Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities
(RTAs): an informational overview
Sally Sharrow and Rachel Gordon December 2010
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The following pages offer an overview of the 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) in the state of Massachusetts. RTAs are the sole providers of public transportation in 231 Massachusetts cities and towns outside of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) District in metropolitan Boston. The history and geography of Massachusetts’ RTAs vary significantly, encompassing a wide range of urban and rural populations. Eight RTAs came into existence in 1974, under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 161B, Section 3, which authorized municipalities throughout the state to join together to provide regional transit service. The other seven RTAs have come into being at various times over the intervening 36 years as demographics have shifted and transit needs have grown. While governance varies somewhat, most RTAs correspond to a regional planning commission, though this study found that several RTA jurisdictions do not match up with that of the planning commissions responsible for regional transit planning. Such discrepancies were not within the scope of this report, but would be worthy of further analysis. Pioneer Valley RTA, serving parts of western Massachusetts including the Springfield region, is the largest RTA in terms of regional population, while Franklin RTA serves the largest geographical area. While ridership figures for each RTA were not accessible to us by the time of this writing, such figures might offer greater insight into current and historical trends in bus ridership throughout the state. While an umbrella organization, the Massachusetts Association of Regional Transit Authorities (MARTA) exists to coordinate communication between RTAs, its work appears to be young and evolving. The mission and activities of MARTA were unclear to us in initial attempts to explore its available resources. While unable to accomplish we everything initially hoped in this study, we believe this report may be the first of its kind, and therefore offer a useful “jumping-off” point for further examination of transit planning and services in Massachusetts, particularly those services offered to lower-income communities and communities of color where car ownership is statistically much lower than in other demographics. We hope this report will provide a foundation for further analysis of and coordination with Massachusetts RTAs by transit advocates and potentially between RTAs themselves.
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Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) Website: http://www.berkshirerta.com Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Berkshire-Regional-Transit-Authority/134648739920846
BRTA is the westernmost RTA in the state, serving 23 Berkshire county towns, including:
Alford
Egremont Great Barrington
Monterey Mount Washington New Marlborough
Otis Sandisfield Sheffield
Stockbridge Tyringham
West Stockbridge
Berkshire County is home to 30 towns and 2 cities and has a land area of roughly 606,180 acres (947 sq. mi.1
http://www.berkshireplanning.org Transportation planning in Berkshire County is conducted by the Berkshire Regional
Planning Commission ( ). The towns of Alford, Egremont, Mount Washington, and Sheffield are member communities, but do not have assessment levied or service provided.2 In 2009, a “Berkshire County Transportation Initiative” was formed as a public-private partnership to make recommendations for transportation improvements.
1 Berkshire Regional Transportation Plan 2007, pg 21 2 Southern Berkshire Community Transit Study (CTS) 2010, pg 3.6
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DEMOGRAPHICS Berkshire County is mostly rural, with a population of 134,953, following a downward trend in population growth for the past few decades. The largest concentrations of people are in the cities of Pittsfield and North Adams, with populations of 45,793 and 14,681 respectively, a total of 45% of the county’s population.3 Population models included in the Berkshire Regional Transportation Plan project a population of 131,868 in the year 2005, and then a stabilization and renewed growth, reaching 146,500 by the year 2030.4
Minorities make up an estimated 4.98% of the county’s total population, including 1.69% Hispanic/Latino. Although the median annual family income for the county is around $50,162, 6.5% families live below poverty levels of family income. 14% of Berkshire residents report some type of mobility limitation.5
Additionally, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission published a report in October of 2010 outlining the unique characteristics and transportation needs of the southern half of the county, an area which is currently underserved by the BRTA. Within this subregion, Great Barrington was highlighted as a community with high need as well as high potential for increased transit services. Great Barrington has a population of 7,527, at a density of 164.5 people per square mile—higher than the regional average. The population is 2.07% Hispanic out of a total 5.26% minorities, exceeding regional averages. They also noted a general dispersal of population to smaller and more rural communities, increasing the difficulties of providing public transit. SERVICE BRTA provides 15 fixed routes in 12 communities, running Monday through Friday hourly and Saturdays every one to two hours. Paratransit and other alternative services are also provided, with curb-to-curb ADA services that must be reserved a day in advance, and non-ADA door-to-door service that can be ordered the day of. BRTA also offers non-emergency medical transportation for MassHealth (Medicaid) members, DPH/Early Intervention, and Department of Developmental Services. Their fleet contains 15 vehicles, which carry 12 or more passengers, are wheelchair-lift equipped, and have bike racks. Their buses range in age from 15 years to less than 5. Transit in the southern half of Berkshire county is described as “scarce and confusing,” with only 2 routes serving 4 of the 12 southern towns. RIDERSHIP Public transit usage has been decreasing as private auto usage increases in Berkshire County. In 2000, less than 2% of residents used public transit as their primary mode of transportation to work, probably due to the highly rural nature of the region. 11% of households in the county do not own a car. BRTA fixed routes reported an annual ridership of 495,288 one-way rides in
3 Berkshire RTP 35 4 Berkshire RTP 39 5 CTS 2.13
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2006, a 22% increase since 2000. In the 2010 Southern Berkshire report, annual ridership was reported as 497,016. In 2006, BRTA paratransit services provided 57, 692 rides. FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Routes $1.25 per zone Regular
$0.60 per zone Half fare (over 60, Medicare, Massachusetts Access pass for disabled
$1.05 per zone 20 zone pass (regular) $0.50 per zone 20 zone pass (half fare) free Personal Care Attendants, children
under 5, on your birthday RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2004, an Intermodal Transportation Center was completed in Pittsfield, linking fixed route buses, intercity buses, and AMTRAK in one regional hub. Projected capital costs for the 23-year period covered by the RTP include $400,000 for facility upgrades, $8,400,000 for 24 new buses, $900,000 for 12 mini-buses, $360,000 for 8 service vehicles, and $1,840,000 for 32 paratransit vehicles. The Regional Transit Plan lists the need to increase BRTA service by 36,448 hours in order to meet regional needs, including extending the hours of service in mornings and evenings, add some Sunday service on 6 routes, increase weekday frequency, and expand routes. The 2010 study also highlighted the high potential for transit in the southern part of the county, calling for enhanced connections between Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and Sheffield with Pittsfield, as well as demand responsive connections to those urban centers from the more rural communities. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The Berkshire RTP contains a fairly large section on Environmental Justice issues. It identifies “the downtown areas of Pittsfield, North Adams, Adams, Lenox, and some other communities” as the main areas meeting EJ criteria, noting that poverty and disability status are the biggest factors creating EJ communities in the region. An appendix to the RTP (appendix J) is cited as containing specific information about EJ impacts of the recommended projects, but is not available online. SOURCES All specific data taken from Berkshire Regional Transportation Plan 2007, Southern Berkshire Community Transit Study (CTS) 2010, or BRTA website unless otherwise noted.
