GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. - A lack of public transportation options is a problem for many in Berkshire County, especially for ride-sharing services. To help address the issue, some towns in South County are planning to try out a microtransit pilot program to help address the issue.

“It’s an on-demand, shared ride, publicly operated transit service,” said Tate Coleman, chair of the regional transportation advisory committee. “I like to compare it to a shared-ride Uber or Lyft, but affordably priced.” 

What You Need To Know

  • Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and Egremont want to try a microtransit pilot program
  • It would be a ride-share service, similar to Uber and Lyft, with rides booked online or over the phone
  • The program would start at the beginning of next year, if it gets funding from MassDOT

The program would serve the towns of Great Barrington, Stockbridge and Egremont. All three communities have agreed to pay a combined half of the program’s estimated $187,000 cost, and they’ve applied for a grant from MassDOT to cover the rest.

Rides would be booked online or over the phone, and they would use vehicles owned by the Great Barrington council on aging.

The goal is to provide alternatives to the BRTA bus service, which has limited routes and doesn’t run on Sundays.

“We have heard about residents who are walking from Housatonic to the Great Barrington Price Chopper to work on Sundays, which is a four-mile walk along a road that is not very safe,” said Coleman. “So even if we’re just able to help those people out, and others who might be able to get to work on Sundays now, that would be a major accomplishment.”

Coleman said they hope to hear from MassDOT regarding the funding within the next month or two. If everything goes well, they’ll be able to roll out the program at the beginning of next year.