- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
- Rail and Transit Division
Media Contact for Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Funding Awards in Community Transit Grant Program
Jacquelyn Goddard, Director of Communications, MassDOT
Boston — The Healey-Driscoll Administration is announcing a total of more than $4.7 million in funding awards to 43 organizations for 55 projects in the Community Transit Grant Program. This annual competitive grant program, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), supports operating and mobility management projects for Regional Transit Authorities, municipalities, and nonprofits to expand mobility for older adults and people with disabilities.
“Public transportation investments connect people with destinations, giving people access to jobs, housing, and community, and supporting overall economic vitality,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “We had almost twice as much interest in the program this year compared to last year, and we look forward to watching how these investments advance the awardees’ goals around equity and access for populations with disabilities and older adults, while connecting these individuals to medical care, jobs, and other essential resources.”
MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger added, “The grant funding will support mobility needs across our state such as helping individuals transition from driving, supporting volunteer driver programs, and helping to ensure older adults and members of the disability community can have rides to important destinations. We look forward to seeing the difference this funding will make in the lives of residents, especially those in rural areas and Environmental Justice Communities where public transportation needs are greatest.”
The grant awards will be funded through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 funds, remaining CRSSA and ARPA funding through the FTA 5310 program, and new funding made available to MassDOT through the FY24 state budget to expand the Community Transit Grant Program. In addition to these operating and mobility management grants, MassDOT also awards fully accessible vehicles through the Community Transit Grant Program; the FY24 vehicle applications will open November 28. Learn more about the upcoming cycle: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-community-transit-grant
The funding announced today is for the Fiscal Year 2024 cycle, for operating and mobility management applications submitted in the summer of 2023. In total, in this announcement, MassDOT plans to distribute $4,737,912 for mobility management and operating projects. A complete list of successful grantees is below:
|
Organization Name |
Summary |
Total Award |
|
211 United Way |
Taxi rides for seniors & people with disabilities to access health & human services in Framingham, Ashland, and Natick. MWRTA dial-a-ride customers will be referred to MWRTA. Riders who are eligible will get a ride but will be referred to apply for ADA for the future. Riders not eligible for dial-a-ride will be given rides. |
$49,500 |
|
Acton |
Update and improve the existing multi-town transportation coordination system by hiring a transportation consultant to create a transportation strategic plan, manage the RFP process, and guide the Town through implementation |
$32,000 |
|
Acton |
Maintain shared dispatch for 3 towns & increase to pre-covid level of operations |
$100,000 |
|
Attleboro Norton YMCA |
Consortium providing Uber rides to partner agency consumers unable to use other transit options to access critically needed services. |
$38,610 |
|
BAT |
Continue paratransit services to the towns of Avon, Stoughton, and the city of Brockton beyond BAT's ADA corridor |
$50,000 |
|
BAT |
Continue microtransit service to the town of Rockland, which provides essential lifeline service to the town and improving multimodal access in the region. |
$322,500 |
|
Bridgewater |
Microtransit service for Bridgewater’s older adults, individuals with a disability, and Bridgewater State University students in-need |
$288,658 |
|
Brookline |
The Senior Center will expand the current transportation programs to offer better and more streamlined service. |
$100,000 |
|
BRTA |
Service provided to help people learn to travel independently via bus |
$10,572 |
|
BRTA |
Offer new medical paratransit transportation to seniors in rural communities that currently have no service |
$137,532 |
|
CATA |
Continue offering life-sustaining dialysis transportation from Cape Ann to Beverly and add a connection to the MBTA RIDE service for ADA paratransit customers |
$58,854 |
|
Dedham |
Support and expand COA transportation operations |
$25,134 |
|
GATRA |
Long -distance non-emergency medical transportation to older adults and/or persons with disabilities who are unable to take other options |
$125,000 |
|
Great Barrington |
Continued funding for rideshare technology |
$20,000 |
|
Great Barrington |
Demand-response shared-ride microtransit |
$215,004 |
|
Greater Lynn Senior Services |
Continuing funding to provide travel training and driver cessation support for older adults and people with disabilities in the North Shore |
$115,960 |
|
Groveland |
Support COA transportation operations |
$5,000 |
|
Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard |
Subsidized on-demand rides for Older Adults and individuals with disabilities for essential (medical) and enrichment trips on Martha’s Vineyard. |
$50,460 |
|
Heathy Aging Martha’s Vineyard |
Salary of an island-wide Mobility Manager available to work with Agencies, Older Adults & Transportation Providers to identify the right solution at the right time to transport Older Adults from Point A to Point B. |
$81,017 |
|
Hilltown Community Development Corporation |
Continue Hilltown Driver Pool program to supplement the van and offer demand response, donation-based rides for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities in a rural area that need help getting to medical appointments and grocery stores |
$14,407 |
|
Hull |
Provide tech training and travel training to improve ease of use and access to transportation options for older adults who are not driving, transitioning to not driving, are unfamiliar with technology or modify driving habits. |
$4,720 |
|
Irish Pastoral Centre |
Expand internal capacity to reduce transportation-related barriers by establishing a mobility management program including travel navigation training, volunteer driver programs, administrative support to access voucher programs, and transportation resource sharing. |
$71,570 |
|
Lexington |
Support the operations of the Lexpress |
$200,000 |
|
LRTA |
Expanding LRTA’s partnerships with community organizations including councils on aging, commissions on disabilities, and other advocacy groups to expand transportation opportunities through greater cooperation and coordination of services |
$40,000 |
|
Marblehead |
Support COA transportation operations |
$45,000 |
|
MART |
