BRTA Offers Free Bus and ADA Paratransit Services

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Monday, December 11, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The sleigh bells are ringing, and so are the coins in Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) Riders' pockets thanks to the Try Transit initiative.

Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) has again wheeled out the Try Transit initiative, offering free bus and complementary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services until Dec. 31.

"So it's a way to really see if this is something that will work during this program, and then again afterward," BRTA Administrator Robert Malnati said.

BRTA was granted $179,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to fund this state initiative through Dec. 31. The program will return in June and July of this year.

Malnati said the program is absolutely a benefit to regular riders who may not own a vehicle but also offers new riders to try out the service

"You can really change your pattern of either going into work or going shopping - say ‘well will the bus work for me to bring me where I want to go in the times that I want to be there'," he said.

He added that it offers a chance for residents who may own a car to save a few dollars during the holiday season. He noted that gas, car insurance, and maintenance is expensive.

For those with a car, BRTA sees an uptick in ridership when there is a snowstorm because drivers may not feel safe to drive in unsafe conditions or want to avoid clearing the snow off their car, Malnati said.

BRTA has run the program in the past but only for days or weeks at a time. Only last year did they start running the program for an entire month of December.

The initiative started last year after all 15 Commonwealth regional transit authorities banded together to submit a joint application and implemented a plan.

Last year BRTA set a goal of 55,000 riders and fell a little under 54,000. This year a goal of 60,000 riders seemed attainable because they have seen an increase in riders over the first quarter from what they had last year.

Malnati said over last year they have seen increased ridership of about 10 percent.

"It is a smidge over last year, but it is positive," he said.

During the summer months, Malnati hopes the fare-free initiative will improve the accessibility of venues in the area and expose both residents and tourists to these locations.

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Pittsfield Wants People to Know Where Free Public Wifi Is

By Brittany PolitoiBerkhshires Staff
04:46AM / Friday, September 18, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city wants it to be clear where people can connect to free public wifi— which expands beyond downtown.

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved "Free Wifi" signage at The Common, Riverway Park, and Durant Park. Community members can access the internet without charge in these locations, as well as in downtown areas.

Two years ago, Pittsfield received a $99,972 Digital Equity Implementation Grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. This allowed the city to take a comprehensive look at digital equity and determine where to focus attention.

"That was a lengthy process that we worked on, and there was a lot of public input. We did some surveying. We met with a lot of focus groups; [Berkshire Regional Planning Commission] was the group that spearheaded that for us, and one of the things that came up was the lack of accessible wifi," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reported. "Particularly in the westside."

Throughout this process, residents also wanted to see connectivity at the nearby Westside Riverway Park.

In 2023, Pittsfield was selected to participate in the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program launched by the state and MBI, focused on ensuring residents can use the internet to conduct day-to-day activities. A digital equity plan also qualifies Pittsfield for additional grant funding.

Around 16,000 city households qualified for the Federal Communications Commission's affordable internet program that ended in 2024.

Dodds said adding Wi-FI and signage to Durant and Riverway Parks is a small piece of the larger digital equity project. Signage is already downtown, and the city plans to hire the same designer for the expanded wayfinding so it is cohesive.

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