BRTA Details Phased Plan for Adding Buses, Routes
The Transportation Advisory Committee is supporting BRTA's plan to phase in natural gas-powered buses and expanded routes and hours. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With a proposed state budget that would "forward fund" the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, leaders are already eyeing nearly $10 million in expansion in five years.
Robert Malnati, BRTA assistant administrator, presented a schedule for the use of federal funds for the next five years at Tuesday's Transportation Advisory Committee meeting.
The organization has been using federal reimbursements for operating costs, but with an increase in state funding, Malnati said they hope to use federal funds for capital investments.
"I think we're cautiously optimistic with the way things are going," Malnati said.
Nonetheless, he outlined a list of expenditures that includes satellite facilities in North and South County, various new buses and upgrading the facility for compressed natural gas.
"It's a bigger green initiative," Malnati said, comparing natural gas to diesel fuel, which most of the buses use.
BRTA officials are working with designers to phase refilling stations into its Downing Industrial Park facility as well as considering working with other businesses that use trucks in the industrial park to help defray costs.
New buses would include a mix of natural gas and hybrid diesel. Those expanses would coincide with later bus hours and expanded routes, with smaller vans being used for the later runs.
The plan doesn't add satellite facilities until 2017 and 2018 — North County and then South County respectively — but the years leading up to that would pave the way.
In 2015, the organization hopes to upgrade to incorporate natural gas and replace some vehicles. Officials also would like to create a new parking area and add additional buses, pending funding.
In 2016, multiple rehabilitation projects are planned — ranging from security to shop equipment. Any supplemental funding would then allow to purchase nine new vans — five of which would be natural gas.
In 2017, the group hopes to be able to open a satellite facility in North County and currently has renovations and preventive maintenance schedules. In 2018, they would be looking at a South County facility as well as the expanse of even more vans.
However, Malnati said the federal funds have an "ebb and flow" so there is no way to truly stick to the plan.
TAC members asked if the satellite facilities could open sooner if the natural gas expansion was not included, adding that expanded routes and hours is more important. Malnati said upgrading to natural gas "adds value" and forgoing that effort wouldn't open extra funds to expand sooner.
The TAC ultimately supported the BRTA's improvement plan.
Tags: BRTA, bus, bus routes, mass transit, natural gas, transportation,
