BerkshireRides Raises Fares
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Beginning May 1, fares will increase from $1.50 to $2 within Northern Berkshire and from $4 to $5 for rides outside the seven-town region. Service also will be discontinued between midnight and 4 a.m. and to Lanesborough and Pittsfield.
The changes will ensure the project can cover its operating costs through the end of the fiscal year.
The nonprofit transportation organization has been providing reasonably priced, van-pool rides 24 hours a day and seven days a week within North County since 2002. The service's primary focus is helping people without transportation get to work but also aids in getting kids to after-school activities.
It's dependent on federal transportation money to reach areas not served by the public transit system but this year's funding didn't match the amount the program had anticipated, said Project Manager Jana Hunkler Brule.
Part of the problem is the transportation project begins its fiscal year in July while the federal government's begins in October. Also adding to the BerkshireRides' woes was the high cost of gasoline over the summer and into the fall. "In the fall, we really spent a lot more on gas than we thought we would," said Hunkler Brule.
The changes were approved at a meeting of the group's board of directors on Friday, March 6, and described in a statement as a way to "realign the transportation network in view of the tough economic climate."
"We need to decrease our program expense, and the cuts we had to implement make sense from a business and operations standpoint," said board President Chad Jzyk. "We preserved as much of our ride service as possible and took into consideration our riders' needs and those of local employers."
Hunkler Brule said the discontinuation of service between midnight and 4 a.m. shouldn't affect any riders. She believed it had been at least six months since anyone had taken advantage of the early morning rides. This will eliminate the need to keep a driver on call.
The lack of service to Lanesborough and Pittsfield also shouldn't affect too many riders, she said. "These long-haul runs are very expensive, and used by only eight riders. My staff will work with our riders and their employers to find an alternative transportation solution between now and May 1."
The agency can't look to the transportation-heavy stimulus bill for help because it's focused on capital, rather than operating, funding at this point. That money can be accessed by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, which is planning more mini-buses or vans for use as "feeders" to the main B-Bus routes.
Hunkler Brule said her organization is working closely with the BRTA and there may be room for more collaboration.
BerkshireRides serves about 120 people (a slight drop from 135) in the communities of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, North Adams, Savoy and Williamstown.
