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As the transportation landscape changes, riders and transportation providers are increasingly interested in mobility on demand: flexible transportation services available at short notice. Over the last few years, we have seen organizations offer on-demand options through partnerships with Transportation Network Companies. This summer, two new pilots launched that take a microtransit approach, integrating the on-demand capacity directly into the service and featuring shared rides.
Read on to learn about how a Regional Transit Authority is experimenting with microtransit to increase coverage and address first and last mile concerns, and how a Council on Aging is using microtransit for older adults.
This August 2019 issue of the MassMobility newsletter also highlights new funding opportunities and more news about transportation for older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals in Massachusetts. The newsletter is compiled by MassMobility, an initiative of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. |
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This fall, two new funding streams are coming available through state agencies.
MassDOT announced a new
workforce transportation funding
opportunity, with applications due September 27. T
he Department of Public Health is in the process of launching three new
funding opportunities
, including one focusing on healthy aging and another on community health. More information should be available soon.
For additional funding options, check out our recently updated
community transportation funding webpage, which now features examples of how grants can be used to support mobility, strategies for individuals looking to fund their own transportation needs, and creative fundraising approaches, as well as grant-writing tips, data sources to use in developing grant applications, and more. If you know of a useful funding source that is not listed or want to share your own creative funding strategy,
let us know.
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GATRA pilots on-demand public transit
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On August 19, the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) launched GO GATRA, a microtransit service piloted in partnership with
TransLoc
. GO GATRA provides on-demand public transit in parts of Foxborough, Mansfield, and Plainville, serving the corridor roughly defined by Routes 1, 106, and 140. Similar to ride-hailing services, GO GATRA uses a smartphone app for riders to schedule customized curb-to-curb microtransit trips. A small neighborhood shuttle bus picks riders up and drops them off wherever they wish to travel within the service boundaries. Along the way, the shuttle may pick up other passengers who also request a ride. This service is wheelchair-accessible, and all drivers are trained and certified in accordance with state and federal regulations.
GO GATRA is open to the general public. To summon a ride, download the TransLOC app onto your smartphone. Riders who do not have a smartphone can call to request a ride, or walk on if they see the vehicle stopped to pick up others.
Commuters coming into the area from Boston or Providence can pick up GO GATRA at the commuter rail station in Mansfield. Operating from 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday, the service provides first and last mile connections between the train, employment centers, and shopping areas, including a large industrial park and Patriot Place. "We wanted to address the first and last mile challenges for commuters in that area, but we know it's also going to help the local people - the seniors - who want to go shopping, go to medical appointments, or take other local trips," notes Joanne LaFerrara, GATRA's Director of Customer Relations. "We wanted to try something new, to fill in the gaps. There are a lot of gaps that you can't fill with a fixed-route bus."
GATRA is offering the service free of charge through September.
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NewMo offers on-demand rides for seniors
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On June 17, Newton seniors took their first ride on NewMo, a new, on-demand service operated by Via on behalf of the Newton Department of Senior Services. Newton residents age 60 and over register to use the service and then can request rides through an app or by calling a call center weekdays from 8am to 5pm, and between 9am and noon on weekends. Each ride costs $5, with discounts available based on financial need. The service is structured such that seniors will not have to wait more than 30 minutes for a ride and will not spend more than 30 minutes in the vehicle; so far, riders generally only wait 12 minutes for their vehicle to appear.
In order to foster socialization, reduce costs, and promote environmentally-friendly travel, NewMo is a shared-ride service.
Previously, Newton contracted with a local taxi company to offer subsidized rides to older adults, but as Uber and Lyft moved into the area, the taxi company became less able to meet the demand for rides. When Newton went to recontract, they re-envisioned the transportation program and prioritized their goals, grounded in their understanding of Newton and its residents' transportation patterns. They then put out an "aspirational" Request for Proposals that listed everything they wanted - including on-demand service, easily identifiable vehicles, highly trained drivers with background checks, sustainable vehicles, and shared trips - to see how providers would respond. "We wanted to use state-of-the-art technology to offer a better experience for seniors," explains Nicole Freedman, Newton's Director of Transportation Planning. "We thought that the ability to book in real time would be a huge improvement over having to book 72 hours in advance, especially for seniors reducing their driving." They were able to incorporate almost all of their aspirations into the final contract.
