MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Since its debut in 2000, CATA's Redi-Ride Service has positively impacted the lives of Meridian Township residents who can't drive or choose not to. Unlike a fixed bus route, Redi-Ride is a curbside public transportation system that picks people up and drops them off at the location they request.

With the millage up for renewal in 2019, the question is whether or not voters will approve to extend the millage beyond 2019.

"That will be a board decision in May," said Trustee Phil Deschaine. "Some of that will depend on what the Transportation Commission recommends to the Board. Based on the 6-1 vote (to increase the fare to pay for the hours of operation extension), there's support for CATA on the board [and] certainly support for Redi-Ride. Do we want to have an identical millage to the one that we passed 10 years ago? That's a good question."

Deschaine said Redi-Ride is an important service in the township because of the number of people who use it.

"If we didn’t offer that service, there would be 71 or more people that wouldn’t be able to get where they wanted to go, and CATA offers a very affordable way to get anywhere in the Township, even in cases across the Township," Deschaine said.

Trustee Dan Opsommer is confident the millage will be renewed.

"I don't see us wanting to take away a valuable service like Redi-Ride, so I can't see there being any calls to get rid of the millage," Opsommer said.

Maintaining Redi-Ride is just one of 11 goals the Township Board has for 2018.

"We've got big goals," Deschaine said. "The Board isn't going to shy away from work. We have a great community [and] a good board. There's no reason we shouldn't make all of our goals. We will take them on one at a time as we did last year."