11
Commuter and Intercity Bus Service
11.1
Introduction
Intercity bus service provides scheduled connections between cities. The two
public Regional Transit Authorities (RTA) in the SMMPO region are Greater
Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) and Southeastern
Regional Transit Authority (SRTA). GATRA and SRTA provide some intercity
connection within the region.
Intercity bus service operated by private companies is also referred to as
commuter bus service, particularly when it refers to services that operate during
peak commuter hours. Commuter buses usually serve work trips on fixed routes
that typically stop at public and private parking lots.
Three private bus companies operate longer distance intercity service across the
SMMPO region: Bloom Bus Lines, DATTCO and Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence
Division. Bloom Bus Lines operates service from Taunton to Boston. DATTCO
operates service from New Bedford to Boston via Taunton and runs numerous
daily services throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Peter
Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division operates several trips: Boston to Woods
Hole; New York to Cape Cod via Providence; Newport to Boston via Fall River;
Providence to Boston; and New York to Providence.
11.2
Private Company Intercity Bus Service
Bloom Bus Lines has provided commuter service from Taunton to Boston since
1979. Bloom Bus operates service daily, dropping off passengers two blocks
from South Station on the corner of Lincoln and Beech Streets and in Park
Square at 212 Stuart Street. This route has stops at Park and Ride lots at the
Raynham Dog Track and at Routes 106 and 24 in West Bridgewater. Bloom also
has flag stops at Friendly’s on Broadway, (Route 138) in Taunton and in Easton
at the corner of Routes 138 and 106. Bloom operates a limited schedule from
Taunton to Brockton stopping at the Westgate Mall. Bloom’s weekday span of
service is from 5:30 AM to 8:15 PM (See Figure 11-1).
Figure 11-1: Bloom Bus
DATTCO, with a local office in Fairhaven, operates commuter service from New
Bedford to South Station in Boston via Taunton. The outbound run originates
in Fairhaven and makes two stops in New Bedford, one at the downtown SRTA
Terminal and the other at the park & ride lot on Mt. Pleasant Street. DATTCO
also stops at the Silver City Galleria Mall in Taunton before ending at South
2012 Regional Transportation Plan
11-1
Figure 11-2: DATTCO Bus
Station in Boston. The weekday span of service is from 4:50 AM to 10:25 PM
(See Figure 11-3).
Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division offers various commuter service trips to
Southeastern Massachusetts. The Boston to Woods Hole trip stops in Bourne,
Wareham and Falmouth; the New York to Cape Cod trip and the Albany, NY
to Cape Cod trip stops in Providence, Fall River, New Bedford and Bourne; the
Newport to Boston trip stops in Fall River; and lastly, the New York to Newport
trip stops in Providence and Fall River. The Fall River stop is located at the SRTA
terminal on Third Street and Borden Street. The New Bedford stop is located at
the SRTA Terminal on Elm Street and the Wareham stop is located at the Mill
Pond Diner.
Figure 11-3: Peter Pan Bus
Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division has extensive service to Logan Airport
direct from Woods Hole, Falmouth, Bourne, Wareham, Providence and Foxboro.
Service to Logan Airport is growing and is a significant part of their business.
Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division also provides direct service from Boston,
Logan Airport and Foxboro/Mansfield to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, RI; this
service was restored in 2008. Bloom Bus Lines and DATTCO customers can
connect with the MBTA Silver Line from South Station to get to Logan Airport
(see Figure 11-3).
11.3
Since the September 11th
attacks, security on, in and
around buses and terminals has become a major
concern. Bus companies
have taken numerous
precautions to ensure the
safety of their passengers
and employees.
Security
Since the September 11th attacks, security on, in and around buses and
terminals has become a major concern. Bus companies have taken numerous
precautions to ensure the safety of their passengers and employees. Passengers
must have photo ID and all baggage must correspond to a passenger before
being loaded on the bus.
