Shelby Township Executive Named to Regional Transit Authority

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel has named Julie Gatti, president-elect of the Macomb County Bar Association and Roy Rose, president and CEO of ShelbyTownship-based engineering company Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick, Inc., to the Regional Transit Authority.

They will serve along with two representatives from Wayne, Washtenaw and Oakland counties, one representative from the city of Detroit and the non-voting chair of the authority from the governor's office on the Authority.

"Both Gatti and Rose will provide the leadership needed for Macomb County and for transit in southeast Michigan," said Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel in a release. "They will work with Assistant County Executive Melissa Roy. Roy’s background with the Detroit Regional Chamber on transportation and transit will be a valuable resource for Gatti, Rose and Macomb County."

According to county officials, The Regional Transit Authority will serve as the federal funding fiduciary for Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit (SMART), Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA). The authority is also charged with developing a regional transit plan for the designated region served by the three agencies.

Hackel will also name a local transit group that will include representation to a local transit group. 

"It is important that we understand the transit and mobility needs from across the County. There are a number of voices that the new transit plan must reflect and this group can fulfill that need,” he added. “This will also be a great opportunity to engage the community in good public policy. As policy makers, we need to be directly connected with our constituents.”