By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Niles' Dial-a-Ride is now under new management.
City Administrator Terry Eull will recommend to the Niles City Council at its June 12 meeting that it approve a contract from McDonald Transit Associates Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, to operate Dial-A-Ride here.
However, McDonald is already at work at Dial-a-Ride in Niles.
The management contract for Dial-a-Ride, Niles' public transportation system, was put out for bid recently.
He said requests for bids were sent to 15 companies, but only two returned offers to operate the service. One of the bidders was TMI of St. Joseph, which has operated the service in Niles for the last 25 years.
Successful bidder was McDonald Transit, Eull said.
McDonald “is a national, employee-owned company which manages 27 other public transportation systems,” he said.
He said city officials determined McDonald to be the right choice for the city when considering things like level of understanding, number and qualifications of personnel assigned to the project, past experience, a demonstration of understanding of state and federal regulations, as well as cost.
Bob Babbitt, president of McDonald Transit, said general manager of Dial-a-Ride in Niles will be Christina Ross. She will begin work full time here on June 8.
Babbitt said he wants to reassure Niles' Dial-a-Ride customers that the company will not cut services or increase fares.