Twin City transit reports rising ridership, closes FTA findings and advances contracts

The Twin City Air Transportation Authority reported an increase in riders and a series of operations milestones during its meeting. The director said ridership rose from about 8,800 in September to over 10,000 in October, an increase the agency described as “a pretty significant increase in ridership over 1000.”

The increase was presented alongside operational updates that staff said were intended to improve safety and reliability. Staff summarized a November 11 safety workshop that included drug-and-alcohol training, language-translation procedures required under FTA rules, lift and mobility-device securement retraining and de-escalation training. A staff member said the agency has "closed all of our FTA deficiencies," noting progress on preventive-maintenance tracking and a procurement finding that required price-analysis documentation.

On facilities, staff reported completion of repairs to the east-side stairs, including added drainage. The work was performed by a local Benton Harbor contractor; staff said the procurement followed agency policies and included multiple bids. Board members were shown images of the repaired stairs and were told siding repair was deferred to avoid exposing the building over winter.

Staff also briefed the board on mobility operations: the procurement process is complete and staff are awaiting a first draft of a contract from the selected vendor. The draft will be shared with the board chair and the authority's attorneys for markups before the board moves forward. Staff asked trustees to confirm December schedules to allow either the regular December meeting or a special meeting to review contract materials.

The board approved the director's update by roll-call vote. The agency said it will distribute financials and further procurement materials when the accountant returns and the contract draft is received.

The board set its next meeting for Dec. 16 at 05:30.