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Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) Website:. www.ridebat.com Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Brockton-Area-Transit-Authority/107738669248720
The BAT serves the following South Shore communities:
Abington Avon
Brockton Bridgewater
Easton East Bridgewater
Stoughton West Bridgewater
Transportation planning in the region is completed by the Old Colony Planning Council (OCPC) (http://www.ocpcrpa.org/), whose jurisdiction does not align exactly with the BAT’s. The OCPC region
includes some of towns served by the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority; demographic information included here from the Old Colony RTP therefore applies to the entire
planning region, not specifically the BAT region.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The Old Colony region had a population of 321,515 people in 2000. Approximately one-third of that population is concentrated in the urban centers of Brockton and Stoughton. Brockton alone contained 7% of the region’s land area and 29% of its population (94,304) in 2000. The population is expected to grow in the next decades, reaching 347,000 in 2007, 359,400 in 2010, and 447,500 by 2030.6
The region is home to significant populations of Spanish, French, and Portuguese speakers. The total minority population has grown since 1990; the percentage of the total in 2000 was 15.6%. This includes 6.73% Black, 0.22% Native American, 1.27% Asian and Pacific Islanders, 7.35% other minorities, and 3.31% of Hispanic origin. Brockton is the most diverse community, with 38.5% non-white residents. The RTP also notes, however, that all communities are home to minority populations, and that they seem to be fairly well-integrated by census block. 4.7% of the region lives at or below the poverty line, but the percentage is higher in Brockton, at 14.5%. SERVICE BAT provides sixteen fixed routes in six towns, and paratransit services to three additional towns. Buses run every 20 to 45 minutes on weekdays. There is limited service on Saturdays and Sundays.7
Dial-a-Bat provides door-to-door paratransit services in the City of Brockton and sections of Abington, Avon, Easton, Stoughton and Whitman, operative between approximately 9:30 am and 5 pm (depending on the town), Monday through Friday. The hours of operation for ADA transit are slightly different, operating between 6 am and 9 pm (depending on the town). Bridgewater State has on-campus paratransit service during school hours; and paratransit is provided for some hospital trips. There is a late-night, door-to-door shuttle service for students at Massasoit Community College who subscribe.
In addition, the MBTA operates in parts of the region; three buses connect to BAT and to the Red Line in Ashmont. It also runs three commuter rail lines (Middleborough/Lakeville, Kingston/Plymouth, and Providence/Stoughton) in the region. RIDERSHIP Public transit is not the most common form of travel to work, but its usage is growing; in 2000, 4,399 people named it as their main mode of transportation. BAT provided 2,747,922 one-way rides in 2006; Route 12 to Ashmont is the most popular line, with an average of 1,705 riders per day.8
Dial-a-bat serves 16,000 passengers annually.
6 Source: US Census Bureau 7 BAT website 8 RTP 6-5
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FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Route $1.00 Regular Adult
$0.50 Half Fare for Senior Citizens, ADA approved, under 12
Free Under 5, one-way transfer within Brockton
$30 Unlimited Local Riders Club monthly pass
Dial-a-bat $2.00 Senior Citizens and ADA approved, within one town
$3.00 Senior Citizens and ADA approved, between two towns
RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE BAT recently completed a new Intermodal Center in downtown Brockton, which connects buses, commuter rail, taxi, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities and facilitates connections. In 2004 it received a Massachusetts Smart Growth award for the project. According to the RTP, an increase of an additional 33,321 service hours would be needed to bring BAT services up to its most efficient level. One recommendation of the plan is to support studies for the feasibility of BAT increasing its service area, but does not include anything more specific. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The Old Colony RTP cites Environmental Justice as a high priority, with the following goals: To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and
environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations.
To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process.
To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.
However, besides the inclusion of demographic characteristics, the plan does not specifically outline how it will address EJ concerns and transit inequities.
SOURCES Unless otherwise noted, all data here is from the Old Colony Regional Transit Plan 2007 and the BAT website.
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Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) Website: http://www.canntran.com/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Cape-Ann-Transportation-Authority/112822665396854
CATA serves the northeast coast of Massachusetts, with routes in the communities of:
Beverly Danvers
Essex Gloucester
Ipswich Magnolia Peabody Rockport
Cape Ann planning concerns are addressed by the North Shore Task Force of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (http://www.mapc.org/subregions/nstf). Therefore, there is no Regional Transportation Plan available that corresponds specifically with the CATA’s service area.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The largest cities served by CATA are Peabody (pop. 50,562), Beverly (38,577), and Gloucester (28,215). Demographic information was not available for the entire region, but following are some of the statistics from Peabody and Gloucester from the US Census. In Peabody, 4.2% of the population is below the poverty line, and 6.7% in Gloucester. Their minority populations are 6.7% and 2.0%, respectively, with 4.8% of Peabody residents and 1.1% of Gloucester’s population reporting Hispanic heritage.9
SERVICE CATA has six different “lines,” providing sixteen fixed routes. It also provides corresponding paratransit services (info only available by phone), a seasonal beach shuttle, and a shuttle to the Danvers and Peabody malls. Service is provided every 40 minutes on some routes, but only every 5 hours on others. RIDERSHIP Ridership statistics were not available FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Route $1.00 Regular adult and children 5-12,
zone 1 $0.50 Senior citizen, disabled, and
medicare, zone 1
$1.25 Regular adult and children 5-12, zone 2
$0.60 Senior citizen, disabled, and medicare, zone 2
$100/semester Unlimited student pass for one semester
$25/year plus $0.50/trip Reduced student fares pass Danvers and Peabody Mall shuttle
$3.00 Regular adult $1.50 Senior citizen, disabled, and
medicare $1.00 Children 5-12
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS N/A ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE N/A SOURCES All information came from the CATA website and the US Census Bureau 9 US Census Bureau Fact finder, 2006-2008 estimates (http://factfiner.census.gov)
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Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) Website: http://www.capecodrta.org/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
• Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cape-Cod-Regional-Transit-Authority/112654212080096
• Trip Planning: http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=41.787105%2C-70.316103&spn=0.527926%2C0.707522&f=d&dirflg=r
• GPS bus tracker: http://geolabvirtualmaps.com/CapeCodRegionalTransitAuthority_Legacy.aspx
The CCRTA operates on the entirety of Cape Cod in the fifteen Barnstable County towns of:
Barnstable Bourne
Brewster Chatham Dennis
Eastham Falmouth Harwich
Mashpee Orleans
Provincetown Sandwich
Truro Wellfleet
Yarmouth.
The Cape Cod Commission (http://www.capecodcommission.org/) provides planning services for the Cape; the RTP is written by the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization (http://www.gocapecod.org/mpo/). Transportation information is available at http://www.gocapecod.org/.
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DEMOGRAPHICS In 2000, the Barnstable County was 222,230 people; in 2008 it had dropped to 221,049.10
Besides these estimates, the CCMPO has not provided any other demographic information.
