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This December 2017 issue of MassMobility highlights two shuttles that recently launched to connect people to transit. An Acton shuttle is offering expanded service to help residents get to the train station while also helping reverse commuters get from the train station to jobs, and a new Franklin County shuttle connects people from nearby towns without fixed-route service to the bus terminal for access to recovery services.
Read on to learn more about these services, as well as a travel training partnership between a transit authority and a school, a guest article from a reader about her experiences finding transportation, and more news about community transportation, human service transportation coordination, and mobility management in Massachusetts.
We are also excited to announce that registration for the 2018 conference is open! This year, the annual Massachusetts Community Transportation Coordination Conference is merging with MassDOT's Innovation and Mobility Exchange. See below for details.
This newsletter is compiled by MassMobility, an initiative of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, with support from MassDOT.
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Conference registration is open!
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In order to better integrate mobility management with other transportation initiatives, the 2018 Massachusetts Community Transportation Coordination Conference will be held in conjunction with the
Innovation and Mobility Exchange
, scheduled for April 10 and 11 at the DCU Center in Worcester. On the second day - April 11 - an entire track will be devoted to mobility management, with panels and breakout sessions on topics relevant to improving mobility and access for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income commuters in Massachusetts. Attendees will also have access to many general conference sessions on emerging technologies and other innovations.
Conference registration is now open! Visit
massdotinnovation.com for more information or to
register. If you or your agency cannot pay the registration fee, apply for the
Community Mobility Scholarship that MassDOT is offering this year. Scholarship applicants should apply as soon as possible; the last day to apply will be March 6. All applicants will be notified by March 16 if they have been awarded the scholarship.
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Freedom Shuttle offers transportation to riders in recovery
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Lack of transportation can be a barrier to successful recovery for people seeking treatment for substance use disorders. The
Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) hopes to ease this burden with the recently launched
Freedom Shuttle. The service started in November and aims to increase independence and mobility for those in treatment for and recovery from drug use.
The FRTA was awarded a $100,000 federal, one-year grant for the project, which covered the purchase of a new van
and operating expenses. "It's important for individuals to have access to transit as part of the recovery process," shares Tina Cote, FRTA Administrator. And this access is provided at no cost to eligible rider. Shuttle riders receive special FRTA Go! cards that cover ridership on the Freedom Shuttle and two months of free ridership on the entire FRTA bus system.
The Freedom Shuttle
operates on a
fixed-route schedule Monday through Friday in Buckland, Ashfield, and Conway, with drop-offs in Greenfield, where riders can connect to other FRTA routes, including routes that connect with Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and Montachusett Regional Transit Authority services.
To qualify, one must be in recovery for substance use and fill out an application available
at four agencies -
RECOVER Project
,
CleanSlate,
or the
Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans' Services District in Greenfield, or the
North Quabbin Community Coalition in Athol -
which then issue a pass to the eligible applicants.
Cote adds that with this service, the FRTA "hopes to be a small part of the recovery process and help individuals accomplish their success stories."
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CrossTown Connect expands shuttle service
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CrossTown Connect
expanded its transportation offerings this month to provide commuters with increased connectivity to the South Acton MBTA station. The MinuteVan Rail Shuttle was already providing service between two parking hubs and the South Acton train station during peak morning and evening commuting times. Five North Acton stops were added to the shuttle schedule to provide those working or living in the area with ease of access to the commuter rail. The additional stops include residential apartment complexes, an office park, and a supermarket.
The additional stops were selected based on ridership information obtained from the
Cross-Acton Transit, a local, fixed-route service of CrossTown Connect that includes a stop at the South Acton train station. By tracking where the riders being dropped off at the commuter rail were coming from, CrossTown Connect determined the common geographic points of interest.
Doug Halley of CrossTown Connect stated that besides trying to provide better commuting for those going into the city, the additional service will help to address the transportation challenges of reverse commuters. Halley shared that tech firms (like those in Acton's Nagog Park, one of the new stops added to the shuttle service) tend to employ younger workers who live in or near the city and rely on public transit because they often do not want the burden of owning a personal vehicle. Halley added, "CrossTown Connect is committed to its motto 'Your Community, Your Transportation, Your Way.'"
