BRTA Studying Microtransit for County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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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.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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