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Select Board reviews Catch Connect changes meant to boost reliability; Babson trips drive demand
Summary
Transportation and Mobility Manager Sheila Page proposed July 1 service changes for Catch Connect microtransit—removing Needham and Waban T stops, consolidating Babson College stops, and tightening geofencing—to reduce out-of-bounds trips and improve on-time performance; Board members pressed for alternatives for affected riders but offered support without a vote.
Transportation and Mobility Manager Sheila Page told the Select Board that the Catch Connect microtransit pilot recorded over 19,000 rides serving roughly 24,000 passengers in the past six months and that roughly half of trips originated or terminated at Babson College. Page said out-of-bounds trips to nearby Needham and Newton, in part due to geofencing limits in the app, have undermined reliability and increased noncore service mileage.
Page proposed three operational changes, effective July 1: eliminate service to Needham, remove the stop at Waban T Station because of low ridership, and consolidate Babson campus pick-ups to two or three stops on Babson Road. She explained that restricting trips to destinations inside Wellesley should reduce out-of-bounds rides—of approximately 619 valid Needham-area trips, about half were from two addresses—and improve efficiency for town residents.
Board members questioned whether removing Needham and Newton destinations simply shifted burden to other providers and asked why the service could not be expanded to match demand. Page replied that the pilot was developed in partnership with the Metrowest Regional Transportation Authority and that Newton and Needham are served by MBTA services; she said MWRTA adjusted the proposal to prioritize core Wellesley service. Executive Director Meghan Jop added that resident complaints indicated the pilot was being pulled away from town riders.
Page said the MWRTA team, led by Executive Director Jim Nee, participated in developing the pilot changes and that the Wellesley Youth Commission and Health Department would help identify alternatives should residents experience hardship. She urged riders to report specific problematic rides to MWRTA to aid troubleshooting. The Board did not take a formal vote and expressed general support for the proposed changes.
The proposed adjustments also accompany a community bicycle safety event: Page announced a "Rules of the Road" ride on June 7 featuring MassBike instruction and police-led trips. The Select Board did not set a follow-up date for the Catch Connect pilot in this meeting; staff indicated they would continue to monitor ridership and resident feedback.
