Berrien County’s transit committee, BCAT, has held its first meeting with the Michigan Department of Transportation to discuss the future of mass transit in the area as MDOT seeks to replace the Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority.

MDOT notified the county this fall it wants to see a new entity in place to take over for Dial a Ride as the service’s costs have grown.

The county this month invited Benton Harbor city officials and TCATA to attend Thursday’s meeting with MDOT, but County Administrator Brian Dissette tells us representatives of the city were unable to be there. He’s now looking to arrange a meeting with them for November.

Dissette says at Thursday’s meeting, BCAT learned more about what MDOT is looking for and what the county’s options might be.

In a letter to the county, MDOT says it wants a solution in place by the end of October, 2026.