Starting in the next few weeks, riders on the free Montachusett Regional Transit Authority shuttle to and from the commuter rail station in Littleton will be able to park at two locations in town.
The St. Theresa Catholic Church at 15 Still River Road has offered six spaces for shuttle service users, and Bob Hirsch, owner of the business plaza at 285 Ayer Road (where Rollstone Bank and Sorrento’s are located), has offered five spots.
These two locations will replace the current drop and ride locations at Hildreth House and the Harvard Senior Center. The shuttle will provide service to Littleton in time for two morning trains and service from two Littleton evening trains.
A draft schedule for the new locations shows the first morning pickup time at 6:20 a.m. at the church and 6:30 a.m. at the plaza; the shuttle will arrive at Littleton in time for the 6:51 a.m. train. The second two pickups will be at 8:25 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. for the 8:56 a.m. train in Littleton. The shuttle will meet the 5:45 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. trains in Littleton. Drop-offs in Harvard will be at 5:55 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. at the plaza and 6 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. at the church.
The Press will announce the start date for park and ride and the final schedule as soon as the information is available.
The drop and ride service has struggled to attract riders since it began in November last year. After a few weeks of no riders, one or two people boarded the morning and evening shuttles until the holidays, when ridership fell to zero again for a few weeks. Since early January, the morning shuttles have remained empty, and the evening shuttles have consistently had one rider. Town administration negotiated the new spaces in the hope that providing parking for the shuttle would increase ridership.
