MassDOT to Host Second Meeting of the Freight Advisory Committee

12:06PM / Tuesday, February 21, 2023Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that the second meeting of the Freight Advisory Committee will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 11:00 a.m.

The meeting will be held virtually, with participation available via Zoom Webinar.

At this meeting, the team will present the work that has completed since the first meeting and solicit feedback from the public. The 2023 Massachusetts Freight Plan is a planning document that will define short-term and long-term vision for the freight system in the Commonwealth, and includes air, rail, truck, maritime, and multimodal transportation.

Information on the 2023 Massachusetts Freight Plan and a link to register for the upcoming meeting can be found at:?https://www.mass.gov/service-details/freight-plan.

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Pittsfield Schools Consider Enhanced Bus Surveillance

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:58PM / Tuesday, October 20, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Pittsfield Public Schools are considering a couple of companies for enhanced bus safety surveillance after a spring pilot.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Bonnie Howland reported that they have met with BusPatrol and Gatekeeper Systems, which offer automated stop-arm enforcement and video surveillance.

It is illegal for drivers to pass a school bus when the red warning lights are flashing, and the stop-sign arm is extended. This protects children exiting and entering the school bus.

A stop-arm camera pilot program was conducted in May.

"We currently have a four-camera system on the interior of the bus, so Gatekeeper is sort of better as far as functionality. It's a little more of an upfront investment," Howland told the School Committee last week.

"BusPatrol works where you basically have an installation of the cameras, and then as tickets are issued to people, you sort of regain your investment, so it's two different sort of cost profiles."

Gatekeeper would cost about $100,000 to purchase, while BusPatrol has no upfront cost and a monthly charge.

PPS is interested in putting cameras in all of its buses, about 30. Howland said that Gatekeeper has a little more robust system that fits into our current system, and Mayor Peter Marchetti reported that the company with no upfront cost helps secure a grant for implementation: $1,200 per camera and $250 a month per bus.

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