GREENFIELD — Changes to the schedules for all Franklin Regional Transit Authority fixed routes will take effect Aug. 1.
These changes are the result of a two-year Comprehensive Service Analysis and intensive public outreach process which led to the creation of the 2015 Regional Transit Plan. This plan recommended a series of changes to the fixed route services with the goal of improving the experience of existing riders and attracting new riders.
The recommendations were split into three phases. The first phase, which is mostly being implemented this August, uses existing resources and funding. Additional funding will be needed to implement future phases, including weekend service — which is a priority for the FRTA.
The changes that will take place on Aug. 1 include:
Expanded weekday hours for many routes. The Greenfield Route 21 will now run until 8:50 p.m. and will have additional runs during the daytime.
Improved connections and transfers. Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and Montachusett Regional Transit Authority transfers are better coordinated and connections between FRTA routes are also now improved.
There will be two additional runs for Route 23, which will now terminate at Sugarloaf Estates in Sunderland rather than at UMass. This shortened route distance allows for extra runs while maintaining service to UMass by connecting with the UMass Route 31, which runs every 15 minutes during the school year.
Schedules will be easier to remember. Many of the routes will now have standardized frequencies using “clock-face” schedules. For example, the Northampton Route 31 will always leave the John W. Olver Transit Center on the hour and will always arrive at the Whately Park and Ride on the quarter of the hour.
The FRTA will closely monitor all of its fixed routes over the next nine months to determine the effectiveness of the changes and is interested in rider feedback. For more information about the changes, please visit frta.org or pick up new schedules at the Olver Transit Center on Olive Street in Greenfield.