GATRA RCC Meeting

GATRA RCC Meeting April 30, 2014

Attendees: Sarah Alden, Bill Shine, Alan Slavin, Dan Walker, Marie Oliva, Angie Azevedo, Joe Yasaian, Ruth Lima, Nancy Lawson, Rachel Fichtenbaum, Aniko Laszlo, Christine DiFraia, Linda Howerton, Joanne LaFerrara, Mary Basilone, Janet Richardi, Cindy Curran, and Julie Boren.

Background Aniko Laszlo, Statewide Mobility Manager at MassDOT, provided a brief background. Governor Patrick issued Executive Order 530 in 2011, which established a Commission to look into improving paratransit, human service transportation, and community transportation service quality and efficiency around Massachusetts. The Commission held six listening sessions around the state and developed a report based on their findings. Published in July 2012, the report included over 60 recommendations, as well as three overarching policy recommendations: establish a Statewide Coordinating Council on Community Transportation (SCCCT), hire a Statewide Mobility Manager, and foster Regional Coordinating Councils around the state. MassDOT and EOHHS have been working together on the implementation of these recommendations. The SCCCT launched last September and meets quarterly; its next meeting will be Friday, May 9 from 10 to 11:30 at the State Transportation Building in Boston. Members of the SCCCT include a range of stakeholders, such as representatives of Regional Transit Authorities, Regional Planning Agencies, state agencies including the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Elder Affairs, transportation providers, workforce development, advocacy organizations, and consumers. Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) started forming in December. Like the SCCCT, each RCC includes a diverse range of stakeholders. RCC region boundaries are fluid and can change as needed.

Joanne LaFerrara noted that in Southeastern Massachusetts, an RCC is starting in each transit authority district. A few representatives from each will meet together as part of a larger multi-regional council with representatives from the GATRA, BAT (Brockton Area Transit Authority), and SRTA (Southeastern RTA – New Bedford/Fall River area) RCCs. This group can discuss issues of travel across service areas and other issues that are common across the three smaller regions.

Needs Assessment Data Mary Basilone and Angie Azevedo presented on a survey that BAT, GATRA, SRTA, and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SPREDD) sent out to area stakeholders earlier this year. The survey asked respondents about the transportation needs of seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income commuters in the region. The survey was sent to 169 people, 73 of whom responded. Most respondents were from the GATRA and SRTA areas. In general, findings confirmed what GATRA already knew. This survey targeted stakeholder organizations, but the RCC can choose to survey consumers in the future if it wants. See attachment for survey results.

GATRA developed an online trip planner with data on public and private transportation options in Southeastern MA and beyond. You can find it online at www.massridematch.org. Many attendees said they use this tool with their consumers. Mary has been analyzing the trip searches that people enter into the tool to see if people are looking for trips that GATRA offers or for routes that are not available that GATRA should consider offering. See attached handouts.

Discussion  Funding for transportation comes from federal, state, and local sources  People may not know about a transportation service, so they aren’t riding it and ridership numbers are low even though a need is there  Crossing the Rhode Island border is another need. Would be good to have an agreement with RIPTA. This is a need for veterans too.  Department of Labor & Workforce Development would be a good partner. They have a need, but they also have funding and political leverage  A proposal for commuter rail service to Wareham and Buzzards Bay is looking hopeful at the state level  Possible groups to reach out to: o Taunton CHNA o WIB o Senior TRIAD group  Site planning is important. New dialysis sites should take transportation into account before choosing a location  Would be helpful to have bus stops at hotels/motels that are hosting a lot of homeless families o Some of these are already served by bus lines, particularly the Route 14 bus  GATRA is starting a new bus route that will serve Franklin, Foxborough, and Norfolk. It will go from the Big Y in Franklin to the Wrentham commuter lot, Patriot Place, MBTA station, and Norfolk MCI. It will also stop at the Wrentham and Norfolk Councils on Aging and connect to the FAB (Franklin Area Bus) in Franklin. This will start May 15.  There is currently a line item in the current version of the state budget for a shuttle between New Bedford and Wareham that would run at least a couple times a day

Next Meeting and Leadership Structure The next meeting will be Tuesday, June 10 at 9am at GATRA. Details will be posted on the GATRA RCC webpage: www.gatra.org/index.php/contact-us/rcc-meetings/. We agreed to start meeting monthly. When appropriate, we will move to every other month.

At the next meeting, we will choose a Chair and Vice Chair or multiple Co-Chairs and a secretary. Think about if you are interested! The chairs will attend the meetings with the SRTA and BAT RCCs.