Bloom Bus Lines has equipped its entire fleet with global positioning systems
(GPS) and can track vehicle location, traveling speed, and engine diagnostics
remotely. This system was purchased with federal grants from the Department
of Homeland Security. Terminals and garage facilities have been equipped with
digital video equipment and all personnel entering the facilities have security key
cards to allow entrance.
DATTCO has also equipped its entire motorcoach fleet with GPS as well as
DriveCam (on board vehicle video recorder) technology. The latter was
purchased with the assistance of federal grants through the Department of
Homeland Security. A control access system and monitor cameras were added
to DATTCO’s Fairhaven terminal in 2009. DATTCO is currently undertaking a
complete security threat assessment and developing a program in concert with
that work.
Peter Pan Bonanza employees have attended special terror/threat recognition
training sessions and they have developed new operational policies and
procedures to better secure vehicles and luggage bays at garages and terminals.
Terminals and garage facilities have been equipped with digital video equipment
and have been improved with fencing and better lighting. Peter Pan Bonanza
also uses Sprint Nextel wireless communication devices, GPS location devices
and video cameras on all vehicles. They are currently planning to upgrade to
11-2
Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization
video surveillance cameras on board buses with live capabilities to be viewed at
their dispatch and security offices.
Homeland Security grants have greatly helped in the security needs of the bus
companies and it is hoped their needs will continue to be met from these grants.
11.4
Vehicles
Bus companies in the region attempt to upgrade buses on a regular basis.
New buses with the latest amenities, ADA features, better reliability, cleaner
emissions and lower operating costs are a few of the features that help attract
new riders and give a modern image to public transportation. Bus companies
should be replacing 1/12th of their fleet every year. Due to the current state
of the bus business, however, companies have not been meeting that standard
and are instead rehabilitating more of the old vehicles. Public programs such
as the state Intercity Bus Capital Assistance Program (IBCAP) and various RTA
coach purchases/leases are extremely important to supplement the private
company resources for fleet replacements. The IBCAP provides MassDOT with
the authority to use state bond funding to buy coaches and lease them to the
private carriers operating regular routes in Massachusetts.
Bloom Bus Lines has updated its fleet with 6 new buses that were purchased
over the past 3 years. Bloom is also working on acquiring new equipment
dedicated to their commuter service by asking GATRA to apply for federal
funding to pay for new motor coaches. GATRA has placed this request into their
budget and Bloom anticipates having these vehicles in place by the fall of 2011.
Bus companies in the
region attempt to upgrade
buses on a regular basis.
New buses with the latest
amenities, ADA features,
better reliability, cleaner
emissions and lower
operating costs are a few
of the features that help
attract new riders and give
a modern image to public
transportation.
DATTCO retired five 1998 coaches that were leased through the IBCAP program.
These coaches were retired in January 2010 and replaced with five refurbished
2001 Van Hool coaches. The 2001 coaches are being refurbished to include
more leg room, free wireless internet and laptop plug-ins. The coaches are also
receiving a complete mechanical and cosmetic upgrade. DATTCO is interested in
participating in any other available programs for the replacement or updating of
its commuter fleet.
Peter Pan Bonanza places an annual order for new buses. The number of
buses ordered varies based on factors such as: the current size of the fleet, the
age of the oldest buses being replaced, the trade in value, the need to update
technologies and more importantly, the state of the business and the resources
the company can commit for capital programs. Peter Pan has ordered 20 new
buses with 2010 deliveries. The entire Peter Pan fleet has wireless internet
service.
11.5
Regional Intercommunity Bus Service
Greater Attleboro/Taunton Regional Authority
Figure 11-4: GATRA Bus
The Greater Attleboro/Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA)
contracts with Professional Transit Management (PTM), a division of Veolia
Transportation, to operate a route from the Taunton bus terminal to downtown
Attleboro via Norton. GATRA also contracts with A&A Metro Transportation
2012 Regional Transportation Plan
11-3
to provide intercommunity bus service between Norton and Mansfield,
connecting to the Mansfield MBTA station. Additionally, GATRA contracts with
Churchill Transportation to provide bus service between Wareham and the
Middleborough - Lakeville train station.