Funding for the service expansion is split between the Town of Acton and an award CrossTown Connect received in the most recent round of MassDOT's
Community Transit Grant Program.
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Marshfield students learn about transit from GATRA
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Transition Specialist Theresa Weiand knew that transportation was going to be an issue for her students after high school, but she was not sure how to help prepare them until she met Patti Waitkevich. Waitkevich is the Travel Trainer at the
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority
(GATRA), which offers bus service in Marshfield, where Weiand teaches.
Travel trainers
help seniors and people with disabilities learn to ride fixed-route public transit independently and safely.
Weiand and Waitkevich met in August at a Massachusetts Travel Instruction Network meeting. The network is an informal group providing professional development and peer networking opportunities for travel trainers. When Weiand reached out, Waitkevich offered to do a series of classroom activities with Weiand's students, culminating with a field trip on a bus.
Over the course of the fall semester, Waitkevich came to Marshfield High School six times, each time teaching a 90-minute lesson to two different groups: three students in the Transition Learning Center program, and seven students in a Life Skills program. The classes covered key topics including reading a bus schedule, how to flag the bus down, how to be socially appropriate on the bus, and safety in the community, and included games and role-playing to keep students engaged. During the sessions, the students planned a trip together, choosing their destination and then using the schedules to determine what time they would leave and when they would need to return. Earlier this month, each class took the field trip that they had planned together: a bus ride to downtown Marshfield to enjoy lunch and visit the library.
The sessions and field trip helped students see the benefits of riding local transit. One student thanked Waitkevich for an enjoyable experience and commented how he was able to overcome past impressions about utilizing public transportation. "
I thought it was very useful to see someone's perspective about how and why they ride the bus," offered another student.
Check out our
list of travel training programs to find a travel trainer near you.
Contact us if you would like to join the Massachusetts Travel Instruction Network or learn about other professional development opportunities for travel trainers.
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Age Friendly Berkshires publishes action plan
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I
n November, Age Friendly Berkshires released its Action Plan, which will serve as a template for addressing the needs of the Berkshires' aging population and creating an age-friendly county.
Berkshire County's 32 cities and towns were formally
accepted
into the ranks of the World Health Organization/AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2015.
The Action Plan came together with funding from the
Tufts Health Plan Foundation
following a two-year process of data collection, including multiple focus groups, listening sessions, and surveys. The information provided a framework for creating age-friendly goals for the region. Peg McDonough, Coordinator for Age Friendly Berkshires, shared that transportation concerns were mentioned by nearly every participant, who stressed the challenges of mobility in Berkshire County's large and rural communities.
The Age Friendly Berkshires Action Plan includes broad transportation goals for the region. McDonough summed up these goals as "we want more user-friendly transportation that meets residents' daily living, employment, health, and social needs" with the idea that "if we fix it for the elderly now, we fix it for everyone." McDonough stressed the importance that transportation plays in engaging people, especially non-drivers, fully in community life. To provide this engagement, the Action Plan looks to address service gaps by expanding on-demand service and familiarizing individuals with services that the
Berkshire Regional Transit Authority provides, as well as providing training for transportation providers on working with individuals who have mobility impairments. The Action Plan also calls for the creation of a multi-modal transportation network and the improvement of biking and walking infrastructure across Berkshire County. And because many older adults do wish to retain their driving independence, the Action Plan calls for an increased number of driver safety programs for older adults.
Ultimately, the hope is that increasing mobility for older adults in Berkshire County will allow for their continued connection to the community and the opportunity to age in place.
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Autistic woman finds and enjoys public transit
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Taylor, a woman aged 25, has high functioning autism, but her autism limits her ability to drive because of cognitive deficits paired with scary experiences during driving practice. Due to the experience from driving on the roads, she learned that being behind the wheel isn't all it's cracked up to be. After some research on public transportation online as well as asking her program staff for transportation services for people with disabilities, she began opening her mind to alternatives for driving. She found a bus stop in her neighborhood within walking distance. She took the bus twice to the Millbury Mall, enjoying the ride.
