New Bedford North End Micro-Transit Study – Final Report

Creating vital, robust connections with the new South Coast Rail project is a critical need for the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA). 

With South Coast Rail due to open within the next year, SRTA must adapt their system to ensure that a robust transit connection exists between SRTA and commuter rail service.  This connection will ensure that residents of the Fall River and New Bedford areas have broader access to the region without needing to rely on a car.  While this new connection is important, it cannot come at the expense of current SRTA service. 

To make the connection for transit riders to the new South Coast Rail (SCR) stations, SRTA is considering microtransit as a solution. Microtransit is on-demand, shared ride, public transportation service that operates within a defined area or zone. Microtransit software allows users (riders) to request a ride, track vehicle movements in real time, and pay fares. Riders can request trips through smartphone apps, computer or via a call center. Transportation providers use microtransit software to efficiently dispatch vehicles “on demand.”   

Microtransit is an emerging mode within the transit industry that has been growing in popularity over the past decade and offers several unique features in comparison to fixed-route bus service.  Microtransit is adept a first/last mile connections where a deviation from fixed-route bus service may not make sense due to scheduling issues, geographic challenges, or barriers in the network.  Microtransit also can be very convenient for passengers, picking them up at their home and taking them directly to their destination. However, while microtransit is a relatively nimble service, it does not have the capacity to move large volumes of passengers as fixed-route service. 

In certain markets and under certain conditions, microtransit’s dynamic dispatching capabilities are an alternative to traditional reservation-based demand response and potentially fixed-route service. The operating model allows agencies to tailor service to demand and offer riders a flexible service that is often easier to use. The need to call the day (or days) before travel is reduced or eliminated. As public transportation technology continues to improve, microtransit can be integrated with other services, including fixed-route, complementary paratransit (ADA), and services provided by taxis and by transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Lyft and Uber 

Because of microtransit’s advantages, SRTA is proposing to implement a microtransit pilot service to connect residents of Fall River and New Bedford with the new SCR rail stations.  While this service is not designed to move large numbers of people, this pilot will allow SRTA and interested stakeholders to better understand travel patterns of riders and underlying demand for connections to the new rail stations.  If successful, this pilot will lay the groundwork for either greater investment in more robust microtransit connections or a significant investment in fixed route service to include the rail stations within the service area. 

This document will outline key features of the proposed microtransit pilot, including pilot goals and key performance indicators, service design, zone descriptions, resource requirements, and implementation schedule.