GREENFIELD — The Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) is soliciting public input to inform its Comprehensive Regional Transit Plan, which is updated every five years.
To get a better understanding of the region’s current and future transportation needs, comments and feedback will be accepted from riders and from those who have never used the service.
The mobile-friendly public survey can also be found at bit.ly/3fxIXRy. The survey, developed through the online survey software SurveyMonkey, is available in both English and Spanish.
In addition, FRTA Assistant Administrator Michael Perreault said people can call 413-376-8085 if they are willing to answer questions but don’t want to use the online survey platform. He said that phone number is dedicated to serving this function.
Perreault referred to the Comprehensive Regional Transit Plan as the Greenfield-based transit authority’s guidebook. He said it helps establish short-, medium- and long-term goals and “see where improvements can be made.”
Following passage of a transportation finance bill in 2013, the state Legislature tasked each regional transit authority in Massachusetts with preparing a regional transit plan to examine existing service, identify local markets with potential ridership and provide recommendations on ways to improve operations.
The FRTA published its comprehensive plan in August 2015. This will be the first update, and one is planned every five years. Perreault said the FRTA received “a fair amount” of feedback five years ago, but he could not recall the specifics.
“We’re very excited to see what people have to say,” Perreault said.
According to an FRTA statement, previously planned public outreach events have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“FRTA remains committed to providing the safest and most valuable public transportation to the region and is taking this time to continue to review current services and operations,” the statement reads.
The FRTA is headquartered in the John W. Olver Transit Center at 12 Olive St. in Greenfield. According to its website, the transit authority provides fixed-route bus service for 41 communities throughout Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties. Perreault said the authority’s territory stretches from “Northfield to Southwick and Orange all the way to Charlemont.”
The FRTA covers 1,100 square miles and operates a fleet of 43 vehicles, 17 of which are used to provide fixed-route service. Service is provided Monday through Friday between 5 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. There are no weekend hours.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.