SERVICE The CCRTA has a fleet of 87 buses, at an average of 5.7 years of age. It offers eight fixed routes. The FLEX bus service will deviate up to ¾ mile from the fixed route; reservations must be made two hours in advance. There is also the “B-bus” demand response service, which provides door-to-door service with reservations a day in advance. ADA paratransit services also run within ¾ mile of the normal fixed routes. Most buses run hourly, Monday-Saturday; there is no service on Sundays. The RTP notes that 45.4% of residents are within ½ mile of bus transit routes, though there are a few population centers in Bourne, Falmouth, Dennis, and Sandwich that fall outside of such service areas. RIDERSHIP On Cape Cod, only 1.22% or workers commute to work by public transportation, the largest proportion coming from the town of Sandwich. The majority of public transit users live and work outside of downtown urban areas. In 2004, the CCRTA provided 605,650 one-way trips, at an average of 2,100 per weekday. This represents a decrease in ridership from the previous year. The most popular route is the Provincetown Shuttle, with an annual ridership of 90,370 in 2005. The b-bus service carries about 300,000 passengers a year, a large percentage of the total ridership. FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Routes $2.00 Regular adult and youth (free
transfer only to WHOOSH trolley) $1.00 Disabled and seniors
$6.00 Day pass, regular adult and youth $3.00 Day pass, disabled and seniors
FLEX $4.00 Regular off-route trip $2.00 Disabled and seniors off-route trip
B-bus $3.00 Regular adult and youth $1.50 Disabled and seniors
ADA Paratransit $2.50 ADA rate
10 Cape Cod 2010 Fact Book, pg 3
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RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2002, the Hyannis Transportation Center was built as an intermodal transit hub. In 2004, the CCRTA spent a total of $694,823 for the purchase of new vehicles. In 2006, they implemented a new, simplified fare structure, making the structure unified across the system and making it more rider friendly. The RTP calls for an investment of $223,260,000 in the next 23 for ongoing projects for bus purchases, shelters, and park-and-ride lots. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The RTP states that “on Cape Cod, all environmental justice population centers are served by at least one local bus transit route. However, the connections and destinations of those transit routes may still impede environmental justice populations,” due to limited connectivity between routes. In addition, they state a need for EJ surveys to be conducted to determine how well their transportation needs are really being met. These EJ populations are not specifically named in the plan, but are highlighted on a map of the cape on page 38 of the RTP. SOURCES All data from the Cape Cod Regional Transit Plan 2007 and CCRTA website unless otherwise noted.
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Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) Website: http://www.frta.org Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Franklin-Regional-Transit-Authority/158577264174255
Covering the geographically largest and most rural region of the state, the FRTA serves 40 towns in Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester counties in Western Massachusetts. Its 11 fixed routes serve the following towns:
Amherst Athol
Charlemont Greenfield Montague
Northampton
Transportation planning in Franklin County is conducted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (http://www.frcog.org/services/transportation/index.php). This covers the majority of the FRTA’s service area, but it also overlaps a bit with other planning regions.
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DEMOGRAPHICS In 2005, Franklin Country had a population of 72,334 residents. The largest town is Greenfield, population 17, 835. Overall, the county grew about 1% in population between 2000 and 2005; by 2030 it is expected to grow by 26%, reaching 90,100 people. Franklin County is one of the least diverse counties in the state, with only 6% minorities, with an estimated 1,425 Hispanic residents, 975 Asian residents, and 970 African-American or Black residents in total. The towns with the largest percentage of minorities are Sunderland (13%), Greenfield (8%), Wendell (8%), and Shutesbury (6%). Franklin’s median income in 2000 was $40,768, or 24% lower than the state median. 13 of the county’s towns have among the 55 lowest per capita incomes in the state. In addition, 9.4% of the population lives below the poverty line. Greenfield, Hawley, Monroe, Montague, and Sunderland all have poverty rates of at least 13% and sections of both Greenfield and Turners Falls have poverty rates exceeding 20% and 30%. SERVICE The FRTA runs 11 fixed routes over an area encompassing 1,121 square miles, 110,000 residents, and 40 towns. Special routes are provided for transport to area schools and colleges. Its fleet includes 66 transit vehicles (48 vans and minibuses, 13 larger buses, 1 trackless trolley, and 1 hybrid electric car, 2 shop trucks, and 1 company car). All of the routes originate in downtown Greenfield. Paratransit and dial-a-ride services are offered, although under the ADA, due to the county’s rural nature, paratransit limitations are minimal; therefore dial-a-ride services in many towns are offered at the FRTA’s discretion. A med-ride service and some human transportation services are also provided. ADA door-to-door service is provided, with a reservation one day ahead of time, but costs twice as much as the fixed route fares. RIDERSHIP In 2000, only 1% of Franklin County residents used public transit for their commute, and only 8% of households did not have access to cars. In 2006, FRTA served an estimated 141,829 132,390 passengers. Buses operate approximately every hour or two hours, but do not provide weekend service. The most popular route seems to be the G-Link, which operates between Greenfield and Gardner, and connects to the Fitchburg Commuter Rail station. In 2006 it carried 24,811 riders in total. Dial-a-ride services are used the most in Greenfield and Montague; in 2005, 72,114 van rides were provided in total by the FRTA (about 6,000 per month). FARES Specific data on fares are not currently available. Regular fares range from $1.00 to $3.25 (depending on distance), with half fares available for seniors and ADA and Statewide access card holders for the FRTA bus routes presently range from $1 to $3.25 each way, depending on distance and destination. Half price fares are available for senior citizen and disabled
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passengers (Statewide access and ADA). Children under age 5 and Massachusetts Commission for the Blind card holders ride free.11
Transfers between fixed routes are also free.
RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2006, the FRTA merged with the Greenfield Montague Transportation Area, acquiring its buses and taking over its service routes. It is a continuing project to fully integrate those routes into the system. Electronic fareboxes were also recently added. A new transit hub is being designed for Greenfield; it appears that the project is still ongoing, having begun in 2000, and is expected to be completed in December of 2010. In 2008, a study was done outlining the need to expand services in the western part of the county, increasing the frequency of the West Route and improving its connectivity with other buses, as well as parallel paratransit improvements. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The Franklin Regional Council of Governments seems to put a big focus on Environmental Justice, through its RTP and some later studies. According to the RTP, the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO “has had a specific task for environmental justice activities in its annual Unified Planning Work Program since the 2001 Program Year. Through this task, the TPO staff conducts outreach to low-income and minority populations and works with the regional transit agencies to ensure that low-income and minority residents have good access to transit services.” They identify the towns of Greenfield, Montague, Orange, Shelburne Falls, and Sunderland, as well as the more rural Wendell, as locations of EJ populations. Because these population centers are fairly densely populated, they actually contain some of the better transit access in the county, but the RTP recognized that this still may not be enough to meet the transit needs of EJ communities. The 2008 West County study also focused on the low income towns along the West Route, 22 percent of whose household are low income. This area would benefit greatly from increasing the access to transit along that route. SOURCES Data referenced here taken from Franklin County Regional Transportation Plan 2007 and FRTA website unless otherwise noted.