Freedman worked with Jayne Colino, Newton's Director of Senior Services, to structure the program to expand mobility while making it as easy as possible for older adults to use. They worked with Via to set up a call center in addition to the app, for older adults who do not have or do not wish to use smartphones. They had Via develop a payment system for older adults who do not have or do not wish to use a credit card. They added extra hours for Senior Center staff the first few weeks of the new system, so that older adults anxious about the change could talk about it with someone they already knew and trusted. They also maintained a small contract with their old provider in order to fill gaps during the transition to the new system.
Two months in, NewMo has provided more than 1700 rides total, and nearly 60 trips per day. Newton plans to do a program evaluation six months in to determine how it is working and identify goals for future expansion, should funding become available.
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New library supplements driver training opportunities
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As of August 1, community transportation drivers on Cape Cod have a new option for training. Although the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) offers driver training to local Councils on Aging and companies that participate in the human service transportation brokerage, organizations sometimes find it hard to send drivers to scheduled sessions provided by CCRTA or
MArtap
. In response, last year CCRTA applied for and received a
Community Transit Grant
to develop a "
lend and learn
" library. The library, which consists of videos and workbooks covering key topics for drivers, supplements but does not replace the official driver trainings. Drivers who miss a classroom component can use the library to catch up. However, all drivers need to attend an in-person wheelchair securement training.
Paula George,
Deputy Administration/Travel Training Manager for CCRTA, compiled the resources for the library. "I wanted to focus on van drivers and smaller providers, not big transit buses, but a lot of what's out there is targeted to the big bus," she explains. George found some free resources through the
National Rural Transit Assistance Program, and also purchased some resources from other sources such as the
National Safety Council. She included some resources on working with passengers who are living with dementia, in response to a request from Councils on Aging. Organizations have already begun requesting and using the materials.
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AARP awards Community Challenge funds to four Massachusetts municipalities
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Congratulations to Belchertown, Boston, Chelsea, and Lynn for winning
AARP Community Challenge grants. These annual, short-term grants fund "quick-action" projects promoting age-friendly livability through improvements in transportation, housing, or public space, or innovative use of data to improve resident quality of life.
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Report examines COA transportation patterns
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In 2016 and 2017, the Massachusetts Councils on Aging (
MCOA) polled Councils on Aging (COAs) about their programming and compiled the results into a database. The Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging of the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston analyzed the findings and has produced a series of short
reports - including one on transportation. According to the report, 86 percent of COAs provide transportation or access to transportation services. The report examines the types of trips provided and compares COA offerings by community characteristics, such as population, percentage of population age 60 and over, and median household income.
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MassDOT invites high school students to promote roadway safety
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MassDOT invites high school students to submit roadway safety videos to the annual Safe Streets/Smart Trips contest. Submissions are due October 4. Video submissions must align with MassDOT's "scan the street for wheels and feet" campaign, highlight crash statistics, and offer tips for how to avoid crashes. Winners will receive prizes and will be recognized at this year's Moving Together Conference.
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Online course explores senior transportation
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Registration is open for
Organizing and Managing Senior Transportation Options
, a fall 2019 course offered through the Gerontology Institute and the College of Advancing and Professional Studies at UMass Boston. This online course is co-taught by Helen Kerschner, former Director of the National Volunteer Transportation Center, and Nina Silverstein, Professor in the Gerontology Department at UMass Boston. Kerschner and Silverstein, who are now in their seventh year of offering the course, also authored the course textbook:
Introduction to Senior Transportation
.
Ginny Salem, Administrator of Northern Essex Elder Transport, took Silverstein and Kerschner's course last year and highly recommends it: "
This program provided me with the information needed to grow our volunteer driving network with excellent outreach suggestions."
Her classmate Susan Marancik,
Senior and Community Services Director for the Town of Sandwich
, agrees: "As a newer Council on Aging director, I found the class tremendously helpful in learning ways to improve our existing transportation program. I also gained a broader knowledge of aging issues as they relate to transportation. I have used that in developing a five year strategic plan for the Sandwich Council on Aging, as well as managing our combined volunteer and paid driver transportation program."
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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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| 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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