MBTA MANAGER TO STEP DOWN JULY 1

The Morongo Basin Transit Authority’s general manager has announced he will be stepping down this summer. Joe Meer, who has been with the MBTA since 2002 and its general manager since 2006, said he plans to resign as of July 1 in order to pursue his graduate studies. During the eight-plus years that Meer served as general manager, the agency’s ridership nearly doubled; the agency made the transition to buses fueled by natural gas; and the MBTA completed the Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms transportation centers and numerous bus stops. Meer said he will not end his relationship with the MBTA after he steps down as general manager, as he plans to direct the vehicle purchasing and grants program after July 1.