Her next goal is learning how to utilize a traditional taxicab, along with using a travel trainer in the future. Because of transportation options and alternatives to driving, she has more confidence and independence now. For those who have limited transportation options, she would recommend that they advocate for public transit at their town hall, along with participating in events that pertain to changes in their town. Plus, do some research on transit options, ask taxi services if they serve your town, call the Council on Aging for transit options, and encourage your town to join a Regional Transit Authority.
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Acton featured in national webinar on kids in transit
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The
National Rural Transit Assistance Program
shares best practices in rural transportation through webinars. Earlier this year, they hosted "Kids on Transit," which features three communities that target and train youth to ride public transit. The speakers - Amber Blake from Durango Transit in Colorado, Michele Brooks on behalf of the Town of Acton here in Massachusetts, and Mary Anderson of Whatcom Council of Governments in Washington - share their innovative strategies for engaging youth to safely and efficiently utilize public transit for everything from field trips to afterschool activities and beyond. Brooks discusses the Acton
MinuteVan Dial-A-Ride
service and how it partnered with Acton-Boxborough Regional High School to target youth ages 12 to 16 to use the demand-response service for increased independence.
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Giving the gift of transportation
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This time of year, many people are finalizing their end-of-year giving, including financial and in-kind donations to charities and non-profit organizations. If you plan to donate a car, consider an organization that repurposes
donated cars for low-income individuals or people with disabilities
who need transportation to employment. For people who can drive but cannot afford a car, these programs can provide the missing link to self-sufficiency.
For example, a few years ago,
Elizabeth Williams donated her old car to Good News Garage, which partners with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to
provide refurbished, donated vehicles to eligible consumers who cannot afford to purchase their own vehicles. Williams explains, "
I put a lot of miles on my car for work, traveling around the state. I loved my Mazda and kept it a long time. When it came time for us to part company, I knew I wouldn't get much in trade-in value, but I wanted it to have meaning before it departed this world. I thought of Good News Garage and contacted them to see if they could shepherd it on its final journey. It would have been most satisfying if it could have gone to someone with a disability who needed it to get to work and had no other options. Unfortunately, it was not in good enough condition for that to happen. But Good News Garage was able to auction it off for parts, which did raise some funds for the greater purpose. And that still felt pretty good."
If you are shopping for last-minute gifts for friends or family, consider giving the gift of transportation! Transportation provider SCM Elderbus gets into the holiday spirit, offering discounted punch passes in November and December. These passes are popular with riders, their families, and the agencies that support them. Last year, they sold over 700 passes during the holidays, compared to between 50 and 75 in a regular month.
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For those of you who only know us through the newsletter,
MassMobility is a state initiative based at
EOHHS which also receives funding from MassDOT. We seek to improve mobility for seniors, people with disabilities, and others in all regions of Massachusetts by sharing information about existing services and supporting organizations in their efforts to fill transportation gaps.
We provide presentations to human service agency staff to help them learn how to help consumers find transportation, and we also provide technical assistance to any organization looking to address transportation challenges. We welcome you to contact us any time if you have a question or idea for a project that would improve mobility for seniors or people with disabilities.
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Follow us on Twitter
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| Are you on Twitter? If so, follow us @MassMobility for links to community transportation resources relevant to organizations and agencies here in Massachusetts. If you aren't on Twitter, you can still see our posts online at twitter.com/MassMobility/. |
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We want to know your stories
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| If you have suggestions for news items or topics to cover in future newsletters, please contact us or submit a guest article. Comments, questions, and feedback are also welcome. |
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| Please forward this newsletter widely to others who are interested in mobility management, community transportation, or related topics and encourage them to subscribe to receive future newsletters and publications. You can also read past issues of all MassMobility newsletters. |
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