11 Franklin County RTP 9.4
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Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) Website: http://www.gatra.org/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Greater-Attleboro-Taunton-Regional-Transit-Authority/111575102192358
The GATRA provides transit to 26 member communities:
Attleboro Bellingham
Berkley Carver
Dighton Duxbury
Foxborough Franklin Kingston Lakeville
Mansfield Marshfield Medway
Middleborough Norfolk
North Attleboro Norton
Pembroke Plainville Plymouth Raynham Rehoboth Seekonk Taunton
Wareham Wrentham
However, while most of these communities lie in the jurisdiction of the Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Organization ( ), others (Kingston and Plymouth) are covered by the Old Colony Planning Commission (http://www.ocpcrpa.org/). This makes it relatively difficult to obtain complete demographic statistics for the RTA’s service area.
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DEMOGRAPHICS In 2000, the largest urban centers served by the GATRA were Attleboro, with a population of 42,068, and Taunton, population 55,976. Those populations were projected to reach 46,073 and 60,604 respectively by 2010, and grow further to 54,112 and 69,880 in 2030. SERVICE GATRA provides fixed route service in Taunton, Attleboro, Wareham, and Plymouth, and a downtown shuttle in Middlesborough. Demand response is provided in Attleboro, Taunton, North Attleborough, Norton, Raynham, Berkley, Dighton, Mansfield and Seekonk. It operates 50-fixed route and 48 demand response vehicles, and recently added a new low-floor Gillig bus to the fleet. The Plymouth Area Link (PAL) is also run under contract by the GARTA. Most buses run approximately hourly. RIDERSHIP 2.5% of residents in the Southeastern Massachusetts planning area commuted to work by public transit in 2000. The GATRA PAL system carried 66,352 passengers in 2005. FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Route $1.00 Adult one way
$ 0.50 Disabled and senior citizens
$2.00 Adult one way between cities $1.00 Disabled and senior citizens
between cities RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE There is an ongoing project to build an Intermodal center in downtown Attleboro. The project has already received $4 million in federal funding. Intermodal centers were planned to be built in Wareham and Plymouth in 2009. GARTA also had plans to replace eight buses and eight demand response vehicles by 2010, and to buy six low floor Gillig buses and two hybrid buses. A major identified need in the region is connection between the GATRA and SRTA bus systems. A demonstration fixed route from Wareham to New Bedford is a project identified by the SEMMPO. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Neither the OCRPC or the SEMMPO focus very explicitly on Environmental Justice issues, but there is one section in the SEMMPO RTP. It focuses on the lack of commuter rail connections as an environmental justice concern, and supports the provision of a GATRA route between Taunton and the Lakeville commuter rail station as a temporary measure, and extension of commuter rail service to the region as a long term goal.
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SOURCES SEMMPO Regional Transit Plan 2007, and Old Colony Regional Transit Plan 2007 unless otherwise noted.
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Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) Website: http://www.lrta.com/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lowell-Regional-Transit-Authority/113513278659366
The LRTA provides transit services to Northern Middlesex County, including the towns of:
Lowell
Billerica Chelmsford
Dracut Tewksbury
Tyngsborough
This area corresponds roughly to that served by the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (http://www.nmcog.org/) and is included in its Regional Transportation Plan.
DEMOGRAPHICS The population of Northern Middlesex County was 281,115 individuals in 2000, projected to grow to 304,000 in 2010 and 343,800 by 2030. Information on racial and income demographics is included in the RTP only as maps and as appendices which are not included in the online version. The LRTA’s service area population in 2000 was 320,301, with a population of 313,218 served by its fixed route services.
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SERVICE LRTA operates a total of 18 fixed routes; nine of those are within the city of Lowell, and three are within Chelmsford. The remaining routes serve Billerica, Dracut/Tyngsborough, Tewksbury, Andover, and Burlington. Buses run about every half hour to hour during the week, with limited service on Saturdays and no service on Sundays and holidays. Their fleet contains 43 buses, but 23 of them are already beyond their expected service life and need replacement. Paratransit service is provided through the demand-response “Road Runner” service in Acton, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Groton, Lowell, and Pepperell. RIDERSHIP In 2006, the LRTA fixed routes served a total of 1,297,914 passengers; this number appears to represent a decrease in ridership from previous years. In the region, only 2.21% of the population commutes by public transit. LRTA paratransit also provided 104,971 passenger trips in 2006.
FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Route $1.00 Regular adult, within Lowell
$0.85 Token, within Lowell
$0.50 Half fare (Disabled, senior citizens, children 6-12)
$1.50 Regular adult, between towns $0.75 Half fare, between towns $0.50 Full fare transfer $0.25 Half fare transfer Free Transfer within Lowell
RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2005, a new bus terminal was built at the Gallagher Intermodal Center, relocating the LRTA’s service hub and facilitating connections to the MBTA commuter rail and the MVTA buses. There are also plans to expand the downtown shuttle route into a “light rail heritage trolley system.” ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
The Northern Middlesex RTP contains a fairly detailed section on Environmental Justice. The planning authority completed a demographic profile to identify the EJ communities within the region and evaluate their access to transit, as well as to identify the transit needs of EJ populations, include those as considerations in the RTP, and ensure community participation in the process. The study found that the minority and low income populations are mainly concentrated in the most dense urban areas, and were therefore not underserved by the transit system. It did, however, identify the need for longer hours of bus service, Sunday and
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holiday service, and the distribution of schedule information in other languages. Specific EJ and minority population information are included in Appendix J of the RTP. SOURCES Northern Middlesex Regional Transportation Plan 2007 and LRTA website
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Martha’s Vineyard Regional Transit Authority (VTA) Website: http://www.vineyardtransit.com/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs):
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marthas-Vineyard-Transit-Authority/126954540691447
VTA provides transit services for the 100-square-mile island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the southern coast of Cape Cod. Regional planning for Martha’s Vineyard is conducted by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (http://www.mvcommission.org/).
DEMOGRAPHICS
As a major resort destination, the population of the islands fluctuates widely between the summer and winter seasons. The total year-round population in 2000 was 14,901, but the inclusion of vacationers and transients brings the annual figure up to 68,194. The population is expected to grow at around 3% annually, but to taper off around 2025 at 25,000 year-round residents. SERVICE
VTA runs 13 fixed routes using 24 vehicles during the peak season of mid-May to mid-October, and only 6 routes during the off season. The 13 routes cover all major roads and parts of the island. The Lift is the island’s demand-response paratransit service, operating on a door-to-door, advanced reservation system. Medical van service to Cape Cod and Boston are also provided.
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RIDERSHIP Only 1% of Vineyard residents commuted by public transit in 1990; however, the large
number of seasonal visitors must depend rather heavily on the local transit system. Annual ridership grew from 71,500 in 1997 to 787,600 in 2002, and The Lift paratransit service operated 21,852 trips in 2002, but tends to serve a client base of only 500 individuals. A “transit ridership” survey is cited on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s website, but no link is available—this is a potential source for more ridership data. FARES Service Fare Fare Type Fixed Route $1.00 Regular adult fare, per town
$0.50 Half fare (disabled and senior), per town
$7.00 One-day pass $15.00 Three-day pass $25.00 Seven-day pass $40.00 31-day pass $100.00 Annual pass, adult $50.00 Annual pass, student
RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE
VTA buses will need continued updating. There are also projects proposed in order to increase the accessibility and appeal of transit to seasonal visitors, by increasing publicity and signage, coordinating scheduling, and redecorating buses to make them a more appealing tourist attraction. Uniquely, the RTP also recommends the inclusion of transit considerations as part of the permitting processes on the island. The plan also notes the need for an intermodal transit hub at the airport12
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Environmental Justice is only mentioned briefly at the beginning of the RTP, and even
then only recapitulates the principles of the 1994 Executive Order. The RTP does not even include population demographics in regards to race and income. SOURCES Martha’s Vineyard Regional Transportation Plan 2003 and VTA website, unless otherwise noted.
