SUNDERLAND — With two regional transit authorities serving southern Franklin County, the South County Senior Center held an open conversation this week in hopes of connecting seniors with the resources they need to get from point A to point B, while also drawing attention to gaps in available services.

The Senior Center welcomed Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) Administrator Tina Cote and Assistant Administrator Michael Perreault on Tuesday to answer seniors’ questions about its programs and how they can make use of these resources to visit the Senior Center, go grocery shopping or attend medical appointments.

In particular, a portion of the discussion revolved around how Sunderland’s residents and seniors can make use of FRTA’s services when the town is a member of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) and has limited FRTA bus service. FRTA’s 23 Route begins in Greenfield, travels through Montague and down Route 47, and only stops at Sugarloaf Estates.

“We know there are gaps. We know there are things that have to be worked on,” Cote said, noting that “money is always the root of everything.”

As a member of PVTA’s service region, Sunderland pays an annual assessment to that transit authority, which provides daily service to the town’s numerous apartment complexes that typically house University of Massachusetts Amherst students. If FRTA were to provide full bus service to Sunderland, the town would then have to pay two assessments.

PVTA’s Franklin County service is limited, with its 46 Route beginning in Amherst, traveling through Sunderland, and looping around the center of South Deerfield and the park and ride station near the former Sugarloaf Shoppes in Whately.

“We do work very closely with PVTA,” Cote said. “That’s something we need to try to figure out down the road and that’s not an easy solution. … We have to get creative in our way of trying to look at that.”

The first step of possibly addressing these issues, Perreault said, would be for Sunderland residents to reach out to their elected officials because if those officials don’t know transportation is a big issue, they can’t act on it. He added it is possible for Sunderland to be a member of two transportation authorities, but that would need to be worked out on the town level.

“If you live in Sunderland, my best advice would be to talk to your town officials,” he said. “Tell them there is a gap in services you need.”

Available resources

For the Senior Center in particular, Director Jennifer Remillard said they’ve created a transportation workgroup that has been discussing the challenges present in Franklin County, which follows up on a 2022 needs assessment conducted by the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging. That assessment found transportation to be the second-highest point of concern among respondents, especially those who do not drive.

Among those who don’t drive, 62% of respondents said they have difficulty getting to where they want to go and a quarter of non-drivers reported having to miss, cancel or reschedule a medical appointment because of a lack of transportation.

Lack of transportation, Remillard said, can lead to negative health outcomes and social isolation.

For those who are uncomfortable using the buses or those with a specific destination in mind, FRTA offers a Demand Response program for seniors over 60, LifePath consumers, nursing home residents and veterans with a disability rating of 70% or greater. Through this program, people can schedule trips ahead of time on Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, Demand Response is not available to Sunderland residents.

For the general public, the agency also offers the FRTA Access Program, which provides $3 one-way trips from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in specific areas of Franklin County. These trips can be scheduled up to one week in advance, but Cote noted they sometimes have to refuse trips due to a van and driver shortage and because Demand Response riders get higher-priority seating. Rides can be scheduled on FRTA’s website or through a smartphone app.

For more information about FRTA’s services, visit frta.org or call 413-774-2262.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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