MART will create up-to-date video content for outreach and training for the purpose of expanding community knowledge about MART services, with a focus on COAs. |
$35,200 |
|
MART |
MART will contract with UMass Boston for its team of Gerontologists to conduct a validation study regarding Council on Aging (COA) travel patterns and needs in the 25 communities MART serves. Aging adults and individuals who use COA services will directly contribute data and feedback that will drive transportation enhancements in our region |
$80,000 |
|
MBTA |
Development of digital teaching/training/information tools for the Mobility Center’s Travel Training Program |
$200,000 |
|
MeVa |
The MV Travel Ambassador Program will increase access to MeVa's full range of free public transit services for older adults and people with disabilities through enhanced travel training. |
$100,000 |
|
Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living |
Support to use a van for grocery shopping during midday when it is not in use. |
$24,678 |
|
MWRTA |
Continuing funding for MWRTA's Transitions and Outreach Program (TOP), which enhances equity by empowering populations to include a combination of MWRTA services safely and effectively into their travel itinerary. |
$100,000 |
|
MWRTA |
Maintain and enhance Catch Connect service within the Golden Triangle neighborhood on weekends. The service is primarily used by older adults and people with disabilities and provides beyond ADA transportation for MetroWest Ride customers. MWRTA will also improve the microtransit app to make it more usable for older adults and people with disabilities. App updates will also be made available without additional cost to other subrecipients who use the app |
$250,000 |
|
Mystic Valley Elder Services |
information, education, & referral about transportation resources north of Boston |
$96,834 |
|
Needham Community Council |
On-demand transportation to important appointments in and around Needham |
$48,600 |
|
Northern Essex Elder Transport |
Regional volunteer driver program for medical trips for older adults in partnership with 13 Councils on Aging |
$38,000 |
|
Newton |
On-demand rides for seniors and people with disabilities through NewMo |
$190,000 |
|
North Attleboro |
Driver and trip escort for seniors to travel on a town-owned bus for walking trips, medical appointments and other trips designed to reduce isolation and enable food and entertainment choices to destinations not served by GATRA |
$30,000 |
|
North Reading |
A call center/transportation coordinator will help residents identify their transportation options, provide tech training for residents to schedule their own rides, and when gaps in service exist, facilitate ride assignment between 3 local backup options including volunteer drivers. The call center/coordinator and custom software will match riders with appropriate transportation providers. |
$68,000 |
|
North Reading |
North Reading will expand its driver service hours to enable 2 vans to be on the road at a time as needed, to help meet the demand for out-of-town trips, especially for wheelchair users. Additional funds will support mileage stipends for volunteer drivers (budgeted as part of contract services), and vendor fares (TNC, taxi or NEMT) for qualifying off-hours trips or when a staff or volunteer driver is unavailable. |
$20,000 |
|
Old Colony Planning Council |
Regional volunteer driver program in partnership with area Councils on Aging |
$30,000 |
|
Outer Cape Community Solutions |
Outer Cape Community Solutions will convene a Regional Transportation Work Group to enhance mobility across the Outer Cape, starting with a needs assessment of transportation available to older adults and persons with disabilities in the most rural communities on Cape Cod |
$24,992 |
|
PVTA |
Funds for COAs to provide additional senior service |
$209,391 |
|
PVTA |
PVTA’s Travel Training Program includes personalized one-to-one instruction, group orientation, and train-the -trainer sessions for human service agencies. |
$107,073 |
|
Rutland |
Launch a new COA transportation program to supplement existing options and fill gaps in the transportation network |
$75,477 |
|
SCM |
Funds will be used for driver salaries for rides for older adults in the Somerville, Cambridge, Medford areas |
$36,000 |
|
Shrewsbury |
Support COA transportation operations |
$25,000 |
|
Somerville Cambridge Elder Services |
Provide advice and information, schedule and authorize taxi rides, and complete and submit MassHealth documentation (PT1s) for older adults in the Somerville/Cambridge area to promote greater access to comfortable, safe, and flexible transportation that supports independent living |
$75,600 |
|
South Shore Community Action Council |
Funding to support SSCAC to continue rebuilding their post-pandemic service capacity |
$150,000 |
|
Sudbury |
In partnership with MWRTA, expand Catch Connect to Sudbury to expand mobility for older adults and residents with a disability |
$74,865 |
|
Town of Ware |
Empowering community members and facilitating connections by providing information about transportation options in the area and mobility management and transportation coordination resources |
$54,560 |
|
Town of Ware |
Operating funding for the Quaboag Connector, which aims to improve health outcomes for residents of the Quaboag Region by providing accessible, affordable transportation options to older adults, people with disabilities, and other residents as space allows who otherwise would not be able to access healthcare, employment, groceries, and other community resources. |
$209,245 |
|
TPP |
Consortium providing Lyft rides to partner agency consumers to employment, medical appointments, substance use disorder treatment, adult education, grocery stores, and social/spiritual engagements. |
$110,000 |
|
WRTA |
Additional service to Worcester for older adults and people with disabilities in 21 outlying communities |
$17,000 |
|
WRTA |
Service to Worcester for older adults and people with disabilities in Holden when the COA vehicle is not available |
$10,000 |
|
WRTA |
Employment transportation for older adults and people with disabilities in Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, and Webster, allowing others on an incidental use basis as space allows. |
$45,000 |
For more information about the Community Transit Grant Program, please visit www.mass.gov/community-transit-grant-program.
In addition to the Community Transit Grant Program, MassDOT manages additional Commonwealth of Massachusetts grant programs benefiting municipalities, businesses, and the traveling public. The other grant programs include Municipal Small Bridge, Complete Streets, Industrial Rail Access, Shared Streets and Spaces and Shared Winter Streets and Spaces. For information on these programs, please visit www.mass.gov.
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Media Contact for Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Funding Awards in Community Transit Grant Program
