Do you need on-demand public transit? Framingham's MWRTA has an app for that

FRAMINGHAM — Taking the bus can make a journey lengthy and time-consuming, and ordering an Uber or Lyft can be expensive. So in an effort to combine the best aspects of public and private transit, the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority has created a micro transit service: Catch Connect.

“Micro transit is trying to take some of those private industry practices, seeing which ones work in the public industry and how we can serve different groups with this,” said Jim Nee, executive director for the MWRTA. “It’s an experimental and new mode of transportation that's being tried out.”

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The MWRTA’s Catch app — available in all app stores — launched a micro transit service two years ago in Wellesley, but “really started taking off about a year ago now,” according to Nee.

On the app — which shows the buses’ fixed routes and where they are in real time — users will now find the Catch Connect services.

The agency believed Wellesley would be a good town to test Catch Connect during weekdays and to see which people need the most service.

“We have all this wonderful data that tells us (that) if you go back to a fixed route, where should that fixed route go? Well, now we know,” said Nee, who took over as executive director after Ed Carr retired this summer.

This fixed route Nee refers to are bus routes with scheduled stops that MWRTA vehicles follow. However, he said passengers can also “flag down” these fixed routes if they are in a safe spot for the driver to pull over.

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Catch Connect can be beneficial for those who are unable to drive, live in rural areas, or do not own a vehicle.

Downloading the MWRTA Catch app is like a public transit version of Uber and Lyft. In order to ride, people must create an account, but booking and waiting for a vehicle is easy.

Riders wait for the driver in a visible location, enter their desired destination, click “book the trip,” and can track the vehicle and have an estimated arrival time with push notifications sent to their phone.

However, prospective riders and their desired destinations must be in the predefined service area.

The 12 Catch Connect vehicles fit up to eight people, said Jon Fetherson, the MWRTA’s manager of travel training and community relations.

Depending on the city, Catch Connect will have about about four drivers available and typically come from the MWRTA's dial-a-ride service. To drive for this service, Nee said, drivers receive additional training.

All vehicles are fully accessible and meet ADA requirements, according to Fetherson. There is also a plexiglass barrier between the driver and passengers to ensure safety.

Because riders are sharing the vehicle with others, they are limited to four shopping bags or three pieces of luggage, weighing 40 pounds or less, per person.

Catch Connect services are not available on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Patriots Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fetherson believes this form of micro transit will “bring more people to our main hubs” and make the lives of seniors and those with special needs easier.

Nee echoed Fetherson’s thoughts.

"You wouldn’t want to replace fixed bus routes,” he said, because not every area can fit into the micro transit model.

Currently, fares are waived on Catch Connect — and have been since its launch — due to funding the MWRTA received from the CARES Act Congress passed in March 2020.

Another reason for the free service, Nee said, is because the fare system is changing. The MWRTA will no longer use Charlie Cards and is transitioning to the Catch Card.

Riders can reload their Catch Cards like they would a Charlie Card. If they wish to use their card for Catch Connect services, the payment can be linked in the app as well. These cards are expected to be in use within the next couple months.

Fitch said a monthly pass fee is also in the works.

After signing up, the passenger will get a $2 credit that can be used once the agency starts collecting fares. Nee expects fares to be around $2.

“We really want our fare policy to be equitable across the entire system,” he said.

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Daniel Fitch, IT consultant for the MWRTA and a few other regional transit authorities for 15 years, built the platform for the micro transit system.

“I think people see it as more convenient and are able to dictate when they want to go, as opposed to us publishing it on a fixed route schedule,” he said.

Funding to create the app was possible through a MassDOT discretionary grant — which comes from the state’s budget that sets aside money that encourages innovative projects, said Fitch.

Soon after its launch, Catch Connect picked up about 100 people a week and then shot up to five times that amount last year. Nee attributes a large part of the spike to expanding service in Wellesley — which runs Monday to Friday from 6:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. The service also covers Framingham and Natick on the weekend from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. as well as Hudson on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No smartphone, no problem. Fitch said those who do not have smartphones or wish to download an app can still access Catch Connect by calling 508-283-5083 to book a ride.

“We want to make sure that the service is available for everyone,” he said.

He also developed a similar system for Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority called SmartDART.

With places like Cape Cod developing similar micro transit systems, more rural areas and places with minimal public transportation may see a rise in the practice.

“I do see pockets where it’s extremely helpful,” said Fitch. “Maybe folks are taking the train and this (micro transit) helps them get to their final destination, but in places where there’s a lot of ridership demand a fixed route would work a little better.”

Micro transit, Nee said, is being conceptualized on a local and state level with other transit authorities testing out variations of Catch Connect.

One of Nee and Fetherson’s goals is to bring Catch Connect to all 15 communities in the MWRTA service area.

“Access to public transportation makes a difference in everyone’s lives (and) opens opportunities… micro transit is going to play a big role,” said Fetherston.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham transit authority offers app for on-demand services