs would be spread out.
Singleton said Benton Harbor has shown a commitment to Dial A Ride by supporting its millage for years. This exploration of a possible successor to TCATA will continue in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Shurn also said the search for a new management company to operate Dial A Ride continues as he hosted one potential bidder this week. The bids are due by September 26 with a decision by the board expected in October.