With 250,000 miles on the odometer, Harvard’s rusty old MART van is increasingly prone to mechanical problems and breakdowns. In the past year or so, use of the van has soared, but far too often, riders are stranded or inconvenienced by malfunctions. For the Council on Aging, this is more than a problem; it’s a safety issue for elderly and/or disabled town residents who rely on the van for medical appointments, shopping trips, and transportation to local events and other excursions.
On Monday, the Council on Aging Board of Directors voted unanimously to endorse COA Director Deborah Thompson’s request for a new MART van, conveyed by letter to Town Administrator Tim Bragan. And on Tuesday, Bragan relayed the request to the selectmen, who unanimously supported it. Next, Bragan will send the request to MART—the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority—which provides and maintains the van, pays the drivers, and otherwise supports the program.
Bragan told the BOS that, in his experience, getting a new van could take a year, but Selectwoman Lucy Wallace urged him to convey a sense of urgency in his dealings with MART.
