The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber is encouraging local governments in Berrien County to talk about the potential formation of a regional transit system.
The chamber on Friday partnered with BCAT — Berrien County’s transit committee — to host a meeting of the county’s Chief Elected Officials Council to get everyone on the same page. Chamber President Arthur Havlicek tells us funding for the Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority is set to run out in October if some movement toward a regional system doesn’t start, and it’s time for leaders to be talking.
“All of Berrien County was represented in the meeting, and the conversation about regional authorities is going to pretty much affect everyone,” Havlicek said.
Havlicek says major employers and representatives of social services organizations were also on hand for the Friday meeting, which featured more than 70 officials from all across Berrien County.
It appears momentum is building among municipalities to establish some sort of regional transit authority so riders of TCATA continue to be served when state support ends.
“We’re encouraging them to do so, the chamber is, not only because there are 150,000 rides that would essentially disappear overnight, but because we think that it’s a great solution to overcome the current fragmented system that we have.”
The Michigan Department of Transportation last year sent word to Berrien County that support for TCATA, which runs Benton Harbor’s Dial a Ride service, will end due to its increasing costs.
The next step is for local governments to begin officially taking a position on the issue.
Meanwhile, the TCATA Board was told last week an effort is starting to place a renewal of the authority’s millage on the ballot this year. What would happen to that millage if Dial a Ride ceases to exist isn’t known.
