NORTHAMPTON — Transportation for senior citizens and disabled individuals in the region is being improved through new paratransit vans joining the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority fleet and a continued effort to enhance ride options for people living in the Hilltowns.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation this week announced $10.2 million in awards, under the Community Transit Grant Program, that will be used for vehicle purchases, transit operating costs, capital investments and mobility management.
Lt. Gov Karyn Polito said in a statement that the grants meet needs identified by elected officials and leaders of agencies and private companies.
“The grant awards have many benefits, including increasing local public transportation options and reducing traffic congestion by getting people out of cars and onto vans or buses,” Polito said.
PVTA will be getting 18 new vans, which are among 144 vehicles that will be bought by 28 local and regional organizations across the state.
MassDOT spokesman Patrick Marvin said the vans for PVTA include 17 which can hold up to eight passengers, and one four-passenger van.
In addition, PVTA received an $80,822 award that will help the agency relieve a continuing strain on its operating budget by transitioning paratransit services from PVTA to local councils on aging. An additional $71,251 will go to PVTA for staff salaries related to a travel training program.
To address existing gaps in public transit service, especially in more rural areas, the Hilltown Community Development Corp., based in Chesterfield, received $17,258. That will be used to study how to expand service coverage to adjacent towns and increase service hours.
Currently, the Franklin Regional Transit Authority provides a 12-passenger demand response van, which offers rides to Hilltown residents who are 60 and over and live in Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield and Worthington.
An additional $15,623 will go toward developing a better driver pool in the Hilltowns, which might expand on driver programs, using personal vehicles, already in place at some councils on aging.
Kate Bavelock, program manager for transportation at Hilltown CDC, said there remain a lot of unknowns in how these improvements will happen, and that it will take a few months to unveil them, but that the state funding is vital to the success of the endeavor.
“MassDOT has been a big help and very supportive in looking at creative solutions,” Bavelock said.
Finally, $82,350 is going to the town of Ware for operating its regional transportation service known as the Quaboag Connector, which already serves nine towns, including Belchertown. That service allows residents to reserve rides, with a priority for those traveling to employment and education, with a cost of $2 per ride and $4 for round trips.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
