Like the MBTA, the state's 15 regional transit authorities (RTAs) are grappling with declining ridership and changing travel patterns during the pandemic. But new technology is bringing in new customers.
The state awarded grant money to the RTAs two years before the pandemic, urging them to innovate and come up with new ways to reach more riders. Many turned to developing app-based, on-demand service, similar to Uber and Lyft. When the pandemic hit and bus ridership dropped, the use of the new apps dramatically increased.
Tom Cahir, administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, saw ridership on his fixed bus routes plummet when the pandemic shutdown began last March. It's come back a bit since then, but what has surged is the use of their SmartDART app, which dispatches minivans instead of buses to pick people up at specific addresses. There's a fixed $3 fee for a ride, but it's free if you take SmartDART to a fixed-route service, like a bus or van — much the way many people now use Uber and Lyft. The goal is to provide more transit access, but Cahir said an added benefit could be introducing people to public transportation who might never have considered taking the bus before.
“People, once they download the app from their phone, can schedule a ride, and we can come and get you within 10 or 15 minutes,” Cahir said.
That’s a big change from having to wait up to an hour for a bus along one of the authority's fixed routes.
