WRTA to operate Westborough senior rides starting July 1; town discontinues volunteer drivers

The Worcester Regional Transit Authority will begin operating paratransit service for Westborough Council on Aging riders on July 1, WRTA staff told an information session on [date not specified]. Nick Burnham, WRTA director of operations and planning, said the shift means residents who are 60 or older or who have disabilities should call WRTA’s paratransit brokerage office to register and book trips rather than calling the senior center.

Why it matters: The new arrangement centralizes scheduling with WRTA while the town retains at least one vehicle for center-sponsored outings. Burnham said the WRTA advisory board voted to extend fare-free service through June 2026, so riders will not be charged fares if they use WRTA paratransit during that period. “We are fare free,” Burnham said, repeating that rides are free through next June.

How service will work: WRTA staff described a shared-ride paratransit model (not a taxi) with live reservationists, a standard 20-minute pickup window, and automated calls the night before or the morning of a trip that provide the pickup window. “It’s a 20 minute pickup window,” Burnham said, explaining that a 10 a.m. appointment could generate pickup windows such as 9:30–9:50 or 9:50–10:10 depending on routing. The paratransit office accepts reservations Monday–Friday and typically takes requests until 4:30 p.m. the day before; staff said same-day requests are not currently available and routine bookings more than seven days ahead are not standard except in extenuating circumstances (for example, recurring dialysis schedules).

Hours, priorities and limits: WRTA listed hours for Westborough service as Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., and Friday 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. (Friday service limited to in-town trips). Medical and employment trips are prioritized. Burnham also emphasized that drivers and WRTA vehicles will not enter private driveways; drivers may assist passengers once they reach the vehicle, but for liability reasons vans must remain in public right-of-way.

Accessibility and vehicles: Westborough will receive two new WRTA vans; Burnham said the fleet also includes blue vans operated by neighboring towns and that van operations are scheduled in a shared software platform. All WRTA paratransit vans have rear lifts, and staff said riders should register any mobility device so accessible vehicles are dispatched appropriately. WRTA contracts with Worcester Yellow Cab for overflow but those cabs are not accessible, so profiles must flag mobility-device needs to avoid dispatching an inaccessible vehicle.

Volunteer drivers and town role: An unidentified senior center staff member told attendees the town will end its volunteer-driver program because of liability concerns; volunteers had been using privately owned vehicles to transport riders. Burnham said the town will continue to manage drivers and do morning vehicle checks, while WRTA will operate scheduling, dispatch and the paratransit brokerage functions.

Booking and trip rules: Riders must book both pickup and return trips when reserving service; vehicles cannot wait for short errands and typical minimum turnaround is about an hour. Trips can be canceled up to an hour before pickup. Staff warned that large numbers of carry-on shopping bags may exceed onboard capacity; folding carts that double as walkers are commonly allowed but riders should be able to handle their own bags if the vehicle is near capacity.

Service area and regional connections: WRTA will provide limited out-of-town service primarily for medical appointments to locations such as Shrewsbury, Northborough, Southborough Medical and UMass Marlborough, but it cannot serve entire neighboring towns that lie outside WRTA’s service area. In response to a question, staff said WRTA service ends at Westborough and routine travel to Natick or Framingham (MetroWest RTA territory) is not covered by WRTA; limited connections at transfer points may be possible but would rely on separate regional providers.

Enrollment and next steps: WRTA staff held a sign-up sheet at the session and said residents can register there or by calling the PBSTM (paratransit and customer service) office starting the week of June 23 to schedule trips for service that begins July 1. Burnham said both the Westborough Council on Aging and the Select Board have voted to support implementation of the program; vote tallies and motion language were not provided in the session. “If you need help signing up, feel free to find me,” Burnham said at the close of the session.

What’s unresolved: The session did not provide a published phone number in the transcript (staff distributed magnets with the number), no vote tallies or formal motion language were recorded for the local support votes, and staff said some return-trip coverage outside WRTA boundaries depends on coordination with neighboring RTAs.

The Westborough Council on Aging will continue to publicize enrollment opportunities and the WRTA staff said they will continue local outreach with community partners to help residents sign up.