The Lincoln Township Board of Trustees will soon consider a resolution of support for the creation of a countywide transit authority.
Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette addressed the board Tuesday, saying the Michigan Department of Transportation is urging the county to adopt a regional transit service as it plans to cut off funding for the Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority and its Dial a Ride service in Benton Harbor in October.
Fette said there have been past attempts to consolidate TCATA, Berrien Bus, and the Niles Dial A Ride service, but they’ve all been unsuccessful. This time, the stakes are higher.
“If nothing is done by October 1 and the funding is cut by MDOT, we are at risk of losing approximately 155,000 passenger rides annually throughout Berrien County,” Fette said.
That’s if Dial a Ride ceases to operate with no alternative in place. Fette said it’s unlikely the county can fully launch a transit service by the October deadline, but it’s now seeking to at least establish a transit authority to start consolidating the county’s existing transit services.
Lincoln Township Trustees were receptive, with Supervisor Glenn Youngstedt telling us there is a need for better transit in the area.
“As a matter of fact, I was listening to somebody today who was talking about how their job is almost in jeopardy because the transportation system is not reliable,” Youngstedt said. ” They were talking about how their employers talked to them, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get to work on time,’ and when the bus doesn’t show up, they’re screwed. And they don’t have a car. So it becomes an issue, and if I were an employer, I would be concerned too.”
Fette said areas of Lincoln Township currently lack mass transit, a service that he believes would primarily be used by the disabled and the elderly. He said once a transit authority is formed, MDOT has agreed to fully fund the county’s new service for its first three years. After that, a countywide transportation millage would have to be approved for it to continue.
At this point, all Fette is seeking are resolutions of support for the formation of the authority. Youngstedt said the board will consider one when it next meets.