Commuter rail shuttle remains nearly empty despite new park-and-ride spaces

When town administration negotiated in-town parking spaces for the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) commuter rail shuttle, the hope was that ridership would increase from the dismal level of one consistent rider each afternoon. That didn’t happen. According to weekly numbers supplied by MART, in the two months since parking spaces were made available, the shuttle still typically has no riders in the morning and only one rider in the evening.

Stacia Donahue, former Planning Board member and current member-at-large on the Transportation Advisory Committee, told the Press that, to the committee’s knowledge, the parking spaces have never been used. There are six spaces (including two handicapped spaces) available at the St. Theresa Catholic Church at 15 Still River Road and five spots available at the plaza at 285 Ayer Road (where Sorrento’s and Rollstone Bank are located). MART has installed signs at both areas designating the spaces. The spaces are reserved only during the week.

The service began in November 2023 as a drop-and-ride service, with pickup and dropoff locations at Hildreth House (next to Town Hall) and the Council on Aging building on Lancaster County Road. The new service struggled to attract riders, and eventually settled into a consistent pattern of no morning riders and one evening rider.

The Press conducted a brief online survey shortly after the drop-and-ride service began in 2023, asking residents if they would be likely to use the shuttle, and if not, why not. Of the 23 respondents, 20 people said they would either never use it or wouldn’t be very likely to use it. The most cited reason was lack of parking and a schedule that didn’t fit their needs.

Donahue said the town is required to pay for MART services annually, and those services include commuter rail shuttle service for any town that requests it, as well as COA vans. She said she doesn’t know how long the town will keep the service going if ridership doesn’t increase. But she added that Townsend’s shuttle has run for eight months with no riders, and they are still trying to make it work.