PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is looking over a new project to bring microtransit to the county.

 

The study was done by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and FoursquareITP (Integrated Transportation Planning) and presented recently to the BRTA board by project manager Jessica Klion . 

 

She stated that the county is facing challenges to provide comprehensive and effective transit service for all of its residents and visitors as public transportation mainly focused on more developed areas.

 

Microtransit would include more coverage than a fixed-route service and would have a similar interface as the Uber and Lyft apps. This could help cover more rural areas, also helping customers book a ride.

 

In the study FourSquare, looked at the potential and need within the county for transit. It recommended that microtransit is most suitable for areas with medium to low transit potential but medium to high transit need. These places include: outside of downtown Pittsfield, Adams, Dalton, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, North Adams, Stockbridge and Williamstown.

 

The use of microtransit suggests it will fill many transit gaps. Some of the gaps mentioned were residents in North Adams and Adams who live farther from the main corridors and face the challenge of limited access to reliable public transportation. Pittsfield residents who live in the more suburban areas lack convenient access to bus stops and Lenox only has three major bus stops but has a high number of transit dependent residents.

 

The study is currently in the stage of developing operational scenarios over the next few months with public outreach planned in July.