SMART transit Wiki

Essay

The Southern Metro Area Regional Transit is a proposed micro transit system based south of Boston. The entity is dedicated toward filling gaps in the suburban network caused by population change, demographic shift, and low-density development patterns. It does so by providing a network of community shuttle bus routes that provide service along numbered state routes, using smaller vehicles to comply with residents are who opposed to having large diesel buses on their streets. The neighborhood-friendly vehicles connect populated areas to shopping centers, employment zones, and regional transit hubs while improving access to existing services.

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The SMART coverage area focuses on the cities and towns of Braintree, Canton, Holbrook, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, and Walpole, Massachusetts. Over 200,000 people live in this area. The extended area spans the cities and towns of Brockton, Easton, Raynham, and Westwood, Massachusetts.

This service area awkwardly straddles the edges of three counties, Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth. Conversely, it is also at the outer reaches of three different agencies, GATRA, MBTA, and BAT. As a result, the riders have a deteriorated transit experience. SMART complements the service gap, while providing connections to all three services.

Fortunately, the population centers and primary destinations (such as shopping, employment, healthcare, education, and entertainment) are located along existing numbered state roads, making route design much simpler.

As population and traffic congestion continue to grow, SMART is effected to providing service to the fast-growing region it serves.

System Map

## Fixed Routes

*click for further detail*

793 Blue Hills Crosstown724 Amvets Memorial Highway727 Old Post Road738 Old Bay Road Local739 Stoughton/Holbrook via Randolph
## Service recommendations

BAT 15 Rockland Line718 Bedford St - Middle St
## Transfer points

Several travel nodes exist in the area.

Cobbs Corner

Crawford Square

Westgate Mall

What's in a name?

Steps taken

## Business plan

### 1. Executive Summary

Bus Service along state routes 27,138,and 139 (with strategic collector/feeder routes) is feasible at this time because:

* More/larger housing subdivisions add to congestion; increased densities make public transit more feasible.

* Changing population—older, different ethnic mix, newcomers from cities with transit—creates opportunities.

* Increased number of “choice” riders that have transportation options (including visitors).

* Increased number of young people that need transportation after school and during the summer.

* Increased number/size of commercial and medical centers provide transit hubs.

## Potential Funding sources

SMART's service area includes the municipalities of Braintree, Canton, Holbrook, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, and Walpole, Massachusetts. Over 200,000 people live in this area. The extended area spans the cities and towns of Brockton, Easton, Raynham, and Westwood, Massachusetts

Overlapping RTA's:
Braintree MBTA
Canton MBTA
Holbrook MBTA
Randolph MBTA
Sharon MBTA
Walpole MBTA

Brockton, Easton BAT, MBTA (other served communities)
Raynham GATRA, MBTA (other served communities)
Westwood MBTA (51 cities and towns)

The previous Shuttle Bus proposal in Randolph was rejected because it required an RTA, a new Regional Transit Authority; and plans for expansion in in Stoughton/Canton/Avon. To avoid what the coalition calls "RTA complications," they are focusing only in Randolph!. But what could be so complicated about forming an RTA? the state has 14 of them; surely a 15th wouldn't hurt.

## Part 1: Forming an RTA

Under Mass Gen Law Chapter 161B, section 3,

'"Any city or town, or group or combination of cities or towns, other than a city or town included in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in which the Authority operates a fixed bus service, may, upon compliance with this section and with the approval of a city manager in the case of a city under a Plan E form of government, the mayor and city council in the case of all other cities, or the board of selectmen in the case of a town, be made into a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision of the commonwealth under the name of the municipality within the new authority having the greatest population, or under any other appropriate regional name agreed to by a majority of the member municipalities, and followed by the words "Transit Authority'".

"Any such authority shall be deemed to be established upon written notification to the governor that the member municipalities have voted to establish a regional transit authority. Having so notified the governor, the advisory board established pursuant to section five shall proceed to appoint an administrator in accordance with section four. Once established, each such authority shall have the same powers, limitations, duties and organization as an authority established pursuant to section fourteen and shall in all respects be subject to the provisions of this chapter, except section fourteen, as if it were an authority so established.

The language in the first sentence of the first paragraph, *Any city or town, or group or combination of cities or towns, other than a city or town included in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in which the Authority operates a fixed bus service...",* is what seemed to have excluded Randolph from being able to implement its first shuttle bus proposal for two reasons; Randolph is a municipality that is included in the MBTA service area and it also has a fixed bus route running through it. Furthermore, according to the Jesse Gordon website, the original plans requiredplans for expansion in Stoughton, Canton, and Avon. As a result, the second proposal was able to include Randolph, at the cost of excluding Stoughton, Canton, and Avon.

Re-looking at that first sentence, it clearly implies that any city or town that in which the MBTA operates a fixed service may not be made into a body politic and a political subdivision of the commonwealth. But there is no legislation regarding a group of towns in which the MBTA operates a fixed service area. Randolph couldn't do it on its own, but with the cooperation from Stoughton, Canton, and Avon, the group of towns, upon compliance with section fourteen of Chapter 161B, can become a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision of the commonwealth under the name preceding each group.

Section 14 states that an authority described in section two of this chapter (an RTA) shall be deemed to be established (a) after 20% of the votes on the advisory board have recorded themselves in favor of calling a meeting to vote on the establishment of the authority, (b) notice of the meeting has been sent by a member municipality of the authority to every other member municipality at least two weeks prior to said meeting and (c) the advisory board has sent the governor written notification that the advisory board has voted to establish the authority; provided that such notification shall not be given except after a majority of municipalities have voted to establish the authority.

The membership of the authority upon its establishment as provided in this section shall consist of those cities and towns, in this case Avon, Braintree, Canton, Holbrook, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, and Walpole, which affirmatively vote for the formation of the authority as provided in the first paragraph. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent any city or town, including a city or town which did not vote for the formation of the authority under the first paragraph from joining an authority subsequent to the formation thereof.

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