BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced 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 MassDOT Acting 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."

 

The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) was awarded $10,572 to help people learn to travel independently via bus and $137,532 to offer new medical paratransit transportation to seniors in rural communities that currently have no service 

 

Great Barrington was awarded $20,000 to continue funding for rideshare technology  and dispatch/scheduling software to support microtransit operations. The town also received $215,004 to support a demand-response shared-ride microtransit  system providing rides to communities in Southern Berkshire County, with a focus on serving older adults and people with disabilities.    

 

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.