Regional transit authority reports ridership gains, describes safety steps and plans for electric buses in Gardner

Officials from the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority told the Gardner City Council on Monday, Aug. 4, that ridership in Gardner has grown substantially and described a package of safety, service and infrastructure changes they say are intended to sustain that growth.

The presentation, given by Montachusett Regional Transit Authority Administrator and CEO Bruno Fisher, Assistant Administrator Scott Rich and transit planner Michael Yeboah, summarized route changes, demand-response programs, evening-ride partnerships and safety investments. "Our mission is to serve people by getting them where they need to go to lead their lives," Scott Rich said during the presentation.

The authority reported year-over-year increases it said were roughly 26% from 2023 to 2024 and about 40% from 2024 to 2025 in total ridership across services. Officials said Swift Rides, a fare-based microtransit partnership, recorded 680 rides in its first year in Gardner. The authority also noted growth in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) demand-response trips and in a subscription service that provides regular monthly rides.

Fisher described multiple safety steps taken after a series of incidents earlier in the year. "We have a moral obligation to give our public safe rides," he said. The authority said it hired an in-house security team at its Fitchburg intermodal terminal, added…