Due to lack of ridership and funding, GATRA had to cut its intercity route from
the Taunton bus terminal to the Kennedy Plaza in Providence in May of 2008.
Since 2000 ridership decreased by fifty percent. Upon crossing the state line into
Rhode Island, this route operated as a closed door service.
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority
Figure 11-5: SRTA Bus
The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) contracts with Union Street
Bus Company (USBC) to operate a route between the Fall River and New Bedford
bus terminals via Route 6. In September of 2010, SRTA added four new shuttles
to their fixed route service: Acushnet/Fairhaven shuttle, Mattapoisett/Fairhaven
shuttle, Somerset Shuttle, and Swansea Shuttle. These shuttles connect the
suburban towns with the cities of Fall River and New Bedford.
Further information on GATRA and SRTA can be found in Chapter 9- Public
Transportation.
11.6
An intermodal transit
center allows convenient
passenger transfers between different modes of
travel, including commuter
rail, commuter and local
bus, taxi, bicycle, auto and
pedestrian access. They
can be described not only
by the number of transit
options available, but also
by the added use of the
building for shops, restaurants, offices, parking and
the like.
Bus Facilities and Intermodal Centers
Bus facilities in the SMMPO region include terminals in Taunton, Fall River and
New Bedford. An intermodal transit center allows convenient passenger transfers
between different modes of travel, including commuter rail, commuter and local
bus, taxi, bicycle, auto and pedestrian access. They can be described not only by
the number of transit options available, but also by the added use of the building
for shops, restaurants, offices, parking and the like.
Using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, the parking lot
and the bus parking area of the Taunton GATRA terminal were repaved. The
parking lot has 141 spaces and is also served by Bloom Bus. The terminal is
located next to senior housing and a dialysis center. Although not with ARRA
funds, the GATRA Attleboro shelter recently received needed renovations.
GATRA is conducting a feasibility study for an intermodal center in Plymouth to
include GATRA, commuter bus and other modes.
The Fall River terminal is currently located at a temporary facility on Third Street
and Borden Street. This temporary facility is due to the old terminal being
taken by eminent domain to allow for the construction of a new court house,
the Fall River Justice Center, in downtown. In July of 2010, SRTA purchased land
located at 118 Fourth Street to construct a permanent facility. This new facility
is located about one block from the temporary terminal. A conceptual design
shows a 3,000-square-foot building with a pitched roof and cupola. The design
also includes two one-way lanes on each side of the building, one with an exit
on Fourth Street and the other on Fifth Street. In addition to SRTA, Peter Pan Bus
Lines-Providence Division also utilizes this terminal.
SRTA will be renovating their bus terminal in New Bedford, which also serves
Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division and DATTCO. As of July 2010, SRTA
11-4
Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization
hired a contractor to repair the existing building and the deteriorating walkways.
They have also hired a contractor to conduct a structural examination of the
entire SRTA terminal facility and plan necessary repairs over the next year. From
2007 to 2008 DATTCO’s passengers boarding from the New Bedford terminal
increased from 23,367 to 25,030. However due to a rate increase in 2009,
ridership fell to 21,693. In 2009 the New Bedford terminal generated 41% of
DATTCO’s total passengers.