12Vineyard RTP, pg 50-51, 61
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Merrimack Valley Transit Authority - MVRTA Website: http://www.mvrta.com/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): None Bordered on the north and east by the state of New Hampshire and the Atlantic Ocean, the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority serves parts of northeastern Massachusetts including:
Andover
Amesbury Haverhill Lawrence Merrimac Methuen
Newburyport North Andover
The MVRTA also connects to the Lowell Regional Transit Authority through bus service to the Lowell Transit Center. The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC) is responsible for transportation planning in the region corresponding to the MVRTA. Its website is http://www.mvpc.org/
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DEMOGRAPHICS The 2000 Census reported that 318,556 people lived in the MVPC region. The City of Lawrence contained 21.9% of the region’s 2005 population, which constituted a drop in Lawrence’s share of the region’s population from 2000 and 1990. The following are population estimates for the region’s population as counted by the census being completed this year and the next census in 2020: Estimated current and future population of the Merrimack Valley Population Households (#) Employed Individuals 2010 344,012 128,717 162,687 2020 369,544 140,199 175,112 Source: Merrimack Valley Planning Commission The ethnic and socio-economic divisions within the region are stark. While ten of the 15 communities’ populations are less than 3% minority, three communities (Andover, Haverhill and Methuen) have 8-10% minority populations, and minorities make up more than half (51.6%) of Lawrence’s population. 24.3% of Lawrence’s population lives below the poverty line. Poverty rates are much lower elsewhere in the region, but still significant, ranging from 1.4% in Boxford to 9.1% in Haverhill. Overall, according to the 2000 Census, 16.9% of the region’s population belong to an ethnic minority, and 9.8% of Merrimack Valley residents live below the poverty line. Both of those figures are significantly impacted, of course, by the extremely high percentages of both in Lawrence. SERVICE The MVRTA operates 21 fixed bus routes as well as both ADA- and non-ADA-compliant paratransit and reservation-required door-to-door “Ring and Ride” shared van services (in select districts). Bus service differs by route, with service generally beginning between 5:00am and 6:00am and running until 7:00-8:00pm Frequency varies by route as well, between every 15 minutes on certain lines during morning rush hour to once per hour on other routes and in other periods of the day. The MVRTA offers no bus service on Sundays. The region is also served by Boston commuter rail, operated by the MBTA. RIDERSHIP The MVPC has found ridership to be steadily increasing throughout the bus system. Between 2001 and 2006, the most recent period for which figures are publicly available, ridership on the MVRTA’s fixed bus routes increased by 54% overall and approximately 9% annually. Two fixed bus routes together account for more than one-quarter of the system’s total ridership. Route 01, which serves Haverhill, Methuen and Lawrence, and Route 41, which travels between Lawrence and Lowell, have consistently been the most heavily used routes in the system, accounting for 24% of total annual ridership in 2000 and increasing to 27% by 2006.
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FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $1.00 Full fare
$0.50 Senior citizens (60+) Disabled/Medicare Children/Students (6-17)
Free Children under 5, with adult Ring-and-Ride $0-$3 Per ride, route dependent ADA paratransit $3.00 Per ride Non-ADA paratransit $2.00 Per ride RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE The “Capital Projects” section of the MVRTA website describes changes in 2008 to two bus routes wherein they were combined to become a single route. While service reduction appears to have been minimal, it is unclear why this change would be considered a capital project or improvement. The MVPC has noted “perceived unmet demand for additional transit access between the Merrimack Valley and the Boston area” and, in its 2007 Regional Transit Plan, proposed the following improvements to regional public transit: Investigate the feasibility of expanding seating for selected peak period commuter rail
trains serving the Valley; Implement MVRTA fixed route and demand response services on Sundays; Implement MVRTA’s existing demand response services in areas that are currently not
served and expanding them in areas that may be underserved, and Expand bus service to Logan Airport and downtown Boston from the central and
western parts of the Valley. Environmental Justice There is no discernible mention of environmental justice in the MVRTA’s publicly available documents or the MVPC’s planning publications. The MVPC has an “Environmental Justice & Civil Rights” section on its website, which consists entirely of a recapitulation USDOT’s environmental justice principles, a statement of Title VI compliance, and a link to the MVPC’s “Limited English Proficiency Plan,” which is aimed at ensuring the full participation of non-fluent English speakers in the planning process. SOURCES Merrimack Valley Regional Transportation Plan 2007, unless otherwise noted.
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MetroWest Regional Transit Authority - MWRTA Website: www.mwrta.com Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): Facebook The MetroWest region of Eastern Massachusetts includes 32 towns between I-95 and I-495 along the Route 9 corridor in the western suburbs of Boston. The MWRTA serves the following 11 communities:
Ashland Framingham
Holliston Hopkinton
Marlborough Natick
Sherborn Southborough
Sudbury Wayland Weston
The MWRTA is part of the Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), whose website is: www.mapc.org. The Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is responsible for the region’s transportation planning. The MPO website is: www.ctps.org.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The MetroWest region is home to 510,000 people and a labor force of approx. 285,000 workers. The employers located in the 495/MetroWest Corridor provide a total of more than 280,000 jobs and have a combined payroll of almost $16.5 billion dollars.13 Framingham, the region’s largest city, is home to approximately 66,000 people, 54% of whom belong to a minority group. 12% of the total population are African-American and over 15% are Latino/Hispanic, including a significant Brazilian population.14
Specific demographic data for the RTA region as a whole was not possible to compile for this report.
