MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - At the latest Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) Board meeting, the controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project has been put on hold.

The BRT Project for the Greater Lansing area has been in the works since before 2010. It is designed like a rail system for buses, and would have been faster than the traditional bus routes.

In the board meeting, one of the reasons stated for suspending the creation of the BRT was cuts from federal funding. At least $100 million of the funding which would have been used for the BRT has been cut from President Donald Trump's current proposed budget.

In the meeting, Robert Swanson, CATA Board Chair, said the project should be suspended "until this administration or another decides to care about public transportation."

CATA also had to consider the over $700,000 environmental assessment cost. This was also a controversial project, with supporters and people against coming to the board meeting to voice their opinions, just as they have throughout the nearly 10 years this has been in development.

With over $5 million already spent on the BRT, CEO Sandra Draggoo said during the meeting, "I want to point out that the money has not been wasted."

Also announced at the meeting was Draggoo's retirement. She will step down in the beginning of 2018.