Civil and Municipal - Mar 2023

67 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 METRO TRANSI T first is the Akron Police Department, which helps to ensure the safety of transit passengers and employees. Akron Police provide consulting with law enforcement personnel, helping to ensure long-term safety through processes and policies. A second key partner is GILLIG, an American- based designer and manufacturer of buses. Distler has worked with GILLIG for many years in both Tennessee and Ohio, praising the company for its convenient design and overall dependability. “What we need from our bus manufacturer is transparency and honesty and they have always provided that,” she says. It’s why nearly 100 percent of METRO’s fleet is GILLIG buses. Distler says it is important for local residents and business owners to remember that METRO is an important community organization even for those who rarely ride.. METRO takes employees to their jobs, and helps to ensure many workers in the retail and service industries can get where they need to go, an important consideration given the