SERVICE The MWRTA offers service along 12 fixed bus routes, as well as “Dial-a-Ride” door-to-door services for senior and disabled riders. Four communities in the MWRTA - Sherborn, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston – receive only paratransit services at the present time; there are reports that regular bus service may be extended there in the future. Several lines specifically connect to MBTA services including the Green Line T and commuter rail; such buses run only during rush hours. Other buses run regularly throughout the day, seven days a week, every 45-90 minutes depending upon route. RIDERSHIP Ridership figures for the MetroWest RTA region are difficult to come by. The source of such figures seems to be the Regional Transportation Plan for each region, which in MetroWest’s case is general to the Boston metropolitan area and has not been subdivided by region. FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $1.50 Full fare
$1.00 Students $0.75 Senior citizens
Disabled/Medicare Free Children under 6, with adult
Dial-a-Ride paratransit $2.00 Per trip RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE The MetroWest RTA is young, and is also intimately connected to other regional transit services such as those run by the MBTA, so it is rapidly expanding due to a number of its own and Boston MPO projects. Recent improvements include the October 2010 implementation of the MBTA’s CharlieCard system such that riders can use their MBTA stored value fare cards on MetroWest buses, addition of the Route 1 bus (Green Line shuttle) in May 2010, significant additions/expansions of routes and increasingly frequent service throughout 2009 and 2010, and a “grocery bus” service for seniors in Natick. The MWRTA also offers real-time bus tracking technology in addition to its useful website and Facebook page. Future proposals include
13 Source: MERC, Framingham State College and Massachusetts DUA. 14 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2008 American Community Survey
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expansion of fixed route service to communities currently served only by paratransit, as well as other communities in the MetroWest region. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE In its Regional Transit Plan, the Boston MPO states that it “integrates environmental justice concerns into the planning process by encouraging and sharing input from its outreach efforts, by using environmental justice as a criterion in its planning documents, and by examining environmental justice issues in greater detail.” It does not clarify the baseline to which it is comparing its “greater detail.” The RTP contains a chapter on Regional Equity that focuses on EJ and the characteristics of communities under MPO jurisdiction, as well as a chapter that analyzes the EJ impact of the Boston MPO’s recommended set of transportation projects versus alternatives and finds no adverse impacts. This analysis finds that completing the recommended projects would benefit EJ communities in the MPO’s region in terms of mobility and accessibility, compared to not doing any of the projects, or doing just some of them. The assessment does not discuss the EJ impacts of any potential alternatives to the MPO’s proposed projects. SOURCE Boston Metropolitan Regional Transportation Plan 2007, unless otherwise noted.
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Montachusett Regional Transit Authority - MART Website: www.mrta.us Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): None Located in north-central Massachuestts, the Montachusett region is comprised of the following communities:
Fitchburg
Leominster Gardner
Ashburnham Shirley Ayer
Lancaster Sterling
Hubbardston Royalston Littleton
Winchendon Ashby
Templeton Westminster
Hardwick Lunenburg
Harvard Bolton
Boxborough Stow
MART’s area corresponds to the region covered by the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), though many communities are not directly served by MART services. The MRPC is responsible for transportation planning. The website of the MRPC is www.mrpc.org. Note: The website must be viewed through the Internet Explorer browser.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The Montachusett region’s total population as of 2005 was estimated at 236,360.15
Fitchburg and Leominster are the largest communities in the region, with populations just over 40,000 apiece. Per capita income in the region ranges from approx. $17,000 to $40,000, reflecting the region’s diversity as well as some economic/employment connections to the Boston area resulting in higher incomes in communities more likely to house commuters.
The region is also becoming more racially diverse, as the minority population increased over 30% between the 1990 and 2000 Censuses and we projected to grow even more rapidly since 2000. The region’s Hispanic population in particular has boomed, growing 41% between 1990 and 2000. The 2007 Montachusett Regional Transit Plan notes that the region is home to a significant and growing population of undocumented immigrants, which was believed to imply a greater demand for public transportation services than is perhaps reflected in official census numbers, as such immigrants may not have been counted in the census but are more likely to be users of public transit services. SERVICE MART provides a wide variety of bus services to the region. Its primary service consists of 12 fixed bus routes, ten of which operate in and between Fitchburg and Leominster, while the remaining two operate in Gardner. These buses operate Monday thru Saturday, every 20-60 minutes in Fitchburg and Leominster and every 60 minutes in Gardner. It also offers one inter-city bus route that connects all three population centers to one another and the MBTA commuter rail station in Fitchburg (the “commuter rail bus”) on weekdays. Other services include door-to-door paratransit services for elderly and disabled riders, a pre-arranged shuttle to medical facilities in Boston and Worcester for elderly, disable, and veterans, and subscription bus service available to employers and schools in the Montachusett region. MART also works in cooperation with Franklin Regional Transit Authority to provide LINK bus service along the Route 2/2A corridor between Gardner and Greenfield, with six routes operating from 5:15am to 7:00pm daily on weekdays only. RIDERSHIP Nearly 5000 riders utilized daily fixed route MART buses as of 2007, approx. 4,500 of whom were riders of Fitchburg/Leominster buses.16
Ridership in Gardner is lower for intracity bus service but constitutes a significant portion of LINK bus service in the Route 2 corridor. In addition, the MBTA commuter rail’s Fitchburg line transports an estimated 3000 passengers per day, approximately half of whom originate in communities in the Montachuett region.
The major challenge to ridership and operation of the MART system is that service is concentrated in only three of the region’s 19 communities, creating major accessibility
15 Source: 2007 Montachusett Regional Transportation Plan 16 Source: Montachuett Regional Transit Authority/2007 Montachusett Regional Transit Plan
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problems for sectors of the population that need and would benefit from greater access to public transit.17
The single greatest identified need in the region is for transportation to medical and rehabilitation appointments, many of which require travel from the region to Boston, Worcester or Framingham.18
FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $1.00 Full fare
$0.50 Senior citizens Disabled/Medicare Students
Free Children under 5, with adult Paratransit $1.25 Within Leominster/Fitchburg OR
within Gardner $2.50 BETWEEN Leominster/Fitchburg
AND Gardner LINK bus (Gardner-Greenfield)
$1.25 Adult LINK bus fare $0.65 Seniors/Disabled LINK bus fare
Commuter rail bus $2.00 Full (only) fare RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE MART completed construction of a new maintenance facility in Gardner in 2009. Construction of a new bus/van storage and upgraded administrative facility in Leominster is ongoing. Other recent improvements include purchase of two hybrid gas-electric buses and improvements to MART’s bus-washing systems. The 2007 Montachusett Regional Transit Plan identifies consistent funding for maintenance and necessary expansion as a major challenge. Among MART’s major goals are expansion of service into more communities than the three currently served, as well as ongoing improvements to the commuter rail service (a joint project of MART and the MBTA). ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The Montachusett MPO’s 2007 RTP states the promotion of EJ principles as one of the priorities and goals of the region’s transit policy, though there does not appear to be any further detail in the RTP regarding EJ issues or areas. SOURCES Montachusett Regional Transportation Plan 2007, unless otherwise noted.
17 Source: 2007 Montachusett Regional Transportation Plan 18 Source: Ibid.
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Nantucket Regional Transit Authority - NRTA Website: www.shuttlenantucket.com Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): None The island of Nantucket is both town and county, with NRTA service covering the whole island.
Nantucket island is served by the Nantucket Planning & Economic Development Commission, which is the body responsible for all planning on the island. The NP&EDC website is www.nantucket-ma.gov.
DEMOGRAPHICS Nantucket is a unique area due to the vast discrepancy between its year-round population and its tourist/temporary population. The year-round population of the island, which has grown steadily over the past several decades, totaled approx. 9,500 in 2000, with a forecasted increase to 11,200 by 2010. As of 2000, 8.3% of residents were African American, and 2.2% were Hispanic. In accordance with previous and national trends, those minority populations were expected to continue to grow. SERVICE The NRTA offers nine routes serviced by 13 buses. Buses operate only in the summer, Nantucket’s busy tourist season, and service varies by route. Some bus routes are in operation May-October, others June-August only. The NRTA also operates the Your Island Ride, a shared van transportation service for seniors (60+) and persons with disabilities.
