By Jennifer L. Grybowski, Contributing Writer
Westborough – For at least the next nine months, Westborough residents will have the opportunity to try out a new public transit program – Via- that can bring them to any destination within a 12 mile span in the greater Westborough region.
The Massachusetts Department of Transit recently awarded $460,000 in funding to the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) to launch the program in Westborough as a pilot program that will run now through May 2021.
The program is similar to other ride share companies, but Via uses their own branded and wrapped fleet of vehicles.
According to Monica Ceragioli, a vice president with VIA, all drivers are thoroughly vetted and all COVID-19 safety protocols are followed. That includes cleaning between riders and plexiglass installed between the front and back seats. Masks are required to ride, capacity is capped at just three passengers per vehicle, and riders are prompted to use hand sanitizer before touching door handles or to stay home if they’re not feeling well.
Using the Via app, riders can hail a shuttle directly from their smartphone by selecting a pick up and drop off location; passengers can also call 508-388-6620.
Via Transportation Program Coordinator Frank Stevens said Via looks to pair riders that are traveling along the same path. If there are multiple people going in a similar direction, Via will automatically and dynamically route the vehicle to pick up these riders.
The cost is $2 per ride, and all rides either to or from the MBTA stations in Southborough and Westborough will cost just $1. Service operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The program is slated to run through May 2021 and will be evaluated after that.
“We are excited Westborough was chosen and this is an amazing opportunity,” Board of Selectmen Chair Shelby Marshall said. “We just don’t have anything like this right now.”
Marshall did note the town offers a great senior bus system, but that people who are not seniors also need transportation: families with just one car, people who need to go places not on a current bus route, people looking to lower their carbon footprint, and people without a license or vehicle.
“It allows more people to engage in the community and gives a better quality of life,” Marshall said. “It is functional transportation getting you where you need to go safely.”
Via has traditional vans as well as ADA accessible vans; according to the CDC, nearly 11 percent of Massachusetts residents have a serious mobility disability. In fact, Marshall encouraged people to set up an account for seniors or disabled people they care for that might not be comfortable using the app and book rides for them on their behalf.
“There are so many ways you could use this to enhance the quality of life of someone living in Westborough that has transportation issues,” she said.
For more information visit www.town.westborough.ma.us/home/news/van-service-overview.