Transportation changes possible in Marlborough
By Doug Grindle Community Reporter

Marlborough - City officials said changes need to be made to the mass transit system in Marlborough. City councilors are considering pulling out of Marlborough's current regional transit provider and joining a new one. Services would not be affected in the short term, but could lead to more comprehensive services over time, regional transport officials said.

The Marlborough Transportation Committee, started by City Council President Arthur Vigeant and which includes five city councilors and other officials, is considering pulling the city out of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) and joining the newly-formed MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA).

At its meeting June 28 the committee decided to recommend the city leave the WRTA and join the MWRTA.

The MWRTA is made up of seven communities, including Framingham, Natick, Hopkinton and Wayland. It was formed late last year but began operation July 1.

"We have more in common with closer towns like Framingham and Natick," At-Large Councilor Steven Levy said.

"The biggest hub of the MetroWest RTA is Framingham and we would obviously be the second largest," Ward 5 Councilor Maura Navin Webster said.

Regional development agencies, such as the 495/ MetroWest Corridor Partnership, have helped make the new MWRTA a reality. Adam Ploetz, manager of Sustainable Development Programs at the partnership, said Marlborough could benefit by joining.

"There are concentrations of employment and concentrations of commerce there likely to use public transportation," Ploetz said. "I think that is a good fit with that."

Ploetz said if Marlborough does join, and if the MWRTA expands its service, Marlborough could in time benefit from increased bus links between the city and other towns such as Framingham. The city also benefit from better coordination with van services designed to serve elders across the RTA area.

That coordination would be done by MWRTA Administrator Ed Carr, Ploetz said.

"A major benefit is that one person in the region is focused on public transportation as his job," Ploetz explained.

But he added change any expansion is likely to come slowly.

On July 1, the MWRTA took over the Local Inter- Framingham Transit (LIFT) bus service. The existing buses will be retired and a fleet of new buses will be rolled out over the month of July, and the service renamed, Ploetz said.

The LIFT service currently provides a bus service between Framingham and the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough, which is paid out of state funds. Those state funds will not be available for the new MRTA, and so while the service will continue for now, Marlborough will either have to pay for the service or find a new funding source, according to Carr.

"Now that it's changing responsibility of who is providing it, it's no longer free," Carr said.

Marlborough has two other bus and van services which could be affected by any switch from the WTRA to the MWRTA. The services are AVCOA and the TLC. Councilors said it is vital to maintain these existing services, which are used by seniors and others lacking private transportation.

"[AVCOA] is a great program and it's not something we want to lose," Navin Webster said.

In considering a switch from one RTA to another, the city is trying to figure out exactly what steps would need to be taken.

Carr said the process is outlined in state chapter 161B, section 15.

"Once they get through that process, they can join another RTA if they are contiguous or one town away," Carr said. "It has got to be locally driven."

In practice, Marlborough may need to put any change to a city-wide ballot vote in order to switch.

"It's this voting issue, that is where the question lies," Ploetz said.

At its June 28th meeting the Transportation Committee also resolved to make the change by making a petition to the legislature, and not through a ballot. Levy said it was difficult to get a clear answer from the secretary of state's office regarding the requirements of a ballot, and there also questions about the cost.

Levy said he hoped the legislature could act on a petition before the end of the year.

"We'll want to get to the legislature and get that acted upon as soon as possible," Levy explained.

The committee's findings will be reported to the City Council at its next meeting in July.