In anticipation of the potential restoration of commuter rail to southeastern
Massachusetts, there are plans to build two intermodal centers; one on Davol
Street in Fall River and a second on Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford, also
referred to as Whale’s Tooth Station. Locations of the planned commuter
rail stations can be seen in Figure 11-6. Fall River’s Davol Street station would
include a parking garage of 500 spaces and will be designed to handle SRTA
and commuter buses with at least four bays. New Bedford’s Whale’s Tooth
station would become SRTA’s primary New Bedford terminal. This multi-modal
facility would have ten bays available for SRTA and commuter buses. Although
New Bedford’s main terminal would be relocated to Whale’s Tooth, a bus
shelter would remain downtown and bus routes restructured to serve both the
downtown shelter and the Whale’s Tooth station. For more information on
commuter rail refer to Chapter 10 – Commuter Rail.
Figure 11-6: Planned Intermodal
Centers in New Bedford and Fall
River
NEW BEDFORD
FALL RIVER
There is a serious lack of adequate transit facilities in the region. The City of
Attleboro has a small enclosed shelter for passengers located near, but not
adjacent to the downtown MBTA station. GATRA passengers in Plymouth have
an outdoor shelter in the downtown area, but it does not serve the intercity
bus carrier, Plymouth and Brockton Intercity Bus (P&B). P&B currently stops at
the Exit 5 park and ride lot along the Route 3 highway and the local GATRA bus
meets it there. A November 2009 park and ride lot count indicated this facility
was used at 92% capacity. In other parts of the region, intercommunity bus
routes make regular stops in shopping plazas, isolated parking lots and by the
side of the road.
Commuter Bus Issues
11.7
Commuter bus service reduces traffic congestion, provides area commuters with
an efficient and convenient alternative to driving (mode choice), and provides
improved access to jobs and increased employment opportunities for area
residents. More importantly, transit achieves sustainable goals such as reduced
emissions of greenhouse gases to avert climate change, reinforces livable and
economically strong communities and transitions away from nonrenewable fuels
to cleaner, renewable alternatives. To meet these goals, a transit system must
contend with a variety of complexities. A delicate balance between funding,
ridership, and service delivery must be achieved in order to operate a successful
system. Specifically, transit systems must receive adequate funding to provide
quality service and attract ridership to increase revenue. In contrast, if funding
is insufficient, service suffers and ridership decreases, which in turn causes
revenue to drop. Therefore, balancing these elements is at the heart of many
transit issues and challenges. In addition to those elements, a key primary issue
commuter bus companies are facing is the worsening traffic congestion along
the Route 24 corridor. This increase in traffic is decreasing the reliability of ontime arrivals to and from Boston.
2012 Regional Transportation Plan
11-5
11.8
Impact of Commuter Rail on Ridership
Commuter rail has caused many changes for the private intercity bus companies
in the southeastern Massachusetts region. As anticipated, most impacts have
been negative, however, if planned properly commuter rail and commuter
bus can coexist. For example, commuter bus trips and commuter rail trips can
operate at off hours. In addition to that, commuter bus has the flexibility to
reach destinations that commuter rail can not.
To help keep ridership, commuter bus companies should serve the proposed
intermodal stations, operate at off hours, acquire joint ticketing with the MBTA
and obtain additional funding sources.
11.9
With existing commuter
rail to Lakeville and the
proposed commuter rail
to New Bedford and Fall
River, it is crucial that the
MBTA and the commuter
bus companies use joint
ticketing.
Joint Ticketing with MBTA to Remain Competitive
The lack of joint ticketing between the MBTA, commuter bus companies,
GATRA and SRTA continues to be a major issue. With existing commuter rail
to Lakeville and the proposed commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River, it
is crucial that the MBTA and the commuter bus companies use joint ticketing.
Each commuter bus company serving the region expressed the need for joint
ticketing. Joint ticketing would allow consumers who purchase a monthly pass
for commuter bus service to have the ability to use that pass on MBTA buses and
subways, similar to commuter rail passes. A monthly (40-ride) bus pass costs
approximately $260.00 from Taunton to Boston vs. a monthly commuter rail pass
from Lakeville (zone 8) to Boston, which costs $250.00. Joint ticketing would
help to provide access and equity between commuter bus and commuter rail
modes. It would also remove the inequity currently endured by commuters to
Boston who do not have the MBTA rail alternative.
