MEC Capitol Update
August 13, 2002

DARTA Passes Conference Committee
Compromises provide jobs and transportation for Detroit and suburbs

After a sweltering summer of negotiations between the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce and organized labor, the Detroit Regional Transportation Authority (DARTA) passed conference committee on August 13 and is ready for the final nod of approval when the Legislature returns to work on September 17. The conference committee unanimously agreed to a compromise between the two different versions of the bill that passed the House last December and the Senate in May. The differences centered on organized labor protections and provisions that allowed counties to opt out of DARTA all together. The conference committee's version assures that jobs are not lost and makes it harder for counties to withdraw from the regional authority.

DARTA would provide a comprehensive public transportation plan to coordinate the routes, rates and scheduling of the Detroit Department of Transportation and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation. DARTA is set to become the designated recipient for federal transportation funds on October 1, 2002, leaving only nine days for the legislature to either accept or reject the compromises when they return from summer break.