The BRTA is considering a menu of options to save money.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The BRTA is prepping for increasing fares and reducing services.
Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Administrator Robert Malnati said the state's funding for the organization is flat in the governor's budget.
The organization says fixed costs such as salary increases, health insurance, fuel, and liability insurance is expected to increase. Thus, the authority is planning its budget trying to find $378,400 in savings elsewhere.
"If you have a level amount of funds, then something has to give," Malnati said.
Malnati is presenting options to the ridership over a series of six public hearings. He presented a menu of options for eliminating or combining fixed routes, reducing the number of runs, aligning paratransit operations with non-paratransit runs, and raising fares.
Overall, Malnati was told by the governor's office that regional transit authorities should expect $80.4 million in funding, the same as last year. Of that, the BRTA receives just $2.5 million. The transit authorities say they need at least $88 million to sustain themselves.
"The money we receive for this is for operating funds, meaning we can't use it for purchasing buses or other capital expenses like maintenance on the vehicles or maintenance on a building," he said.
Malnati said that if the state had kept up with regular increases since 2014, the system would receive $2.74 million. But, the state support hasn't kept pace and for the fourth consecutive year, the organization is struggling to balance its budget.
Those figures aren't set in stone, however. The House's budget released Wednesday has the same figures but the Senate will then take on the budget and pass its own. And finally, the two houses of the Legislature will come to a compromise budget.
But that legislative process won't be concluded until May. Malnati said that would give the authority a limited window to hold the required 30-day comment period to implement any changes.
"Nothing is cut in stone right now. We are taking comments. I've received at least a dozen emails from other folks. All of that will be presented to the board to help make a decision," Malnati said.
Nonetheless, the BRTA is getting ahead of the issue and is working on the assumption of level funding. Malnati said any changes to the operations depend on the state's final budget figure.
The organization has a number of options based on an analysis of the current operations. The organization looked at the routes by passengers per mile, passengers by the hour, costs, and time.
Ridership has been declining for the organization, which already struggles to provide services at night and does not provide any runs on Sundays, in the sprawling, rural Berkshires. Some routes serve only a few people per mile on routes that run great distances, Malnati said.
"So far this year, it is 1 percent over the 6 percent drop. It is not declining anymore. It isn't a dramatic increase but at least it is on the positive side," Malnati said.
Less than half of the possible changes to the routes, which are available below, will be implemented. But right now, the BRTA is hoping riders will weigh in on what routes matter to them to help guide the board's decision.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
SolaBlock Awarded State Grant
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded SolaBlock $204,835 to construct automated and modularized systems to build its Solar Masonry Units, which embed solar photovoltaics directly into a standard cement block.
SolaBlock will partner with the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) to make the test chamber available to other members of the BIC. SolaBlock plans to add 17 new jobs with this grant investment. This project is aligned with the Manufacturing USA Institute CESMII.
The Healey-Driscoll administration announced $10,280,407 in grants to 13 companies to support sustainable alternatives to traditional manufacturing through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), a program through MassTech Collaborative's (MassTech) Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) that bridges the gap between innovation and commercialization by providing capital grants and supporting pioneering projects in emerging industries.
The Administration announced the grants during an event with Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao and MassTech at Clean Crop Technologies in Holyoke, which is receiving a $1.2 million M2I2 grant to validate its innovative technology that removes contaminants from crops using less energy. This round of grants will support companies in key industries such as climate tech, bioindustrial manufacturing, and recyclable materials, and create an estimated 230 jobs.
"Massachusetts is home to the world's leading innovation economy thanks to our trailblazing manufacturing companies, cutting-edge universities and top talent," said Governor Maura Healey. "We are committed to investing in the pioneering R&D and infrastructure necessary to help our state maintain its status as a place where groundbreaking ideas translate to real-world solutions through programs like M2I2. We are pleased this round of grants will help fund sustainable innovations in the manufacturing industry."
signature building of the Downtown Historic District, the Town Hall is on the State Register of Historic Places. Funding secured by Neal will support the restoration and repair interior and exterior features throughout the building. click for more
Two peaker plants in Berkshire County have been out of service for two years and are in the process of demolition. Local environmentalists are rejoicing.
click for more
The Controy Pavilion at Onota Lake was filled with some of Berkshire United Way's funded partners for its second annual "thank you" summer celebration picnic. click for more
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren ended her visit to Pittsfield on Thursday on the scenic grounds of Soldier On's housing developments where more 50 former service members are supported with the tools they need to thrive. click for more