Transportation Resources
Here is information about transportation choices across Massachusetts. Included are public transportation options, resources and tools to help with finding the right services needed.
Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities
Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) – operates fourteen bus routes in 12 communities from Williamstown to Great Barrington. 413-499-2782
Brockton Regional Transit Authority (BAT) – provides public mass transportation service within the Metro South region. 508-588-1000
Cape Ann Transit Authority (CATA) – Cape Ann Transportation Authority is a non-profit transit service that offers the convenience of transportation across the Cape Ann area, including additional services to Danvers and Peabody Malls and in Ipswich, Essex and Beverly.
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) – Cape Cod’s Public Transportation System with Bus and Trolley Service to all towns from Woods Hole to Provincetown and to 15 Boston area Hospitals. 978-283-1886
Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) – serves Franklin County. 413-774-2262
Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) – Provides services to Lowell and surrounding communities 978-459-0164
Montachusett Regional Transportation Authority (MART) – serves Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner and surrounding areas. 800-922-5636
Provides shuttle service to medical facilities in Worcester and Boston
Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) – year-round public transportation for the island. 508-693-9440
Merrimack Valley Transit Authority (MVRTA) – serves the northeast corner of Massachusetts with over 1 million miles of city, suburban, interurban, and rural scheduled bus routes. 508-693-9440
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) – serves the Metro-west area including Framingham, Marlborough, Natick and surrounding area. 508-935-2222
Nantucket Regional Transit Authority (NRTA) – THE WAVE provides island-wide fixed route bus service from Madaket to Sconset, Surfside to Jetties beaches. 508-228-7025
Pioneer Valley Regional Transit Authority (PVTA) – public bus transportation to 24 communities within the Pioneer Valley. 413-781-7882
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) – serves 10 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts, including Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Somerset, Swansea, and Westport. 508-999-5211
Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) – serves 37 communities in central Massachusetts. 508-791-9782
Travel instruction from your transit authority
Find a travel instruction program near you.:
Berkshire Regional Travel Training
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) Travel Training
Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) Travel Training
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) Travel Training
Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) Travel Training
Mobility Resources
MassMobility – MassMobility is an initiative to increase mobility for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, low-income commuters, and others who lack transportation access in Massachusetts.
MassMobility Transportation Newsletter
The MassMobility newsletter is compiled by the Human Service Transportation (HST) Office of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), as part of a federally funded two-year grant to develop a Mobility Management Information Network across Massachusetts.
MassRides
Is the Massachusetts statewide travel options program. MassRIDES is a free program of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) with a mission to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. In order to do this, MassRIDES partners with employers, colleges, and universities, to provide free commuter programs, resources, and solutions to help commuters and employers make smart transportation choices.
MassRIDES offers employer partners hands-on assistance in customizing commuter programs. We provide on-site events, worksite assessments, ridematching services, and commuter insurance resources. Our outreach coordinators are available statewide – from Cape Cod to the Berkshires and everywhere in between. They are knowledgeable about all transportation options within your community and are here to help you find the best commute options.
Contact us at 888-426-6688
email: massrides@dot.state.ma.us
Mobility management is a customer-focused approach to connecting riders with transportation services so that seniors, people with disabilities, low-income workers, and youth can access the trips they need to get to jobs, services, and community life.
EOHHS provides great information on this site about mobility management including:
- What is a mobility manager?
- Mobility Management Information Network
- Need a ride? Find a mobility manager near you
- Resources for mobility managers
Transportation Tools
Ride Match – Regional Transportation Tool
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) has launched Ride Match, an online regional directory of transportation options for seniors, people with disabilities, or anyone needing to travel in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond. This tool can help you, your family members, or your consumers plan trips. Enter your town of origin and your destination, and the database will give you contact information for public, private, and non-profit transportation services that meet your needs. Riders can also specify day and time of travel and accommodations required if they choose. Comprehensive information is available for the GATRA service area and nearby towns, with some information available across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Transportation providers whose services are not already in the database can request to be included
The RIDE’s Assessment Process – Individuals who apply for or recertify for THE RIDE will participate in a new in-person assessment process at the MBTA’s THE RIDE Eligibility Center Eligibility (TREC), located at 500 Rutherford Ave, 3rd floor, Charlestown. The assessment process is not a medical determination of whether or not a rider has a disability. Disability alone does not determine ADA eligibility. Instead, the decision is based on a customer’s ability to use the MBTA’s general public transportation.