SRTA and GATRA have been chosen as part of a pilot program to use the MBTA
Charlie Card. This pilot program will allow passengers to use the Charlie Card
on SRTA and GATRA buses along with the MBTA. This principal can be applied to
commuter bus, as well, using the Charlie Card.
11.10
Lack of Connectivity/Bus Connections
The lack of transit connectivity between Fall River, Taunton and New Bedford
continues to be a significant issue in the SMMPO region. The only available
connections are offered by DATTCO from Taunton to New Bedford and by Peter
Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division from Fall River to New Bedford. There is a
need to connect all three cities with commuter bus and consequently, public
transit. The proposed commuter rail extension will eventually connect these
cities, however, this construction will take years to complete. In the meantime,
a study should be conducted to investigate the viability of connecting these
cities with commuter bus and using joint ticketing for ease of transfers between
commuter bus companies and GATRA and SRTA.
11.11
Park and Ride Lots
Commuter buses in the region utilize many park and ride lots in southeastern
Massachusetts (refer to Figure 11-7 on page 11-7, and Tables 11-1 and 11-2
on page 11-8). Needs expressed by those using park and ride lots include
improvements, expansions, overnight parking, security and additional lots.
11-6
Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization
Figure 11-7: Park and Ride Lot Locations
• The Bloom Bus commuter service to Boston begins at the GATRA/Bloom
terminal in downtown Taunton and stops at the Raynham Dog Track and
at the West Bridgewater (Route 106 at Route 24) park and ride lots. The
Raynham lot is under utilized, however, the West Bridgewater lot is heavily
used. The West Bridgewater park and ride lot configuration is insufficient
due to the lot being too small for bus maneuverability. Consequently,
Bloom is picking up passengers on the street. There is also no shelter at
this lot and there is limited parking.
• DATTCO serves the Silver City Galleria Mall park and ride lot at Route 140,
(exit 11), the New Bedford lot at Mount Pleasant Street at Route 140,
(exit 4); and their privately owned lot in Fairhaven located at 72 Sycamore
Street. DATTCO has reported that security, lighting and vandalism remain
their main issues, especially at the Mount Pleasant Street lot. DATTCO
also stated that there is an immediate need for improvement and possibly
expansions to the park and ride facilities they serve. The Galleria Mall
extended overflow parking into the Mall lots which are identified by red
lines. DATTCO would also like to see more security enhancements at their
lots in Fairhaven, as well.
•
Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division serves the Route 132 lot in
Barnstable. It also serves lots in Bourne (Tedeschi’s), Wareham (Mill
Pond Diner) and Falmouth (Depot Avenue). The Barnstable lot is often
full and unavailable for late morning customers. The Bourne, Wareham
and Falmouth lots are also well used and are at times limited in parking
availability. Peter Pan Bus Lines-Providence Division would like an
2012 Regional Transportation Plan
11-7
Table 11-1: Parking Utilization
LocaƟon of Park-and-Ride Lot
Barnstable (Route 132)
Capacity
365
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
Fairhaven (Sycamore St.)*
80
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
New Bedford (Mt. Pleasant
202
# of Vehicles
St.)
