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Above, a Google Map illustration of an approximate possible route for the 495 Connector between Franklin's Forge Park Station, Southborough Station (Framingham-Worcester line) and the South Acton T stop on the Fitchburg-North Station line.
Tuesday, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $10 million in funding to nine Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) for 10 projects that increase connections between transit routes and service areas. The grants will allow RTAs to pilot new expansions, continue promising pilots, and improve existing connections. One, the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority will make a connection with Franklin.
“The MWRTA is thrilled to work with the WRTA (Worcester Regional Transit Authoity) and our partners at MassDOT to implement two exciting new transportation options in MetroWest and Central Mass,” said MWRTA Administrator Jim Nee. “Through an innovative new joint microtransit zone, the MWRTA and WRTA will team up to provide the first multi-RTA microtransit project in the Commonwealth. The MWRTA is also very excited to be able to pilot the 495 Connector, a fixed route focused on North-South Connections between communities and the MBTA Commuter Rail system, allowing commuters the option to leave their cars at home more often. This new route will connect the Framingham/Worcester Line with both the Fitchburg and Franklin Commuter Rail lines. The MWRTA is grateful that the state legislature and administration value public transit, and we are excited to deliver these exciting new options to the people of Massachusetts.”
Jason Palitsch , the Executive Director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, a public-private collaboration among businesses, municipalities, and other stakeholders focused on cultivating sustainable economic growth throughout the 495/MetroWest region, says he is very pleased by the development.
The 495 Partnership has long included the basic concept as one of its priorities:
[New or enhanced service offerings designed to carry travelers within the region, including more north-south linkages: Current RTA service operations are characterized by carrying passengers from hubs (such as Framingham, Worcester, and Lowell) to neighboring communities, and vice versa, leaving significant localized and regional coverage gaps within the 495/MetroWest region itself. Some municipalities have limited-stop service that connects their community to the corresponding outside service hub, while others have local circulators that connect areas of high residential density to local employment and commercial centers. Ideally, the right mix of services would enable passengers to travel extensively within their own community and between other 495/MetroWest communities. The Partnership will work to identify and champion conceptual service expansion frameworks, which may include fixed-route and demand response provisions, from RTA operators in our service area, with a particular eye towards filling coverage gaps along the Route 85 and Interstate 495 corridors.]
The million dollar pilot will provide peak-hours commuter service along Route 85 from South Acton to Franklin, connecting to three commuter rail lines plus MWRTA and GATRA services, and extending MWRTA microtransit to Berlin (a WRTA town). No start date has been announced but a stated intent is to launch within two years.
