Massachusetts Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Improvements

[BostonUrbEx]

I'll start off with a simple one: an express bus from Wachusett Station to Greenfield Station with stops in Gardner, Baldwinville, Athol, Orange, Millers Falls, and Turners Falls.

Wachusett Station to Greenfield

www.google.com

Current (4 buses from 2 different RTAs, taking 3.5 hours)

Proposed (1 bus, about 1.5-1.75 hours)

 

[The EGE]

Great idea - we really need a proper interurban bus network. I would extend it to Fitchburg proper to allow connections with the local buses (but still have the timed rail connection at Wachusett.)

Other corridors I would recommend:

• Newburyport-Haverhill-Lawrence-Lowell. Right now it takes 4 buses to make that trip.
• Framingham-Westborough-Worcester via Route 9
• Concord-Maynard-Hudson-Northborough-Worcester (as a feeder to commuter rail)
• Worcester-Leominster-Fitchburg
• Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Greenfield (at least until we get proper rail service on that corridor)
• Worcester-Springfield with few stops
• Worcester-Springfield via Route 9
• North Adams-Greenfield
• Pittsfield-Lee-Westfield-Springfield
• Providence-Fall River-New Bedford
• Providence-Worcester

Only a few of those corridors have any service with comparable stops right now, those that do (like SPG-GFD) have limited service that's not useful for commuting or other day trips.

 

[guitarguynboston]

I can't for the life of me figure out why the Fitchburg/Leominster area does not have at least a local bus, that's reasonably priced, and has a decent frequency, that gets you to Worcester. Considering Worcester is what the 2nd biggest city in NE and is only a 10/15min drive down I190.

Out here in the burbs of Massachusetts they really need to beef up public transit. I know we'll never get the trolley lines back here but a bus once an hour on all the lines is ridiculous never to mind they don't run on Sundays and end early and start late on Saturdays mind you weekday normal service hours at before 6pm.

I remember a few years back I was bartending during the day shift at a local bar in Fitchburg and would get out of work around 5/530pm, the bar was maybe 2 blocks from the MBTA Commuter Rail/Local Bus Hub and I couldn't catch the last bus to Leominster no matter how fast I walked. You're basically forced to have a car in order to work and live out here.

 

[393b40]

I can't for the life of me figure out why the Fitchburg/Leominster area does not have at least a local bus, that's reasonably priced, and has a decent frequency, that gets you to Worcester. Considering Worcester is what the 2nd biggest city in NE and is only a 10/15min drive down I190.

Because Massachusetts politics is Boston-centric. Beacon Hill rarely considers anything outside of 95 for anything beyond table scraps.

 

[Aprehensive_Words]

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau has put out an analysis of WRTA ridership and how things like fare-free transit have or haven't impacted it since COVID:

https://www.wrrb.org/reports/2023/04/resurging-regional-ridership/

There's also a data explorer that lets you dig into things like usage, origins and destinations by census tract: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c732359213c643b28185ea085cdbf173

 

[The EGE]

Crayon map of an interurban bus system based on my list above:

Western MA:

• North Bennington-Bennington-Williamstown-North Adams-Charlemont-Shelburne Falls-Greenfield
• North Adams-Adams-Cheshire-Pittsfield-Lenox-Stockbridge-Great Barrington-Sheffield-North Canaan
• Pittsfield-Lee-Westfield-Springfield
• Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Greenfield
• Greenfield-Millers-Falls-Orange-Athol-Gardner-Wachusett-Fitchburg

Worcester Hub:

• Springfield-Palmer-Ware-West Brookfield-Brookfield-East Brookfield-Spencer-Leicester-Worcester
• Springfield-Worcester express
• Sturbridge-Southbridge-Webster-Oxford-Auburn-Worcester
• Providence-Woonsocket-Millbury-Worcester
• Fitchburg-Leominster-Worcester
• Concord-West Concord-Maynard-Hudson-Northborough-Shrewsbury-Worcester
• Framingham-FSU-Westborough-Worcester (with additional Route 9 stops)
• Walpole-Medfield-Millis-Medway-Milford-Upton-Grafton-Worcester

Eastern MA:

• Lowell-Lawrence-Haverhill-Newburyport
• Concord-Burlington-Anderson RTC-Peabody-Salem
• Clinton-Hudson-Marlborough-Southborough-FSU-Framingham
• Milford-Franklin-Mansfield-Taunton-Middleborough
• Middleborough-Wareham-Buzzards Bay
• Providence-Fall River-New Bedford-Wareham-Buzzards Bay

Is this ambitious? Certainly. But it's feasible, and it could be a way to get more areas on board with bigger projects like regional rail and East-West - especially with timed transfers so that the bus routes extend the reach of the rail routes. The Springfield-Worcester express, Springfield-Greenfield, Clinton-Framingham, and Middleborough-Buzzards Bay routes would be intended to prime ridership for rail extensions.

 

[Koopzilla24]

I didn’t realize this thread existed but it’d probably make more sense to put this here.

My thought is that the RTAs should run routes corresponding with the state route system to connect cities and towns with regular half hourly to hourly service. The routes would transfer with each other and interface with rail stations to create a comprehensive statewide public transportation system to most towns and it’d do so in a simple and easy to understand way.

Here is the start I have to mapping this out. These routes would operate as part of the MWRTA out of Framingham. I have them as different colors for distinction on this map but they’d be the same color as the RTA each segment is part of. Route that would overlap with an existing bus route wouldn’t be needed or could go express around a section of the route to get to a key destination quicker.