MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Thursday, January 26, 2016, marked the first Meridian Transportation Commission Meeting.

With the primary focus of the Transportation Commission being to provide assistance to Township staff, to resolve or respond to citizen submissions regarding all types of transportation service provisions. These services include both public and private, within the Township as to their efficiency, sufficiency, and even the costs.

The start of Thursdays first Meridian Transportation Commission Meeting (MTC), began at 6:08 pm and the new board introduced themselves to the public. The new Transportation Commissioners consists of Chris Hackbarth, Karla Hudson, Jon Kolbasa, Tim Potter, Steven Vagnozzi, Phyllis Vaughn, and Phil Deschaine. The commissioners are a selected group of both residents and qualified electors of the Township. The resident's members can speak on transportation issues from a first-hand perspective, as they regularly use the different forms of transportation offered in Meridian Township from CATA buses and Redi-Ride, to bicycles, and various trails and pathways.

While the first Meridian Transportation Commission Meeting was an organizational meeting to prepare for the next few meetings, it allowed time for the commissioners to set a foundation for future MTC meetings. Implementing new ideas, agendas, and striving to match up the goals that the Township Board established for the new commission.

The newly elected MTC chair, Chris Hackbarth believes that the Transportation Commission is going in the right direction, stating
" When we looked at the breath of topics that the board laid out for the commission to look into; as commissioners, we were able to look at all the different things, different topics that we felt were important that fell under that umbrella. And be able to start mapping out for ourselves how to educate ourselves on some of those issues and be able to map a path on how to make those recommendations."

The Meridian Transportation Commission meetings are set to be held on the fourth Thursday of every month starting at 6:00 pm.