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RIDERSHIP Daily ridership on the NRTA neared 2,400 in 2002 but then dropped significantly due to major budget cuts that resulted in significant reduction in routes and services. Many riders are tourists and temporary residents, as clearly intended by the fact that service runs only in the summer months. As of 2007, the Your Island Ride service had approx. 1000 riders per year. FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $2.00 Full fare – Madaket, Sconset,
Surfside Beach and Airport routes $1.00 Full fare – Mid-Island, Miacomet,
Jetties Beach routes ½ fare Senior citizens (65+)
Disabled/Medicare Free Children under 6, with adult
Your Island Ride paratransit Depends upon length of trip RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2006, the NRTA added Automated Vehicle Locator systems to its buses to enable real-time bus tracking, which information it plans to make available on its website in the future. It replaced two of its shuttle vans in 2009 and two in 2010. Future projects include ongoing feasibility studies for expansion to year-round service, expansion of service hours on beach routes, and upgrading of shuttle stops to add shelters and illumination as appropriate to usage and neighborhood. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Nantucket has a small but growing minority population that fits official criteria for EJ areas. SOURCES Nantucket Regional Transportation Plan, unless otherwise noted.
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Pioneer Valley Transit Authority - PVTA Website: www.pvta.com Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): None The PVTA was created in 1974. The largest RTA in the state by regional population, it serves 24 communities in western Massachusetts:
Agawam Amherst
Belchertown Chicopee
Easthampton East Longmeadow
Granby Hadley
Hampden Holyoke Leverett
Longmeadow
Ludlow Northampton
Palmer Pelham
South Hadley Springfield Sunderland
Ware Westfield
West Springfield Wilbraham
Williamsburg
The Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has responsibility for transportation planning in the region. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is part of the MPO and is the designated regional planning authority for the region, which encompasses 43 cities and towns in Hampden and Hampshire counties. Its website is www.pvpc.org.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The Pioneer Valley region is home to approx. 608,000 people in 43 cities and towns, 24 of which are served by the PVTA. The region is ethnically diverse, though minority populations tend to be highly concentrated in the region’s urban centers directly abutting the Interstate 91 corridor. Springfield, Amherst, Holyoke and Northampton all have large black, Hispanic, and/or Asian populations, with socio-economic status varying widely across groups. Holyoke, Springfield, Amherst, Chicopee and Westfield have the highest concentrations of poverty in the region.19
SERVICE The PVTA operates 40 fixed bus routes and 4 community shuttles serving the region’s urban centers and suburban areas. Service days and hours vary widely by route, with the earliest bus service beginning at 5:30am and service ending daily at 7:00pm. It also operates ADA-compliant paratransit van services for disabled riders as well as Dial-a-Ride pre-arranged van service for elderly (60+) residents. The PVTA operates approximately 195 buses and 128 paratransit and other vehicles. The average vehicle age of 10 years. RIDERSHIP PVTA ridership peaked in 1985 with nearly 13 million riders, but has steadily declined due to budget cuts resulting in service reduction, particularly after 2002. The decline has slowed more recently, with PVTA carrying 9,108,550 passenger trips in 2006, the last year for which data are available.20
FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $1.25/$1.15 (pre-purchase) Full fare
$0.75 Youth (6-12) $0.60 Senior citizens
Disabled/Medicare $0.25 Transfers (within 90 minutes)
Free Children under 6, with adult Dial-a-Ride paratransit $2.50-$3.50 Per trip, route dependent RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE The PVTA was recently awarded $6.25 million to purchase ten hybrid diesel-electric buses. In fall 2010 it completed a $9 million project to renovate a former firehouse in Holyoke to become a multimodal transportation center. PVTA received $16.2 million dollars in stimulus funds and used 10% of such funding for operations; the balance was used for the purchase of needed buses, vans and other capital projects. 19 Source: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission – A Socio-Economic Atlas of the Pioneer Valley Region 2003 20 Source: PVTA Annual Reports
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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The Pioneer Valley’s 2007 Regional Transportation Plan addresses environmental justice in detail. Its recommendations include: Review and update measures of effectiveness on EJ issues on a regular basis,
incorporating new spending on projects listed in the TIP. Expand public participation efforts to include local presentations at special group
meetings, neighborhood council meetings and community activities. Develop a protocol for responding to issues and concerns regarding Title VI. Create a central file to document on-going public outreach efforts to minority and low
income populations.
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Southeastern Regional Transit Authority – SRTA Website: http://www.srtabus.com/ Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): None The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) was established in 1974 to provide bus service in communities along the western edge of southeastern Massachusetts, primarily in the communities of:
Fall River
New Bedford Mattapoisett
Swansea
The SRTA falls under the regional jurisdiction of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), which is responsible for planning in the region covering fifty-two cities and towns between Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, and the Providence, RI metro area. The SRPEDD website is: www.srpedd.org.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The SRPEDD region as a whole has a population of 597,294, as of the 2000 Census. The urban centers of the region, which Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton, are home to more than half that total, with 283,750 (NOTE: Attleboro and Taunton are not part of the SRTA; they belong to the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transit Authority). The SRTA serves an estimated total population of 182,355 in Fall River and New Bedford, according to 2008 Census estimates.21
Fall River and New Bedford, as well as the rest of the Southeast region, are ethnically and economically diverse communities. As of 2000, nearly 44% of Fall River residents identified as being of Portuguese origin, a category which includes Portuguese Americans, Cape Verdeans, Brazilians and Angolans. In its 2007 Regional Transportation Plan, the SRDEPP identified a need for more non-language-based (i.e. images rather than words) SRTA materials, as well as signs and other information in languages other than English. 17% of individuals in Fall River and 24% in New Bedford live below the federal poverty line, rates much higher than the national average. A state study in the mid-2000s found that 92% of all welfare clients in the SRTA service area lived within a ¼ mile of an existing bus route. SERVICE The SRTA offers 28 fixed bus routes, served by 63 buses, including two hybrid diesel-electric buses. Service operates 5:30am to 7:00pm daily except Sundays. As of 2007, the average age of vehicles in the bus fleet was 12.75 years, which well exceeds general standards. The RTA was hoping at that time to obtain federal funds to replace and upgrade 40 buses. There are also 23 Demand Response—paratransit—vehicles, which offer door-to-door service anywhere in the SRTA service area, despite federal regulations requiring such service only within ¾ of a mile of fixed routes. The SRTA used to offer Sunday service, as well as fixed route service to Somerset, Swansea, Mattapoisett and Acushnet, but budget reductions in 2004 led to service reductions and eliminations. RIDERSHIP Ridership has generally declined since 2002 and 2004 cuts in service (above), though Demand Response ridership has increased every year.22
The SRPEDD anticipates increases in ridership and demand particularly due to growing employment connections between the SRTA’s region and the urban cores of Providence and Boston, as well as growing populations, particularly of elderly residents.
