Transportation Management Association Public-Private Solutions for Regional Transportation Challenges Andrew Scribner-MacLean Maynard Assistant Town Administrator Scott Zadakis CrossTown Connect Executive Director
What is CrossTown Connect? • An award-winning, membership based Transportation Management Association. • The basis for the first regional Community Compact with the Baker/Polito administration. • A public-private partnership between communities and businesses aimed at improving mobility and transportation options, increasing economic development opportunities and reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in the region. • Partner communities include: Acton, Boxborough, Littleton, Maynard and Westford with participation from the towns of Concord and Stow. • Businesses partners include: IBM, Red Hat, Juniper Networks, The Guiterrez Co., Saracen Properties (Mill and Main), Potpourri Group, Associated Environmental Systems and West Acton Villageworks.
Members
CrossTown Connect Goals • Provide a variety of mobility options to better link communities together and connect people to where they need to go • Address first mile, last mile, and reverse commuting issues • Work to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution • Create the access necessary for optimum economic development opportunities in the Route 2/I-495 technology corridor • Promote green initiatives to help meet environmental goals of employers and communities
CrossTown Connect Focus Areas • “Daily needs” trips such as shopping, employment or medical appointments • Suburb to suburb commuting between area communities • Traditional commuting from the service area into the immediate Boston area • Reverse commuting from the immediate Boston area to this service area
Daily Services • Centralized dispatching and sharing of Council on Aging (COA) and other community van services in four communities: – Acton, Boxborough, Littleton, Maynard • Local services in Acton: – Rail Shuttle – Cross-Acton Transit (CAT) fixed route service • Medical Trips to Boston and Burlington area hospitals • Soon launching ‘last mile’ shuttles for commuters / employees to/from Commuter Rail
Last Mile • To address the need for first/last mile connections to the Commuter Rail during rush hour, CrossTown Connect applied for and received a Community Transit Grant for shuttles • Maynard secured a line item in the state budget to pilot service in that community • To make the program affordable, commuter shuttles are using existing town vehicles outside of regular service hours and PT drivers • Establishment of a working group and subsequent meetings identified four routes: – Littleton-Westford – Boxborough – Acton – Maynard
Littleton-Westford
Boxborough
Acton
Maynard
Maynard Service • Survey gathered data to determine scope of service • Hours of operation, number of trips and trains targeted – 3 trips 6-9:00 AM, 3 trips 4:45-7:50 PM – Targeting both inbound and outbound when possible • Residents and employees to and from the train station • Spur or loop through Acton on some trips • Demand for a link to West Concord Station
To Be Considered • Drivers – Recruitment, training, supervision • Fare collection – Pass system, lock boxes, exact change • Vehicle size/type – 8-12 passenger vans with wheelchair lifts • Alternate routes/traffic • Bike racks – Cost/benefit
Data Collection • Ridership – Numbers – Timing – Origin/destination (commuter, reverse commuter) – Regular, occasional, one-off – Ambulatory/non ambulatory – Service animal – Bicycle
Communications • Surveys of employers, employees and residents • Flyers, brochures, mailers • Online presence – social media, websites • Direct conversations with riders – Other feedback opportunities
Current Program Goals • As state aid isn’t guaranteed… • Determine cost basis and scalability
Questions? Contact: Scott Zadakis Executive Director CrossTown Connect 978-929-6457 szadakis@acton-ma.gov For more information: www.crosstownconnect.org
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