Transportation committee approves MATS safety-plan update and MDOT mobility-management MOU with Michigan Transportation Connection

The Muskegon County transportation committee on Dec. 11 approved two actions affecting local transit: an October 2025 update to the Muskegon Area Transit System (MATS) agency safety plan and an interlocal memorandum of understanding with Michigan Transportation Connection (MTC) to deliver MDOT-funded mobility-management services in Muskegon County.

Jim, a MATS presenter, told commissioners the safety-plan update is largely a formality required by the Federal Transit Administration and that the primary edits reflect 2025 performance metrics and goals for 2026. "This is a document that's required of us by the Federal Transit Administration," he said, noting the update includes revenue hours, passenger-trip counts and incident classifications.

The committee also considered an MOU with Michigan Transportation Connection, a private nonprofit broker that coordinates transportation providers for clients. Rochelle Cody, a consultant for Michigan Transportation Connection, described the program as a countywide broker that prioritizes public transit when feasible, handles billing and paperwork (including Medicaid and veterans transport), and pays providers for trips when appropriate. "We will pay the cost for that ride and we...all we do is...bill us," Cody said, explaining how MTC arranges trips with multiple providers and manages the administrative work.

Commissioners asked whether the mobility-management program would duplicate existing services (senior resources, Pioneer Service); staff and the presenter said MTC intends to coordinate with existing providers, not supplant them, and will develop local interlocal agreements as needed. The committee voted to approve both the MATS safety-plan update and the MDOT-funded mobility-management MOU; staff said any operational changes will be brought back to the board as needed.