Bourne bus ridership, electric vehicles and what else is new at Cape transit authority

Paul Gately
·2 min read

BOURNE – Local ridership on Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority shuttle buses on the Upper Cape is brisk, nearly matching pre-COVID level statistics from 2019.

George Slade, the town's liaison to the quasi-public authority, updated the Bourne Select Board Tuesday , saying town ridership is at 98.6% of 2019 levels, thanks in large part to the decision to add a bus route from the Market Basket lot, next to the Sagamore Route 6 ramp, to Hyannis.

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Slade  also said the agency is “transferring its vehicles from fossil fuels to electric vehicles in a five-year plan wherever they can, adding charging stations wherever it makes sense to do it.”

Local ridership on Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority shuttle buses on the Upper Cape is at 98.6% of 2019 levels, thanks in part to a new bus route from the Market Basket lot, next to the Sagamore Route 6 ramp, to Hyannis. Above, an authority bus picks up passengers at the Falmouth Mall in this file photo.
Local ridership on Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority shuttle buses on the Upper Cape is at 98.6% of 2019 levels, thanks in part to a new bus route from the Market Basket lot, next to the Sagamore Route 6 ramp, to Hyannis. Above, an authority bus picks up passengers at the Falmouth Mall in this file photo.

More public transit for apartment growth

The authority wants to “partner up” with the town when apartment projects at Kendall Rae Place off Main Street next to the canal are complete and occupied, Slade said.

The area now includes the Keystone Place assisted living building, a Hampton Inn, the under-construction Tides at Bourne, a 128-unit project for those 55 and over, and the planned Crossing at the Canal mixed use complex with 167 apartments.

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“The idea is to help mitigate future traffic issues,” Slade said, adding that the authority wants to coordinate with “stakeholders” involved in considering future transit issues in Buzzards Bay.

Select Board member Mary Jane Mastrangelo advocated for a village trolley program that would carry people from Kendall Rae Place to various businesses and restaurants along Main Street, especially at the west end where turnovers are again prevalent with the departure of the Vela Juice Bar and Buzzards Bay Brewing.

A trolley program in Falmouth, she said, is viable, busy and quaint.

The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority services Buzzards Bay along with the Greater Attleboro Transit Authority shuttles out of Wareham and neighboring Onset  connecting with banking and food shopping at the Cranberry Plaza in East Wareham.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Bourne bus ridership up, thanks to new Market Basket route