Getting On Board
What is Getting on Board?
Getting on Board is a broad based service improvement initiative for SRTA. The goal is to improve fixed route service to make it easier to connect with the places you need to go. The program will look at elements of service such as bus stops, schedules, fixed route alignments, and unmet service needs.
Bus Stop Improvement Plan
Bus stops are the “gateway” to transit, and SRTA wants to ensure that all bus stops offer the highest comfort and accessibility for passengers. This plan looks at current bus stop locations, conditions, and amenities to create design guidelines and improvement plans that will make taking the bus easier, faster, and more comfortable.
New Bedford South End Study
A plan to improve service in the south end of New Bedford. The goal is to improve system operation and provide access to popular destinations in New Bedford’s South End.
South Coast Rail Service Plan
The South Coast Rail Service Plan will identify a preferred way for SRTA to provide service to planned MBTA South Coast Rail stations in Fall River, Freetown, and New Bedford. The project will begin by estimating market demand for SRTA service to future South Coast Rail stations. After this market estimation work is complete, the planning team will develop potential fixed-route bus and microtransit scenarios, each of which will show a different way of serving the South Coast Rail stations. These scenarios will then be presented to the public for feedback and a final, preferred scenario will be selected based on feedback and technical criteria.
Fall River Comprehensive Operations Analysis
The Fall River Comprehensive Operations Analysis will look at the service in Fall River and identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of service. Ridership has grown and trends have changed, but the service has not been evaluated to determine whether it meets the needs of riders. Budget projections for the coming years suggest fixed-route service will need to be reduced to match available funding. Reducing service is not SRTA’s preferred approach to balancing the budget, as it can have profound effects on the lives of the people that rely on the transit system. The objective of this comprehensive operational analysis is to develop service scenarios for Fall River that can be implemented under a reduced-operating funds scenario that limit the extent of service cuts and do the least harm to the communities served by transit.
New Bedford Comprehensive Operations Analysis
The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) operates twelve routes that originate from the downtown New Bedford terminal. Route alignments and service levels have not kept pace with changing demands resulting from population growth and shifts in housing trends.
In addition to changing demand for transit in New Bedford, state and local funding sources that provide a large portion of the fixed-route operating budget are not keeping pace with the rising costs of providing service. Budget projections for the coming years suggest fixed-route service will need to be reduced to match available funding. Reducing service is not SRTA’s preferred approach to balancing the budget, as it can have profound effects on the lives of the people that rely on the transit system. The objective of this comprehensive operational analysis is to develop service scenarios for New Bedford that can be implemented under a reduced-operating funds scenario that limit the extent of service cuts and do the least harm to the communities served by transit.