On April 22, the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA)'s new Route 4 Grocery took its inaugural run from downtown Framingham to Market Basket, Roche Brothers, and Wegmans. "Due to COVID-19, we've had to dial back some of our service, but we wanted to make sure riders could keep up their social distancing and avoid crowding on the bus, while still getting to essential grocery shopping trips," explains Emily VanDewoestine, MWRTA Fixed Route Operations Manager. "This route gives residents of downtown Framingham direct access to grocery stores - a straight shot." MWRTA hopes the route will not only be more convenient for riders, but also safer since it reduces travel time and crowding. MWRTA reminds all riders to travel for essential trips only and to wear masks that cover the nose and mouth while onboard.

Transportation and travel training are an important part of the regular curriculum in Westfield, and Transition Specialist Sherry Elander was not going to let COVID-19 change that. Elander reached out to Renee Lessard, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) travel trainer, about leading online classes. Lessard jumped at the chance and began adapting A Chance to Ride , a curriculum developed for transition classes by the Kennedy Center.

• A Chance to Ride curriculum
• Curriculum resources compiled by the MBTA travel trainers
• Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) videos on paying with a Charlie Card & using with the fare vending machine
• Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) videos
• Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) - Guide to Ride & customized tools for each bus route available upon request. Contact [email protected]
• MBTA access guides
• MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) online 30-minute pre-travel class
• Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) videos (also available in Spanish)
• Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) videos

Personal care attendants (PCAs) have always been allowed to accompany RIDE customers on trips, but a temporary rule change effective April 24 now allows PCAs to ride alone in order to get to or from the home of a RIDE customer. "This change will allow the MBTA to maintain a vital link between RIDE customers and their PCAs," said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak.

 

The change came about through conversations between THE RIDE and the RIDE Subcommittee of the Riders' Transportation Access Group (R-TAG). R-TAG is the MBTA's officially recognized customer organization that provides input on issues affecting people with disabilities and older adults who use the T.  Subcommittee members suggested the idea and collaborated with THE RIDE staff to work out the details.

 

PCA trips must be booked by the RIDE customer, and paid out of the RIDE customer's account (PCAs can deposit funds into customers' accounts). For up-to-date information on MBTA service changes to THE RIDE and other modes, visit www.mbta.com/coronavirus.

On May 12, 128 Business Council (128BC) published comprehensive protocols detailing how they will safeguard rider and driver safety when they resume operating their public shuttles, which connect office parks, large employers, housing developments, and community locations in the Waltham and Lexington area to Alewife Station, Waltham Center, and Newton Highlands. The new protocols address a wide range of procedures, including cleaning the vehicles, assessing driver health, carefully controlling movement in boarding areas , and reducing contact between passengers while boarding, riding, and alighting.

 

The work began in mid-March, when 128BC suspended shuttle operations. Realizing that changes would not be fleeting and would require a whole new model of service, they contracted with an epidemiologist who normally works in hospital safety. Together, they identified goals and standards, and then worked to develop their new protocols.

 

"We wanted to do the best we could do, not just be good enough," explains Lispeth Tibbits-Nutt, Manager of Communications, Research, and Education at 128BC. They scoured CDC-approved information on cleaning products to see how long a particular agent needs to sit on a surface in order for the disinfection process to occur. They called manufacturers of UVC disinfection units around the country to find one that could be easily carried through a bus, as these are typically used in hospital rooms where they do not need to be portable. Using their own staff, they tested different approaches to boarding the vehicles to find the one that minimized rider contact and optimized rider compliance. They are rolling out driver training on how to safely and effectively put on and remove masks and gloves, as well as a communications strategy to share key information with riders.

 

128BC not only believes their work will keep their own riders and drivers safe, but also hopes it will be helpful to other transportation providers. In addition to the list of protocols, 128BC is happy to share their internal documentation and to answer questions or provide additional detail. "Our specific protocols might not be the answer for you, but we can talk about how all the research and principles underlying our protocols can create protocols specific to your organization, " offers Tibbits-Nutt. Transportation providers interested in more extensive help from 128BC to customize their own protocols can also inquire about setting up a longer-term consulting relationship with the nonprofit.

When the local transportation provider in Southern Berkshire County closed due to COVID-19 concerns, older adults in Egremont were left without a way to make their essential trips. As a short-term measure, the neighboring town of Sheffield offered use of their van. Egremont - a small town of population 1200 - put out a call for volunteers, and 33 community members stepped up. "This is community in action," says Bruce Bernstein, Chair of the Egremont Council on Aging Board. "Almost all of the homes owned by part-time residents are now occupied, so our town is full. Many of those who volunteered are second home owners, younger than our general population. I was very gratified that they answered the call."

The MBTA is seeking input from travel instruction practitioners and experts about how travel instruction , which has traditionally relied on in-person face-to-face contact with customers, is likely to pivot in its delivery model to adapt to continued social distancing and other safety requirements. The information collected will influence the development of the MBTA's next travel training contract.

 

For more information or to respond, search for BD-20-1206-40000-42502-51559 on COMMBUYS. The title of the Request for Information (RFI) is Innovation in Travel Training Service Delivery Post COVID-19. Due to an error, the title may appear to ask about innovation in paratransit service, but the MBTA is looking for information about travel instruction, not paratransit.

For up-to-date information about a particular transportation service, please contact the transportation provider directly.

For general information, visit these websites:

• Massachusetts-based information from the Department of Public Health
• MassHealth information
• DDS information
• MRC updates
• MCB resources
• DMH updates

• 128 Business Council protocols (see article above)
• Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA)
• Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
• National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)
• National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM)
• American Public Transit Association (APTA)