RTAs have continued to make progress in supporting the Commonwealth’s carbon reduction goals by purchasing low or no emission vehicles to replace diesel powered vehicles, upgrading their maintenance facilities to include electric charging equipment, and adding solar heating and cooling. MassDOT also has continued to support the RTAs on climate change goals through the Battery Electric Bus Phase II Study which will assist each RTA in executing their carbon reduction implementation strategies. Transitioning to zero emission vehicles is capital intensive and must be tailored to each RTA’s geographical and operating characteristics to be successful. The BEB Phase II Study will help each RTA execute strategies that that best meet their unique needs while supporting Commonwealth climate change goals.
Ridership
Ridership on the RTAs is measured as Unlinked Passenger Trips (UPT), which counts each boarding of a transit vehicle as one trip. Transfer trips which involve more than one bus count as separate UPTs. In FY23, RTAs continue to proactively take several steps to recover ridership. These actions include:
- Redesign of routes
- Addition/continuation of flexible services like microtransit
- Offering Fare Free services
- Addition of customer amenities like bus stops
- Close work with stakeholders and development/strengthening of partnerships
- Increase in service frequency and/or span of service
- Strengthening of social media presence
- Use of real time data to inform operating decisions
Of note, in FY23, BRTA, MeVa and WRTA were able to exceed pre-pandemic FY19 ridership levels in their systems, while several RTAs are getting close to recovering to FY19 levels. However, some RTAs continued to experience workforce shortages which limited the provision of their full level of services thus restraining ridership growth.
Fixed-Route Services
Paratransit Services
Percent of Revenue Fleet that Uses Alternative Fuels
Using alternative fuels instead of conventional fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, can help RTAs conserve fuel and lower vehicle emissions for the Commonwealth. Over time, transit agencies, including RTAs, have procured vehicles that can utilize these alternative fuels, which include electric, biodiesel, natural gas, dual fuels, and hybrids.