Audit of the Brockton Area Transit Authority Overview of Audited Entity

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Brockton Area Transit Authority.

Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities

Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws established regional transit authorities (RTAs), which provide public transportation services for communities outside the reach of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. This law defines the roles and responsibilities for these authorities and the municipalities in which they operate. Each RTA has an advisory board composed of elected officials from the communities in which they operate (e.g., selectperson or mayor), as well as one representative of the disabled commuter population¹ and one representative of the local rider community. The advisory boards appoint administrators, establish bylaws, and approve budgets and changes to RTA services.

Section 53 of Chapter 6C of the General Laws makes the Rail and Transit Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) “responsible for overseeing, coordinating and planning all transit and rail matters throughout the commonwealth,” including intercity buses, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and RTAs.

Source: MassDOT—Rail and Transit Division (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/public-transportation-in-massachusetts)

Currently, there is a network of 15 RTAs operating in the Commonwealth, in addition to the transit services provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. These RTAs serve a total of 272 cities and towns outside the greater Boston area. RTAs are funded through a combination of state appropriations, federal grants, assessments paid by local governments, transit fares, and other sources. State appropriations for the 15 RTAs increased from approximately $80 million in fiscal year 2018 to approximately $94 million in fiscal years 2021 and 2022.

Americans with Disabilities Act—Required Paratransit Service

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 recognized that some individuals’ disabilities prevent them from using a fixed-route² transit system. Section 37(F) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, (CFR) which covers the transportation and related stipulations of ADA, states,

Each public entity operating a fixed route system shall provide paratransit or other special service to individuals with disabilities that is comparable to the level of service provided to individuals without disabilities who use the fixed route system.

The above regulation also establishes minimum levels of service that RTAs must provide for ADA-required paratransit services.

Brockton Area Transit Authority

The Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) was established in 1974 and reports to MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Division under Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2009. According to BAT’s website, its mission is as follows:

To proudly serve and be recognized as an innovative regional transit authority by providing safe, reliable and efficient service to our customers, clients and communities while “achieving maximum effectiveness in complementing other forms of transportation in order to promote the general, economic, and social well-being of the area and the Commonwealth” ([Chapter 161B of the General Laws]).

BAT’s administrator, hired by the advisory board, is responsible for day-to-day administration of the agency.

BAT provides transportation services to the following 11 cities and towns: Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Hanson, Rockland, Stoughton, West Bridgewater, and Whitman. BAT operates local fixed-route and demand-response transportation services³ within the 86-square-mile South Shore and Greater Brockton area, serving a population of over 255,800.

During the audit period, BAT contracted with First Transit, Inc., a privately operated company, to provide transit management and operations services for its fixed-route bus and demand-response transportation services provided to paratransit riders and adults over the age of 60.

BAT managed all ADA-required paratransit and demand-response transportation services provided during the audit period using a transit scheduling and dispatching system.

Performance Standards for ADA-Required Paratransit Services

BAT has a memorandum of understanding with MassDOT that includes on-time performance standards. These performance standards include a required minimum on-time pickup rate for trips. According to this memorandum of understanding, BAT was required pick up at least 88.75%, 90%, and 88% of riders within the scheduled pickup window for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively.

In addition to the performance standards set by this memorandum of understanding, BAT has set internal performance standards for itself and its contracted paratransit provider. According to BAT management, BAT must pick up at least 85% of riders within the scheduled pickup window, have an untimely drop-off rate of no more than 15% of all scheduled drop-offs, and have a missed trip rate of no more than 2%.

Sections 5.3, 5.4, and 5.6 of Chapter 8 the Federal Transit Administration’s Circular 4710.1 include information regarding how RTAs are required to calculate and report performance standards such as on-time performance, untimely drop-offs, and missed trips.

On-time Performance

BAT’s ADA-required paratransit services use a 30-minute pickup window (15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time) for its on-time performance standard. For example, if a rider has a scheduled pickup time of 7:45 a.m., the driver is considered on time if the driver arrives between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Riders are to be ready and waiting at the beginning of the pickup window. If the rider cannot be located or chooses not to board the bus within five minutes of the driver’s arrival, the driver will leave and continue to the next pickup.

Untimely Drop Offs

The cancellation policy for BAT’s ADA-required paratransit services, which can be found in its “ADA Paratransit Service Guide,” states that “a completed trip will be defined as late if the vehicle arrives at the pick-up location after the end of the pick-up window, . . . and/or arrives at the drop-off location later than the requested drop-off time.”

Missed Trips

According to BAT’s “ADA Paratransit Services Guide,” for BAT’s ADA-required paratransit services, a trip is considered missed if a driver arrives over 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time “and the passenger opts not to take the trip or if a vehicle/driver does not show up at the customer’s pickup destination.”

ADA Paratransit Complaints

ADA paratransit complaints are complaints related to ADA-required paratransit services. According to 49 CFR 27.13, transportation programs that receive federal funding must adopt complaint procedures and designate a responsible employee to coordinate these procedures.

Anyone with concerns about ADA-required paratransit services can make an ADA paratransit complaint by telephone, email, or mail or in person at BAT’s main office. BAT staff members record all information related to ADA paratransit complaints in BAT’s complaint management system using the system’s complaint form screen. Each ADA paratransit complaint is assigned a unique case identification number and is reviewed by BAT’s contracted paratransit provider. BAT’s contracted paratransit provider investigates and enters its findings for each ADA paratransit complaint into the complaint management system. These entries are then forwarded to BAT’s manager of transit operations, who reviews, updates the status of, and ultimately provides the resolution for each ADA paratransit complaint. BAT resolves complaints with the complainant within 72 hours of receipt. 

ADA Paratransit Ridership Information

The table below summarizes BAT’s paratransit information for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023.

BAT Funding Sources

In fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023, BAT received revenue from a variety of sources, including federal, state, and local assistance. The table below shows the types of funding BAT received during the audit period.

*      BAT’s fiscal year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30.

**    “Other Revenue” comprises income from sources such as advertising, parking, and interest.

BAT’s management stated that the RTA is a reporting component of the MassDOT and it submits its financial statements to MassDOT.

1.   According to Section 5 of Chapter 161B of the General Laws, “This representative shall be mobility impaired, have a family member who is mobility impaired, be a caretaker of a person who is mobility impaired or work for an organization that serves the needs of the physically disabled.”

2.    Fixed-route transportation services have established routes, schedules, and stops.

3.    Demand-response transportation services do not have fixed routes, schedules, or stops. They must be requested by riders and scheduled by dispatchers through a transportation service.

 

Date published:	July 24, 2024