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 bollards and traffic islands at the facility, increased signage, and is working with local schools and police on site-specific fixes, including installing a stop sign near a Mount Wachusett Community College driveway to reduce bus momentum at a location where a vehicle previously mounted a sidewalk.

On-vehicle measures the authority described include adding audio to existing video cameras, testing onboard-diagnostic (OBD) devices and driver-monitoring technologies (speeding, harsh braking, phone use, collision-avoidance) and expanded training for operators including defensive driving, passenger assistance and simulator-based exercises. Fisher and Scott Rich said the authority recently gained expanded contractual latitude with unions and insurers to use recorded video more broadly when addressing incidents.

Service changes and options were a central topic in the question-and-answer portion. Michael Yeboah presented route maps for three Gardner-focused fixed routes and explained that a reconfiguration about 18 months ago created shorter north and south loops that cut loop times from about 65 minutes to roughly 37 minutes, increasing frequency but requiring some transfers for riders who previously had a direct one-seat trip. Councilors and residents asked for adjustments to restore or add stops near senior housing, the planned Waterford Street community center and Mount Wachusett Community College. Yeboah said MART staff met with the college and neighborhood stakeholders and are studying targeted service additions such as limited morning/evening loops or a feeder shuttle from certain apartment complexes.

Officials described other services that complement fixed routes: ADA paratransit (service within three-quarters of a mile of fixed routes), a Council on Aging (COA) shuttle, subscription monthly rides (noted as more costly to operate and intentionally scaled back), a $2 evening curb-to-curb ride service from 7 p.m. to midnight operated by subcontracted vendors, and the $10 Swift Rides microtransit option for later-night trips. Scott Rich said the authority deliberately delayed aggressive marketing of the evening service until sufficient vendor capacity was in place; officials said they now contract with multiple vendors to meet demand.

On electrification, officials said MART was awarded funding through the Volkswagen settlement to buy three BYD battery-electric buses and associated chargers; they said the vehicles are about 29 feet long and that charging equipment is already staged at the authority garage, with delivery and installation expected in the fall. MARC (the authority) staff characterized the buses as scheduled for late-fall arrival, subject to shipping and installation timelines.

Residents raised operational concerns: missed stops where a driver did not stop for waiting riders, drivers using cell phones while operating buses, and shelter placement. Officials said they will review video evidence when riders report incidents, and that documented violations would prompt disciplinary action. They also said MART secured a shared-streets-and-spaces grant to install roughly 15 additional shelters (on top of five already installed in Gardner) and that staff will work with the city to identify priority locations, including Ridgewood Arms and stops near the farmer's market.

Several attendees asked about the long-term status of fare-free service. MART officials said the state legislature has indicated an intent to continue supporting fare-free regional service and that free fares are funded at least through the current fiscal year, but they declined to guarantee permanence.

The presentation closed with MART emphasizing ongoing community engagement: consultants such as Nelson ygaard and the regional planning commission have advised service changes, and MART officials said they intend to hold regular follow-up meetings with municipal leaders and community groups to refine routes and schedules.

The meeting also included a public note from city officials that Fisher intends to retire later this year and that a public search committee will be formed to recruit his successor.