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Welcome to the July 2017 issue of MassMobility! Read on to learn about new senior transportation initiatives launching on the Cape and in the Hilltowns, a growing pedestrian safety effort in Southern Berkshire County, and more news about community transportation, human service transportation coordination, and mobility management in Massachusetts.
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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Cape Cod RTA announces senior transportation initiatives
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Council on Aging Directors, senior services staff, and legislators packed the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority's (CCRTA) conference room on June 20 to hear an
announcement on new senior transportation initiatives
. In response to an editorial a year prior calling on the Cape to do a better job making the region senior-friendly, CCRTA embarked on a project to meet with local Councils on Aging (COAs), educate them about what CCRTA already provided, and listen to their needs. Through this year-long process, CCRTA was able to identify some
additional steps
they could take to improve senior mobility, such as offering seniors free rides every Wednesday through the end of 2017, offering loaner vehicles to COAs for when they need an extra for an excursion or to replace a van being repaired, and identifying new resources to help offset the cost of COA transportation. They shared these initiatives - and more - with local stakeholders on June 20.
Legislators in attendance included Congressman William Keating, State Representative William Crocker, and State Representative Sarah Peake. In her remarks, Peake emphasized that transportation helps ensure that aging in place does not mean aging alone.
At the end of the event, CCRTA presented the Barnstable COA with a new vehicle, purchased through MassDOT's Mobility Assistance Program.
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Pedestrian safety draws large crowd in Southern Berkshire County
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Over 80 residents of Southern Berkshire County attended the second annual Be Seen, Be Safe event, held June 21 at the Senior Center in Great Barrington.
In 2015, an SUV killed a local man in a scooter who was crossing the street to the grocery store in Great Barrington. It was dusk, and the driver said she did not see him. In response, the local police approached AGE TRIAD, a partnership of the Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, and Councils on Aging of Alford, Great Barrington, and Egremont. Together, the group
launched the Be Seen, Be Safe initiative last July, in hopes of reducing crashes through improving pedestrian visibility. The 2016 launch event included a cookout, distribution of high-visibility vests, and opportunities for people to decorate scooters with reflective tape and attach flags.
At this year's event, Great Barrington Chief of Police William Walsh offered opening remarks and reviewed the history of the initiative. Three speakers shared thoughts with the audience, including a speaker from the local bike shop discussing bike safety, a representative of Fairview Hospital discussing pedestrian safety, and Michele Ellicks of the Registry of Motor Vehicles discussing
safe driving for seniors. Attendees enjoyed a barbecue lunch and donned bright yellow vests with the slogan "Be Seen, Be Safe."
The vests have been popular since they were first printed last year with funding from the local Fairview Hospital. Thanks to AGE TRIAD's efforts, police now store extra vests in their cruisers to hand out to pedestrians they see walking at dusk, and Councils on Aging have distributed vests to seniors. This season, AGE TRIAD will also offer vests to local bed and breakfasts for them to loan to tourists during their visits.
Over the next month, two photographers will be taking photos of people wearing the vests out and about in Southern Berkshire County.
Prizes will be given to those featured in the award winning photographs.
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Hilltown Easy Ride launches in Chesterfield
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State Senator Adam Hinds and State Representative Stephen Kulik joined staff of the Hilltown Community Development Center (CDC), Franklin Regional Transit Authority Administrator Tina Cote, and local seniors on a hot Friday afternoon to celebrate the launch of the
Hilltown Easy Ride
. Attendees enjoyed watermelon, cookies, and lemonade at the Chesterfield Community Center on June 30, the day before the Hilltown CDC formally assumed operation of the local van.
Previously operated by the Goshen Council on Aging, the van service is available for seniors and veterans in Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield, and Worthington through the Franklin Regional Transit Authority. Earlier this year, when the Goshen COA determined that they could no longer provide the scheduling, dispatching, and reporting functions, the Hilltown CDC stepped up. They saw it as a logical extension of their mission to support local seniors, an ongoing transportation planning project, and their leadership of the
Hilltown Regional Coordinating Council.
During the June 30 event, Hilltown CDC staff reviewed how the van currently works and emphasized their interest in hearing feedback so they can make the service even more responsive to riders' needs. "Our goal is to minimize transportation barriers in this rural area, and we're starting with this van. We're not going to meet all the needs with this van, but we've got to start somewhere," said Hilltown CDC Executive Director Dave Christopolis. Representative Kulik and Senator Hinds praised the CDC for its creativity in addressing transportation barriers. Seniors had the chance to ask questions about the service, meet the dispatcher who will be taking all ride requests by phone, and check out the vehicle. Attendees also received copies of the results of the
transportation survey and focus groups conducted of Hilltown seniors in 2015 and 2016.
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Cape promotes transportation alternatives
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From June 25 to July 1, Cape Cod celebrated
Smart Transportation Week, to highlight choices beyond single-occupant automobiles. Lev Malakhoff, Senior Transportation Engineer at the Cape Cod Commission shared, "The purpose of Cape Cod Smart Transportation week is to promote options such as biking, walking, and using public transit to reduce traffic, air pollution, and parking demands as the Cape starts off its busy summer season. The
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority kicks off its summer schedule with additional bus service, the
Cape Flyer provides weekend rail service to the Cape from Boston, and the weather is (usually) great for biking and walking."
This year also featured
NuRide, an online database for locating carpools to places of employment, where participants could input their "smart" trips (carpooling, transit, bike, walking, etc.) for the chance to win a $50 gift card.
Smart Transportation Week is an annual event that takes place the last week in June, as designated by the Barnstable County Commissioners. It dates back to 1997, when the county organized a Bike Week, which later expanded to include various modes of transportation. As the volume of traffic continues to increase on Cape Cod, so too does the importance of alternate methods of travel. Events like Smart Transportation Week bring attention to the myriad of transportation options available.
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The
MAX, which provided intercity bus service between Brattleboro and Boston through Greenfield and the North Quabbin region, closed operations on June 30.
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Calling all high school students
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MassDOT's annual Safe Streets, Smart Trips contest is now open! Massachusetts high school students have until September 22 to submit one-minute video clips promoting safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. Check out the
contest guidelines and
view past winning videos. Winners will be featured at this year's
Moving Together conference on September 28.
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The June 2017 issues of the MassMobility newsletter incorrectly listed David Scorey's title. The correct title is General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services.
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