April webinar recap: Intercity buses and state DOTs

The April 24 SSTI webinar on intercity buses and the role of state DOTs yielded exciting ideas about how states can facilitate improved connections and service. We were joined in the webinar by MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle and MassDOT staff member Kyle Emge, who runs the MassDOT BusPlus program, to talk about this important transportation option for longer-distance travel.

MassDOT helps travelers make sense of regional bus, train, and ferry routes

Last month MassDOT announced the release of a comprehensive set of maps detailing privately operated bus, rail, and ferry routes throughout New England and connecting services to New York State. Recognizing that intercity travelers in New England often pass through multiple states in a single day, and that there was no single source for regional bus, train, and ferry information, MassDOT began its effort to develop one.

Private transit services offer commutes with amenities

Cities around the U.S. are seeing a new style of transit that is a cross between the (in)famous Google buses, smartphone-driven Uber and Lyft, and standard city transit systems. Neither exclusive to one company nor attempting to cover the city, these “pop-up bus services” are geared to those who live in certain neighborhoods and work downtown, have smartphones and a few extra dollars, and desire a direct commute and pleasant atmosphere.

Get on the Bus! Balancing fixed-route and paratransit services

Transit agencies typically struggle, logistically and financially, to provide service to those unable to ride fixed-route buses. These riders need access to transportation, but the additional costs of paratransit can drain agency coffers and result in reductions to the operating budgets for fixed-route service. Without a plan to manage these costs, the entire system can be put at risk. Fixed-route bus transit typically carries more people than paratransit or on-demand service; at the same time, transit providers are keenly aware of the social equity needs met by paratransit.

Private transit funding, public good?

Businesses have been funding private employee shuttles and buses for some time, and subsidized or fully-funded transit passes have become a common employee benefit, but sneaker company New Balance may have set a new bar for transit subsidies by building a new commuter rail station. As funding is cut and costs rise, transit agencies must decide whether the private shuttles and services funded by private sources fits with the overall transit plan for the area.

Private transit funding, public good?

Businesses have been funding private employee shuttles and buses for some time, and subsidized or fully-funded transit passes have become a common employee benefit, but sneaker company New Balance may have set a new bar for transit subsidies by building a new commuter rail station. As funding is cut and costs rise, transit agencies must decide whether the private shuttles and services funded by private sources fits with the overall transit plan for the area.

Decentralized by design: When should we consider ditching exclusive radial bus routes?

In the past, development and commute patterns required transit to bring commuters into densely developed central cities. Dispersal of residential and employment destinations has made serving choice transit riders while still maintaining urban core service a tricky balancing act. How can transit agencies best serve both suburban and urban needs?