Millis board hears MetroWest RTA on Dial‑A‑Ride pilot, asks for details ahead of vote

MetroWest Regional Transit Authority Administrator Jim Nee told the Millis Select Board on Jan. 12 that Dial‑A‑Ride demand‑response service is the most appropriate near‑term transit option for Millis residents, particularly older adults and people with disabilities. "The Dial‑A‑Ride program is probably the most appropriate type of public transportation for Millis," Nee said, describing it as a reservation-based, curb‑to‑curb service open to people age 65 and older and younger riders with qualifying disabilities.

Nee said the town already contributes through an MBTA assessment — roughly $57,000 this year and rising — and that the MWRTA can reallocate that local assessment to underwrite Dial‑A‑Ride without adding a new charge to the town budget. "We're happy to work with you and the senior center on that," he said, adding the RTA actively pursues grants and manages pilot programs to control costs.

Ann Marie Gagnon, director of the Millis Council on Aging, and other local speakers emphasized service hours and accessibility. Residents asked whether weekend service, reservation windows and rider costs would be included; Nee said Dial‑A‑Ride reservations typically run 6:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with weekend reservations and some weekend RTA services available, and that in‑area fares are $2 when fares are collected but the RTA has been operating fare‑free under a state program for the past two and a half years.

Board members pressed for implementation details. Nee estimated that a low‑cost pilot could be managed within the local assessment bucket and gave an example usage projection: "I would approximate Millis would use about $15,000 to $20,000 out of the local assessment bucket," he said, while larger services such as a dedicated microtransit vehicle would be costlier.

Select Board members agreed to place a vote to join the RTA on the next agenda and asked staff to assemble particulars within two weeks so Jim Nee can present the town’s request to the MWRTA advisory board. Nee clarified that joining an RTA requires a vote of the town’s select board under Massachusetts law and then advisory‑board acceptance; membership does not obligate the town to start services immediately.

Next steps: staff will prepare the particulars (service model, cost estimates, and timeline) for the board to consider at its next meeting; no formal membership vote was taken on Jan. 12.