% of Capacity
Plymouth (Long Pond Road)
200
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
Raynham (Raynham Park)*
150
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
Taunton (Silver City Galleria)
185
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
Taunton (Bloom Terminal)*
160
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
West Bridgewater (Route 106)
140
# of Vehicles
% of Capacity
*Denotes park and ride under private or town jurisdiction
Date of Parking Count
2003
2005
2006
388
359
106%
98%
153
76%
83
42%
20
13%
102
55%
-
112
56%
108
54%
22
15%
134
72%
-
164
81%
152
76%
24
16%
152
82%
-
110
79%
128
91%
144
103%
May-08
356
98%
-
Sep-08
-
2009
-
-
-
175
87%
-
165
82%
-
-
-
187
100%
-
187
100%
-
120
59%
184
92%
28
18.7
165
89%
-
-
-
137
98%
Table 11-2: Park and Ride Lots by Bus Company
Bus Company
Bloom Bus Lines
Town
Raynham
Taunton
W. Bridgewater
DATTCO
Taunton
Fairhaven
New Bedford
Peter Pan
Barnstable
Bourne
Fall River
Falmouth
Wareham
OCPC: Old Colony Planning Council
CCC: Cape Code Commission
LocaƟon
Route 138 at Raynham Dog Track
10 Oak Street
Route 106 at Route 124, exit 16
Silver City Galleria, Route 140, exit 11
72 Sycamore Street
Mount Pleasant St. at Route 140, exit 4
Route 132 at Route 6, exit 5
Tedeschi's
221 South Second Street
Depot Ave.
Mill Pond Diner
RPA
SSMPO
SSMPO
OCPC
SSMPO
SSMPO
SSMPO
CCC
CCC
SSMPO
CCC
SSMPO
Type
Non-State
Non-State
State
State
Non-State
State
State
Non-State
Non-State
Non-State
Non-State
expansion of capacity at their lots and would like to see overnight parking
at the Bourne, Wareham and Falmouth lots. There is also a need for free
park and ride lots in the Fall River area. Consideration was made to serve
the Somerset park and ride lot, however, the layout does not allow for the
bus to pull into the lot. Although vehicles are currently allowed to park
overnight at MassDOT park and ride lots, it is not recommended due to
safety and security concerns.
11.12
Congestion on Route 24
Traffic congestion on Route 24 continues to increase in severity. The High
Occupancy Vehicle lane (HOV) on the Southeast Expressway (1-93), also known
as the zipper lane, was a great improvement for commuter buses. When
completed in 1999, it decreased travel time for each of the commuter buses in
11-8
Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization
the region by approximately twenty minutes. During peak commute times on
an average operating day, running time from Fall River to downtown Boston is
approximately one hour and twenty-five minutes. At non-peak commute times
it is approximately one hour. Although the HOV lane helps commuter bus, traffic
congestion continues to decrease their on-time performance. Each commuter
bus company in the SMMPO region agrees that the largest area of congestion is
from Brockton to the HOV lane.
Recommendations
11.13
The SMMPO recommends the following:
11-1: Joint Ticketing will become an even greater issue with the possible
restoration of commuter rail to New Bedford/Fall River. It is
recommended that commuter rail, commuter bus, GATRA and SRTA use
joint ticketing.
11-2: Maintain and expand non-single occupancy vehicle (SOV) options to
lower vehicle miles traveled, use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions.
Promote incentives for alternatives to SOV travel.
11-3: Educate the public about the benefits of alternative transportation modes
and ridesharing through educational and marketing materials.
11-4: Continue to support the involvement of private bus companies for Boston
and non-Boston commuting.
11-5: Commuter bus companies and the MBTA need to work together and
create off hour service. For example, if the train is serving an area at
6:00am and 8:00am, then commuter bus should serve the same area at
7:00am and 9:00am. The fare between commuter bus and commuter rail
should be comparable.
11-6: Commuter bus should serve different destinations to capture a different
ridership populations that commuter rail can not, such as service to
Logan and Green Airports.
11-7: Private bus service should be subsidized.
Study
11.14
Conduct a study on the feasibility of connecting Taunton, Fall River and New
Bedford via commuter bus. Although commuter bus companies are private, their
commuter service offers a public benefit and they have a place in the overall
mass transit planning for the state. Bus services are an important part of the
transportation system because they are able to carry a significant number of
passengers, can be flexible in routing and can provide important connections
between fixed guide ways (rail) and local transit systems.
2012 Regional Transportation Plan
11-9
This page is intentionally blank