Proposed BRTA Route Changes

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority have proposed some route changes scheduled to take effect July 1.
 
Summary of Proposed Changes
  • Transfers:    Amend transfer policy to allow for more travel flexibility.
  • Route 1:       Weekday evening schedule adjustments.
  • Route 2:       Travel pattern change around Pittsfield ITC.
  • Route 3:       Bus stop location change at Big Y North Adams.
  • Route 4:       Weekday morning schedule adjustment.
  • Route 5:       Travel pattern change between ITC and Hancock Road.
  • Route 11N:  Discontinue pilot evening service.
  • Route 12:     Change Federico Drive to a Demand Service location.
  • Route 14:     Begin pilot weekday evening service.
  • Route 15:     Weekday and Saturday schedule adjustments.
  • Route 21X:  Travel pattern change around Pittsfield ITC.
 
In a press release BRTA stated:
 
"BRTA continually evaluates the performance of bus routes and other services to ensure that we are providing our community with the best transportation options possible. Successful services may be improved, while other services may need to be revised."
 
To view a copy of the presentation,  visit: www.berkshirerta.com; click on the Alerts tab, to Proposed Service Changes.
 
BRTA does encourage feedback and questions regarding the proposed service changes. All comments will be reviewed before proposals are finalized. The instructions to submit comments are:
  • Written comments and questions may be emailed to: info@berkshirerta.com
  • Verbal comments can be submitted by calling: BRTA at (413) 499-2782 ext. 2895.
    • Please record a message up to 3 minutes in length. Name and contact information is preferred, but not required. 
  • Online comments accepted through the "Contact Us" form: https://berkshirerta.com/contact/
Deadline to submit comments: May 31, 2021

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State Fire Marshal: New Tracking Tool Identifies 50 Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

STOW, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services' new tool for tracking lithium-ion battery fires has helped to identify 50 such incidents in the past six months, more than double the annual average detected by a national fire data reporting system, said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.
 
The Department of Fire Services launched its Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Investigative Checklist on Oct. 13, 2023. It immediately went into use by the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and local fire departments were urged to adopt it as well. 
 
Developed by the DFS Fire Safety Division, the checklist can be used by fire investigators to gather basic information about fires in which lithium-ion batteries played a part. That information is then entered into a database to identify patterns and trends.
 
"We knew anecdotally that lithium-ion batteries were involved in more fires than the existing data suggested," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "In just the past six months, investigators using this simple checklist have revealed many more incidents than we've seen in prior years."
 
Prior to the checklist, the state's fire service relied on battery fire data reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS), a state-level tool that mirrors and feeds into the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). NFIRS tracks battery fires but does not specifically gather data on the types of batteries involved. Some fields do not require the detailed information that Massachusetts officials were seeking, and some fires may be coded according to the type of device involved rather than the type of battery. Moreover, MFIRS reports sometimes take weeks or months to be completed and uploaded.
 
"Investigators using the Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Checklist are getting us better data faster," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "The tool is helpful, but the people using it are the key to its success."
 
From 2019 to 2023, an average of 19.4 lithium-ion battery fires per year were reported to MFIRS – less than half the number identified by investigators using the checklist over the past six months. The increase since last fall could be due to the growing number of consumer devices powered by these batteries, increased attention by local fire investigators, or other factors, State Fire Marshal Davine said. For example, fires that started with another item but impinged upon a battery-powered device, causing it to go into thermal runaway, might not be categorized as a battery fire in MFIRS or NFIRS.
 
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