21 See http://factfinder.census.gov for most recent (2006-2008) census estimates by community 22 Source: 2007 Regional Transportation Plan, SRPEDD
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FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $1.25/zone Full fare
$0.60/zone Children (6-11) Senior citizens Disabled/Medicare
Free Children under 6, with adult Dial-a-Ride paratransit Per trip
It is unclear what constitutes a zone in the SRTA fare scheme; the 2007 Regional Transportation Plan itself notes the lack of any written material clarifying this issue. RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2007, the SRTA’s Fall River terminal was taken by the Department of Capital Asset Management through the exercise of eminent domain. The SRTA is in the process of planning a new replacement facility, and purchased a former National Grid site for this purpose in 2010. The facility will complement the similar terminal in New Bedford. In addition, the SRTA is working to obtain funds to replace/upgrade 74 buses in order to comply with recommended federal guidelines for fleet age, including the 40 for which they applied for funding in 2007. The Southeast is also the focus of the MBTA’s South Shore rail project, which will extend commuter rail service to Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford, with construction (underway) of a major new facility in New Bedford and two facilities in Fall River, which will be co-located with new SRTA bus facilities. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The 2007 Regional Transportation Plan contains numerous references to Environmental Justice principles, and notes the importance of public participation in transit planning to ensure EJ. The SRPEDD maintains an EJ mailing list for interested constituents. The SRTA conducted a survey in 2006 to examine whether bus service met federal equality guidelines under Title VI, and found no service discrepancies between minority and non-minority areas. The 2007 RTP asserts that the absence of commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River is an Environmental Justice issue, as they are apparently the only towns in the Boston metropolitan area without commuter rail access. SOURCES SRPEDD 2007 Regional Transit Plan, unless otherwise noted.
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Worcester Regional Transit Authority - WRTA Website: www.therta.com Social networking (Facebook/Twitter/blogs): Facebook/Twitter The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) service area includes over half a million in population and is the second largest regional transit authority in Massachusetts, serving 35 communities with paratransit services; the following 11 of those communities have fixed-route bus service:
Auburn Brookfield
East Brookfield Leicester Millbury Oxford
Shrewsbury Spencer Webster
West Boylston Worcester
The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) is the designated regional planning body for the Central Massachusetts region, which includes the City of Worcester and the surrounding 39 communities.
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DEMOGRAPHICS The WRTA’s total service area encompasses a population of 524,725, according to the 2000 Census. SERVICE The WRTA operates 23 fixed bus routes in Worcester and 10 surrounding communities, with a fleet of 48 buses including 4 hybrid diesel-electric buses. Buses run 4:50am – 9:40pm, seven days a week, with reduced hours of operation on Sundays. Door-to-door paratransit options for ADA as well as other disabled and elderly riders are also available throughout the 35-community WRTA region. ADA eligible riders have no limitations on their trip purposes and can travel whenever and wherever bus service operates. Non-ADA eligible riders can travel between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. RIDERSHIP The WRTA transports approx. 8,900 riders per day according to 2006 figures.23
In terms of daily differences in ridership, Saturday ridership is approx. 49% of that of weekdays, while Sunday ridership is 19% of that provided on weekdays. The CMRPC notes increases in demand for services, particularly for paratransit.
FARES Service Fare Fare Type Regular fixed route bus $1.50 Full fare
$0.75 Senior citizens Disabled Children (5-13)
Free Children under 5, with adult paratransit $2.25 + $0.25 for each
additional town outside of Worcester up to a $3.00 maximum fare
Per trip, one way
Until 2009, WRTA buses operated on a distance-based zone fare system, which was eliminated for the sake of efficiency. RECENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE In 2010 the WRTA received federal funding allowing it to purchase several hybrid diesel-electric buses. They are also installing real-time bus tracking on buses with information to be available on the WRTA website. There is recognition that as most of the WRTA’s buses were purchased in a short time period (1996-98), the replacement cycle for buses is going to be severely compacted and will require a problematically large input of funds if much of the fleet is to be 23 Source: 2007 Central Massachusetts Regional Transportation Plan
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kept updated. Most other capital investment proposals appear to be geared toward commuter rail service between Worcester and Boston. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE 28% of the statistical block groups in the CMRPC’s region meet the Massachusetts EOEA criteria for neighborhoods of environmental justice concern. 77% of that EJ population lies within the City of Worcester. SOURCES 2007 Central Massachusetts Regional Transit Plan, unless otherwise noted.
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Challenges/Limitations There are several factors which we have found to impede the gathering of information on the Regional Transit Authorities; these impediments may also provide difficulties for the statewide coordination of efforts to improve transportation justice. First, while there are 15 Regional Transit Authorities, as well as the MBTA, which provide public transportation to the cities and towns of Massachusetts, the regional transportation planning is carried out by 13 corresponding regional planning agencies. This means that the jurisdictions of the two types of agencies do not always exactly overlap. For example, while most of the bus service provided within the Old Colony Region is provided by BAT, there are also a few GATRA bus lines that lie within the region. Such overlap means that the data provided in the RTPs may not always correspond exactly with the service areas of the RTAs which we are attempting to study. We also found discrepancies in the information available about those jurisdictions. For example, on a map of RTAs on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation website, there are several large areas where no RTA has jurisdiction, and over 60 towns are not listed under any RTA. But some of those towns are actually claimed by the various RTAs and planning agencies as part of their jurisdiction, even if they do not actually provide them any services. There are also quite a few “member” communities of RTAs with no fixed route service, a fact which would not show up on the MassDOT map. There is also a large range in the quality of information to be found on the websites of the RTAs and planning agencies. Most have the 2007 RTP available, meaning that their demographic data is from the 2000 census. But some also have more recent and up-to-date transit studies and information, while others don’t even have the most recent RTP available. This means that, while we have attempted to be as consistent as possible with the data we present, not all of it is directly comparable. Finally, we found that the timing on this report may not be ideal. The last updates to the RTPs, completed in 2007, contain demographic and other information based on data from the 2000 US Census. We expect that much of those statistics have significantly changed since the year 2000, and more updated figures will soon be published in the 2010 US Census. The regional planning agencies are also working on updates for the RTPs, due in 2011. These updates will include more timely information on capital projects that have recently been completed or are ongoing; we expect that there have been significant changes in the capital projects possible since the economic downturn in 2008. We suggest that a similar survey of the available data to be completed a year or two from now might be a much more useful document to facilitate environmental justice analysis and statewide coordination for transit improvement.
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APPENDIX A
According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the following Massachusetts towns do not fall under the jurisdiction of any Regional Transit Authority:
Alford Becket Bellingham Blackstone Blandford Carlisle Boxborough Bolton Chester Duxbury Egremont Foxborough Franklin Gosnold Grafton Granville Halifax Hanover Hanson Harvard Hopedale
Hudson Hull Leyden Marion Marshfield Maynard Medway Mendon Milford Millis Millville Monroe Monson Monterey Mount Washington New Ashford New Marlborough Norht Reading Northbridge Norwell Otis
Paxton Pembroke Peru Plympton Rochester Rockland Salisbury Sandisfield Savoy Scituate Southampton Stow Tolland Tyringham Upton Uxbridge Washington West Stockbridge Westhampton Windsor Wrentham
