Salem Skipper in Danvers? Regional transit, open space projects seek federal boost

Jul. 20—SALEM — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton wants to expand Salem Skipper in 2.3 million ways.

Moulton, who lives in Salem and whose sprawling Massachusetts 6th District in the U.S. House includes the North Shore, recently pushed for 14 local projects in fiscal 2023 congressional appropriations subcommittee bills.

The bills, which are the primary means for getting federal cash out to programs each year, include $16 million in local requests, ranging from $363,400 for new labs at Middlesex Community College to $2.3 million for sending Salem Skipper to places outside of Salem.

"The Salem Skipper will expand affordable and inclusive public micro-transit throughout the city of Salem, city of Peabody, and town of Danvers," according to an announcement from Moulton. "The project will provide key connections to the commuter rail, evening and Saturday service to Essex Tech and (North Shore Community College) as well as service to Cherry Hill Industrial Park."

The Witch City launched Salem Skipper at the end of 2020. The service provides low-cost rides on a node-based network that responds to and serves pickup and drop-off requests as they're generated. Rides cost $2 before 7 p.m. and $3 after, while they're locked at $1 for seniors, middle and high school students, and people with disabilities. Each added passenger on a trip costs $1.

Some taxi operators who stand at odds with the rideshare, and others, have claimed to see Salem Skipper already operating outside of Salem, but the service is largely confined to the borders of the city. Moulton's funding request, however, would shift that dramatically, according to Dave Kucharsky, Salem's traffic and parking director.

"A lot of this has to do with getting people to jobs or job training," Kucharsky said. "We show that it's working to get people around this community."

But many people in Salem need to go elsewhere for work, outside of the city, and, conversely, people come to Salem for work.

"We know people who live here want to go to jobs in adjacent communities and vice versa, or for medical exams, or recreation," Kucharsky said. "We're trying to hit on all those needs if possible."

Curt Bellavance, Peabody's community development director, welcomed the possible expansion of Salem Skipper. "We're so close to Salem. We were part of Salem at one point," he noted.

"It's a connection that the mayor and our office are working on with Mayor (Kim) Driscoll and their office to see how we can connect, make circulation in and out of our cities better, and how we can serve our residents," Bellavance said. "It's just another partnership that we're excited about."

And it's not the only proposal Bellavance is excited about. The Tanner City may also receive $1 million toward the Peabody Riverwalk along the North River.

"The project will improve resilience against climate change, create a park that enhances public access and vitality in an economically distressed area and environmental justice neighborhood, and provide the public with a new pedestrian corridor for alternative transportation," Moulton's announcement read.

"This project is going to be a $10 million-plus project, and we've been working on it for probably five years or more," Bellavance said, of the current plans (city officials have been talking about a project for decades). "It checks a lot of boxes. We're looking at cleaning up polluted areas. We're looking at creating green space. We're looking at flood mitigation. This project is a win for everybody."

The federal money under consideration, however, is still tentative. The bills must first clear the full Appropriations Committee and then a full House vote, before the funding might arrive in Massachusetts through different federal agencies.

PROPOSED SPENDING

BEVERLY: Beverly Public Library HVAC System Replacement, $1 million

GLOUCESTER: Gloucester Water Pollution Control Facility Evaluation, $2 million

PEABODY: Peabody Riverwalk, $1 million

SALEM/BEVERLY: Redevelopment of the Salem and Beverly campuses for Salem Mission (Lifebridge, River House shelters), $1 million

SALEM/PEABODY/DANVERS: Expansion of Salem Skipper, $2.3 million

LYNN: Lynn Senior Center, $1 million; Lynn Community Health Center Pharmacy, $1 million; Central Avenue Complete Street project, $800,000

Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.