Audit of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority Overview of Audited Entity

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority.

Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities

Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws established regional transit authorities (RTAs) and defined the roles and responsibilities for these authorities, the municipalities in which they operate, and the Commonwealth. According to Chapter 161B of the General Laws, RTAs are controlled by the municipalities in which they operate. Each RTA is governed by an advisory board composed of elected officials from the community (e.g., city manager 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 “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: Massachusetts Department of Transportation—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, local governments, 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 Services

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 recognized that some individuals’ disabilities prevent them from using a fixed-route 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 complementary paratransit services.

Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority

The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) was established in 1974 as one of the original transit authorities created by Chapter 161B of the General Laws. During our audit, MVRTA told us that its mission is the following:

To provide mobility services to support the efforts of both the public and private sector to enhance the development of the region’s economy and its assets in jobs, education, healthcare, recreation and culture to the Merrimack Valley. MVRTA will meet the needs of our passengers by providing safe, dependable, affordable, and convenient services by well trained, qualified, professional staff.

MVRTA’s operations are overseen by an advisory board. MVRTA’s administrator, hired by the advisory board, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the agency.

During our audit period, MVRTA contracted with First Transit, a private operating company, to provide transit management and operations service for its fixed-route² bus and demand response transportation services³ provided to paratransit riders and the older population. Merrimack Valley Area Transportation Company is the operator and is a wholly owned subsidy of First Transit.

MVRTA provides transportation services to 16 member cities and towns of Merrimack Valley: Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, North Reading, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury. All complementary paratransit and demand response services provided during the audit period were managed by MVRTA using a transit software called ADEPT.⁴

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.

ADA paratransit service complaints, submitted by riders and the general public, can be made by telephone, email, mail or in person to First Transit’s main office. First Transit personnel record all complaints using the Merrimack Valley Area Transportation Company Incident/Complaint Form with information from the complainant and, if they are ADA paratransit complaints, send the complaints to the First Transit director of paratransit operations. Within 24 hours of receipt, the First Transit director of paratransit operations informs the complainant that the complaint is being reviewed. The First Transit director of paratransit operation investigates the complaint and determines whether the complaint warrants further action. The director of paratransit operations makes a follow-up response in the form of a phone call, an email, or letter to let the complainant know the outcome of the complaint within three business days, if the complainant requested a follow up.

MVRTA Paratransit Ridership Information

The table below summarizes MVRTA’s paratransit information for fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

	Fiscal Year 2019	Fiscal Year 2020	Fiscal Year 2021
Number of Active Riders	1,333	1,182	758
Number of Trips	87,012	71,087	43,862
Number of Miles	908,899.09	660,321.89	494,941.60
Number of Drivers	8–22 daily	8–22 daily	8–22 daily
Number of Vehicles Used	8–22 daily	8–22 daily	8–22 daily

MVRTA Funding Sources

In fiscal years 2020 and 2021, MVRTA received revenue from a variety of sources, including federal, state, and local assistance and partnerships/contracts. The table below shows the types of funding MVRTA received during the audit period.

Type of Funding	Fiscal Year 2019	Fiscal Year 2020	Fiscal Year 2021
State and Contract Assistance	$ 6,836,168	$ 7,253,008	$ 7,509,613
Local Assistance	3,742,632	4,043,582	4,144,672
Federal Assistance	4,629,793	5,000,807	4,450,095
Fixed-Route Income	1,139,583	912,126	563,882
Paratransit Income	188,801	131,098	79,361
Other Revenue*	1,268,073	1,394,679	1,075,517
Total	$ 17,805,050	$ 18,735,300	$ 17,823,140

*  Other revenue is from advertising, miscellaneous sources, and interest.

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 are non-fixed route services that must be requested by riders and scheduled by dispatchers through a transportation service.

4.    ADEPT is an industry demand response software developed by StrataGen that facilitates scheduling and dispatching paratransit and on-demand transportation.

Date published:	April 7, 2023