Regional Transit Authorities
Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws established regional transit authorities (RTAs) to provide a public transportation system under the control of municipalities. Each RTA supports a number of communities (member communities) and is governed by an advisory board composed of the chief elected officials from those communities. Chapter 161B of the General Laws gives the Commonwealth certain oversight responsibilities, and it defines the process by which RTAs may be formed or expanded within the Commonwealth, as well as the duties, powers, and limitations of these RTAs. This law also outlines the membership of RTA advisory boards and their authority to appoint administrators, approve budgets, and approve significant changes in service fares. Currently, there is a network of 15 RTAs (12 urban and 3 rural) operating in the Commonwealth, in addition to the transit services provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). These RTAs serve a total of 262 cities, suburban municipalities, and rural communities outside the greater Boston area and provide transportation via buses and minibuses operated by private transit service companies. RTAs, which are locally controlled, manage their own operations but must hire private operating companies to provide their services in accordance with Chapter 161B of the General Laws.
Section 53 of Chapter 6C of the General Laws makes the Rail and Transit Division (RTD) of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation “responsible for overseeing, coordinating and planning all transit and rail matters throughout the commonwealth,” including intercity buses, the MBTA, and RTAs. RTD carries out its responsibility of providing and managing financial assistance for RTAs through its Community Transit Program Unit, which oversees the federal, state, and local programs that financially support RTAs. State appropriations for the 15 RTAs increased from approximately $70 million in fiscal year 2014 to approximately $80 million in fiscal years 2016 through 2018.
The Nantucket Regional Transit Authority
The Nantucket Regional Transit Authority (NRTA) was established in 1995 and reports to RTD under Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2009, “An Act Modernizing the Transportation Systems of the Commonwealth.” According to NRTA’s Regional Transit Plan, the agency’s mission is as follows:
Nantucket Regional Transit Authority has established a standard of excellence that is only equaled [by] its commitment to provide safe, efficient, and widely accessible transportation service to meet the needs of the year-round community and the diverse summer population it serves.
An administrator is responsible for day-to-day administration of the agency, which had 2 full-time and 10 part-time seasonal staff members during our audit period. NRTA’s operations are overseen by the Nantucket Select Board. The board is responsible for hiring an administrator, setting fares, establishing service levels, and authorizing real-estate purchases. During fiscal years 2016 and 2017, NRTA contracted with Valley Transportation Services of Massachusetts Inc. to provide fixed-route and demand-response1 transportation services, including maintenance and administrative functions.
In fiscal years 2016 and 2017, NRTA received revenue from a variety of sources, including fares from riders and assistance from various federal, state, and local sources. The largest source of funding is Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants, followed by state contract assistance,2 fare revenue, and local assessment3 payments. The table below shows the types of funding NRTA received during the audit period.
NRTA Operating Funding Sources
Type of Funding |
Fiscal Year 2016 |
Fiscal Year 2017 |
---|---|---|
Federal Grants |
$541,489 |
$540,327 |
State Contract Assistance |
488,184 |
488,184 |
Fare Revenue |
433,841 |
449,661 |
Local Assessments |
398,943 |
408,302 |
Private Funding |
137,200 |
255,481 |
Total |
$1,999,657 |
$2,141,955 |
During our audit period, NRTA’s operating costs were as follows.
NRTA Operating Expenses
Type of Expense |
Fiscal Year 2016 |
Fiscal Year 2017 |
---|---|---|
Transit Service |
$1,718,561 |
$1,862,538 |
Maintenance |
154,555 |
154,796 |
General and Administrative Expenses |
126,868 |
141,576 |
Depreciation |
503,410 |
518,105 |
Total |
$2,503,394 |
$2,677,015 |
During our audit period, NRTA received capital grants funded by the US Department of Transportation and the Commonwealth to be used to expand and modernize transportation services. Those grants totaled $218,626 for fiscal year 2016 and $879,752 for fiscal year 2017.
Vehicle Fleet and Service Route Area
NRTA operates local fixed-route and demand-response services within the 46-square-mile Nantucket area, serving a year-round population of more than 11,000 and a seasonal population of more than 60,000. It operates a network of up to nine local transit routes with a total of 13 vehicles during the summer season. NRTA operates seasonal service seven days a week from as early as 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. during the summer season. Some routes’ start and end dates of service vary, as do their times of operation and frequency of stops.
The table below shows the number of revenue-producing and non-revenue-producing vehicles4 used at NRTA during fiscal years 2016 and 2017.
Number of NRTA Vehicles
Vehicle Type |
Fiscal Year 2016 |
Fiscal Year 2017 |
---|---|---|
Revenue-Producing |
23 |
23 |
Non-Revenue-Producing |
5 |
5 |
Total |
28 |
28 |
Vehicle Maintenance
NRTA operates its administrative office and a maintenance facility in an approximately 7,025-square-foot building in Nantucket. At the end of our audit period, NRTA had a total of 28 vehicles in its fleet. The table below shows the types and average ages of the vehicles in NRTA’s fleet during the audit period.
NRTA Vehicle Fleet Average Age
Make and Model |
Vehicle Type |
Vehicle Count |
Average Age (Years) |
---|---|---|---|
International HC Series |
Bus |
19 |
4 |
Ford E350 |
Minibus |
4 |
5 |
Toyota Sienna |
Van |
2 |
3 |
Toyota Tacoma |
Truck |
1 |
3 |
Ford Explorer |
SUV |
1 |
3 |
Ford F250 |
Truck |
1 |
6 |
Total |
28 |
The table below shows NRTA’s maintenance expenses for the audit period.
NRTA Maintenance Expenses
Expenses |
Fiscal Year 2016 |
Fiscal Year 2017 |
---|---|---|
Vehicle Repairs and Outside Services |
$20,341 |
$15,434 |
Parts and Supplies |
26,883 |
38,483 |
Fuel and Lubricants |
5,810 |
6,341 |
Vehicle Insurance |
79,178 |
77,886 |
Utilities and Leases |
13,933 |
13,709 |
Miscellaneous Operating and Maintenance Expenses |
7,182 |
2,187 |
Office Supplies and Expenses |
1,227 |
756 |
Total |
$154,555* |
$154,796 |
* Discrepancy in total is due to rounding.
Below are the actual mileage and maintenance costs per vehicle for fiscal year 2017.
NRTA Vehicle Mileage and Maintenance Expenses
Make and Model |
Vehicle Count |
Total Mileage |
Total |
Average Maintenance Cost per Vehicle |
---|---|---|---|---|
International HC Series |
19 |
195,260 |
$8,282 |
$436 |
Ford E350 |
4 |
31,879 |
757 |
$189 |
Toyota Sienna |
2 |
9,603 |
0 |
$0 |
Toyota Tacoma |
1 |
3,610 |
66 |
$66 |
Ford Explorer |
1 |
4,595 |
0 |
$0 |
Ford F250 |
1 |
4,365 |
0 |
$0 |
Total |
28 |
249,312 |
$ 9,106* |
|
* Discrepancy in total is due to rounding.
FTA requires all RTAs to report to it any information related to their transit vehicle inventories or maintenance and repairs that they conduct. This information is included in FTA’s National Transit Database. At the time of our audit, NRTA was using the Fleet Maintenance Pro fleet management software to document all of its vehicle asset and expense information and report it to FTA.
NRTA Community Programs
During peak tourist season in Nantucket, NRTA provides transportation to short-term visitors, year-round residents, seasonal homeowners, and workers. NRTA also provides paratransit services for elderly people and those with disabilities in the Nantucket area.
Date published: | October 2, 2018 |
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