Franklin Regional Transit Authority
 | |
| Slogan | Proudly serving Franklin County since 1978 |
|---|---|
| Parent | Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | John W. Olver Transit Center, 12 Olive Street, Suite 1, Greenfield, Massachusetts, United States |
| Service area | Franklin County, Hampshire County, Worcester County |
| Service type | fixed-route bus service, shuttle service, and paratransit service |
| Routes | 6 fixed routes, 1 shuttle[1] |
| Hubs | John W. Olver Transit Center |
| Fleet | 8 buses, 32 vans[2] |
| Daily ridership | 155,000 (annual; 2010)[3] |
| Operator | Franklin Transit Management |
| Website | www.frta.org |
The Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) is a regional transit authority which provides public transportation principally to Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, both in Massachusetts. The FRTA is based in the county seat of Greenfield, Massachusetts, from where all its routes originate.
History
The FRTA was established in 1978 when Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 161B was enacted, which gave rise to several regional transit authorities throughout Massachusetts.
In 1999, the FRTA and the Fitchburg-based Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) cooperated to form a route to Athol and Orange, Massachusetts, linking Greenfield to the MART terminal in Gardner. Service to Northampton began in 2000.
In 2006, the FRTA assumed the responsibility of providing transportation services for the towns of Greenfield and Turners Falls, when the former Greenfield Montague Transportation Area (GMTA) transit authority folded.[4]
In 2013, Athol seceded from the FRTA district to join MART, necessitating that the former Greenfield/Athol route be truncated in Orange.
Routes
NB: All routes begin and end at the Olver Transit Center in Greenfield.
Service is Monday through Friday; there is no weekend service. Fares are (as of 2016) $1.25 system-wide, with free transfers at the Olver Transit Center only. Passengers with statewide Access Passes or ADA cards, active military personnel, veterans, Medicare card holders, students through grade 12 and persons over 60 pay half-price ($0.60) fares, while passengers with Commission for the Blind cards and children under five accompanied by fare paying adults ride for free.[5]
Route 21 Greenfield Community Route: This is a local route entirely within the town of Greenfield, with four westbound and five eastbound trips daily.[6] A side loop serves Greenfield Community College, the Greenfield Corporate Center and the temporary county courthouse, and the Mohawk Shopping Plaza.
Route 22 Montague/Greenfield Route: This route serves the town of Turners Falls, with eight trips per day; it has the highest ridership per mile in the system.[7] A side loop makes three trips a day through the villages of Millers Falls, Lake Pleasant and Montague Center; two of the round trips are due to end with route changes scheduled for July 1, 2016.[8]
Route 23 Amherst/Greenfield Route: This route serves Greenfield, Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Leverett and Amherst with four round trips a day, and terminates on the campus of the University of Massachusetts at Haigis Mall.[9] The route is scheduled to change on July 1, 2016, truncating in the town of Sunderland, with a free transfer connection to the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) UMass-31 bus.[10]
Route 31 Northampton/Greenfield Route: This route serves the towns of Greenfield, Deerfield, Whately, Hatfield and Northampton. There are six round trips a day, and the southern terminus is at the Academy of Music in Northampton.[11]
Route 32 Orange/Greenfield Route: This route serves Greenfield, Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Erving, and Orange. There are seven round trips a day, and the eastern terminus is at Hannaford's in Orange.[12]
Route 41 Charlemont/Greenfield: This route serves Greenfield, Shelburne, Shelburne Falls, Buckland and Charlemont. There are four round trips a day, and the western terminus is at Avery's Store in Charlemont center.[13]
The Corporate Center Shuttle serves the Greenfield Corporate Center independently, with five trips a day, and is intended as temporary mitigation for the move of the county courthouse to the Corporate Center pending the renovation of the downtown Greenfield courthouse.[14][15]
Connections
- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and University of Massachusetts Transportation Services (PVTA & UMass Transit) at these locations:
- FRTA route 23 to all UMass Transit routes and PVTA route B43 in Amherst
- FRTA route 31 to UMass Transit route 46 in South Deerfield
- FRTA route 31 to UMass Transit route 39 and PVTA routes M40, R41, R42, B43, R44, and B48 in Northampton
- Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART): FRTA route 32 to MART G-Link to Gardner at Hannaford's in Orange
John W. Olver Transit Center
The John W. Olver Transit Center houses the FRTA offices and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, the successor organization to the Franklin County county government. It has provisions for local FRTA buses and Amtrak service, and links with Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound Lines for intercity bus service to Springfield, Boston and Brattleboro.
References
- ↑ "Fixed Route Services". frta.org. Franklin Regional Transit Authority.
- ↑ "About Us". frta.org. Franklin Regional Transit Authority. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ↑ "RTA PROFILE: Franklin Regional Transit Authority". MassDOT. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ Vallette, David A. (July 21, 2006). "Transit agencies to merge". Springfield Republican. Springfield, MA.
- ↑ "Franklin Regional Transit Authority (Fixed Route)". http://www.massridematch.org. Greater Attleboro Regional Transit Authority. Retrieved 13 May 2016. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "ROUTE 21 - Greenfield Community". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ "ROUTE 22 - Montague/Greenfield". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ "Proposed Fixed Route Schedules FY'17". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ "ROUTE 23 - Amherst/Greenfield". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ "Proposed Fixed Route Schedules FY'17". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ "ROUTE 31 - Northampton/Greenfield". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ "ROUTE 32 - Orange/Greenfield". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ "ROUTE 41 - Charlemont/Greenfield". frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ "FRTA Corporate Center Schedule" (PDF). frta.org. Franklin Country Transit Authority.
- ↑ Lederman, Diane (17 February 2014). "Franklin County Courthouse closed for renovation, court business relocated to Greenfield Corporate Center". Springfield Republican. Springfield, MA. Retrieved 13 March 2015.