To begin your application or recertification, call the TREC at 617-337-2727 to set up an appointment. You will not have to submit a paper application in advance. You may bring information provided by a healthcare provider if you wish, but this is optional. THE RIDE will provide free transportation to your appointment for yourself and one person, or free parking is available onsite if you get a ride from friends or family. The process will start with a 30-minute interview with a staff Mobility Coordinator, after which some applicants will be asked to participate in a functional assessment to test key skills such as walking, balance, and locating bus stops. How to Apply for the RIDE
Applicants will be able to explain their circumstances in detail to the Mobility Coordinator, and family, friends, or caregivers can participate in the interview. Mobility Coordinators will also reach out to healthcare personnel to verify disabilities that cannot be tested in a functional assessment, such as visual impairment or psychiatric disabilities. Based on the results, you may be found eligible, temporarily eligible, conditionally eligible, or not eligible for THE RIDE. If you disagree with the results of your assessment, you have a right to appeal. To learn more, you can find additional information on THE RIDE’s webpage, or you can contact the TREC at 617-337-2727.
MBTA customers can visit MBTA Bus Stops Snow Removal to find out who is responsible for snow clearance at any of the bus stops. Or you can call MBTA’s Customer Service Communications Department at 617-222-3200 (voice) or TTY 617-222-5146 to check the website for you, if you do not have access to a computer.
SCM Free Door-to-Door Transportation Rides
SCM Community Transportation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, is pleased to provide free door-to-door transportation to senior citizens and persons with disabilities in the cities of Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, Everett, and Malden. Call 617-625-1191 between 9AM to 5PM weekdays, excluding holidays. When you hear greeting, press “0” to speak to a reservationist.
T Access Guide – MBTA Access Guide which offers transit tips on how to best utilize the fixed route system. The Access Guide offers easy to follow step-by-step pictorial directions for the following:
- Transportation Access Pass (TAP) Instructions on how to apply for a Transportation Access Pass and a link to the application.
- Using the Farebox – Gives a brief orientation and instructions on how to use the fareboxes. Fareboxes are utilized to pay fares on the MBTA bus, Green or BRT Silver lines.
- Fare Vending Machine -provides a brief description of the FVM as well as the accessibility features that can be utilized when using the FVM.
- Access Features on MBTA Buses – Provides directions of “What to Expect Boarding the Bus”, “What to Expect During the Ride” and “What to Expect Exiting the Bus”
- Commuter Rail Access Guide – The MBTA Commuter Rail serves the Great Boston area, Central Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, and offers a variety of accessible features to help you travel throughout the area.
- Subway Access Guide – The MBTA offers a variety of access features to make your journey easier.
- Ferry Access Guide – The MBTA ferry system includes 3 routes and 7 docks, which serve the Charlestown Navy Yard, Long Wharf, Logan International Airport, Hingham, Hull, and Rowes Wharf. All docks and boats are accessible to seniors and people with disabilities. All ferries have accessible restrooms. To help you plan your trip, MBTA ferry schedules are available in large print and braille. Contact Customer Support to request a copy.
Trip Planning Options using MBTA Fixed Route
Planning Your Trip using the MBTA provides phone contact and online information in which you can plan your trip using MBTA fixed-route services. The MBTA Trip Planner gives customers the opportunity to receive travel directions by using a street address, intersection, subway, or commuter rail station, or landmark. The MBTA Trip Planner is located under the “Rider Tools” section of the MBTA website.
Google Transit provides trip planning options for many transit agencies in the United States and all over the world. In addition to trip planning information for the MBTA, customers can receive trip planning information for other Massachusetts-based transit agencies.
I’m Looking for Transportation
Transportation services are available across Massachusetts for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, commuters, and others. Click the links below for help finding a ride, and learn how to get involved in improving transportation options in your town or region.
- Carpooling and Shared Rides
- Finding Local Volunteer Driver Programs
- Healthcare Transportation Resources
- Travel Instruction Programs Around Massachusetts
- Driving Resources in Massachusetts
- Regional Transit Authorities Map
Guide to Accessible Transportation in Bristol and Plymouth Counties – Institute for Community Inclusion
Order rides, grocery delivery, pharmacy delivery, meals, home chores and more by calling our convenient phone number.
May not be available in all areas. Lyft is a platform that connects drivers with individuals and organizations that need rides.
Sign up to ride. You can schedule rides in advance.
Fact Sheet last updated on: 11/4/2021