Community Transportation News

February 2026

If you have comments or questions about community transportation in Massachusetts, please reach out to us anytime at massmobility@dot.state.ma.us. Please do not reply to this newsletter, as your email will bounce.

Welcome to the February issue of Community Transportation News:

Lots of exciting work is happening across the state to improve public transit connectivity between regions! In late January, the Link413 launched with service that connects the regions of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, and Franklin Regional Transit Authority with longer distance commuter bus. This service will improve connectivity between these three regions by providing service from Pittsfield to North Adams, North Adams to Greenfield (with intermediary stops), and Pittsfield to Northampton (with intermediary stops). While the service just launched, it already has a song composed about it!

The Access and Mobility Working Group also met last month to discuss funding for a Regional Mobility Manager Program. In the current difficult funding environment, we appreciate the willingness of the group to engage in both short- and longer-term strategies for funding. The group will continue to meet over the next six months to look at structuring a system of Regional Mobility Managers and to engage with each other around transportation needs and challenges across the state.

Stay in touch,
Maria Foster, Statewide Mobility Lead

In this issue

• Upcoming Webinars
• MassDOT Innovations Conference
• Resource Guides
• Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Webinars

Register for this webinar hosted by National Rural Transit Assistance Program to re-introduce the updated National RTAP Volunteer Driver Program Toolkit. This Guide for starting or expanding volunteer driver programs “offers practical direction, best practices, and lessons learned from programs across the country.” The webinar will feature a panel that will share insights, case studies, and resources to help agencies strengthen mobility through volunteer transportation. The webinar will take place on February 12th at 2PM.

Hosted by the Transportation Research Board, the webinar titled Improving Mobility in Rural and Tribal Communities, will highlight practices aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness in providing mobility options in rural areas. Presenters will share examples, lessons learned, and practical considerations to help agencies better respond to the diverse mobility needs of rural and tribal communities. This webinar will take place on February 25 from 11-12pm.

MassDOT Innovations Conference

Early Registration is now open for the the annual MassDOT Transportation Innovation Conference, May 5-6, 2026. The conference provides a forum for innovative transportation systems, management ideas, and initiatives. Each year, the conference provides an important opportunity for transportation practitioners to share knowledge, sponsor peer-to-peer learning, and collaborate on issues of mutual interest.

Resource Guides

Enhancing Digital Literacy for Older Adults
The Executive Office of Aging and Independence has published its Enhancing Digital Literacy for Older Adults playbook. This resource includes lessons learned from a two year grant that sought to remove barriers to accessing technology for older adults. The grant provided funds to 24 organizations for both technology devices and training. This resource could potentially support community transportation providers, travel trainers, and mobility managers as they work with riders on new digital transportation tools including trip booking, planning and bus tracking apps and web sites. 

National Disability Institute Vehicle Guides
This resource guide from the National Disability Institute, Need an Accessible Vehicle? Funding and Affordable Financing Options provides clear information on how to reduce the cost of purchasing or modifying an accessible vehicle. The Guide, Selecting or Upfitting a Vehicle for Accessibility, discusses choosing or customizing a vehicle to meet individual mobility needs.

Funding Opportunities

The 2026 Health Foundation of Central MA Activation Fund is now open! This grant program from the Health Foundation of Central MA, provides support for discrete, one-year projects designed to help organizations in Central Massachusetts build capacity and effectiveness. Funding requests considered include, but are not limited to: discrete capital projects/equipment and technology purchases; one-time, train-the-trainer professional development activities; and program planning or bridge funding for initial implementation costs of new programs or service areas, provided funding is identified for sustainability beyond the grant period. Phase 1 Materials are due on March 1. 

AARP's Livable Communities Challenge Grant is now open. With a due date of March 4th at 5:00PM, the Challenge Grant funds quick action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections and more.

The Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds grant period is now open, with applications due on March 31st. The funds support community-centered approaches that disrupt barriers to health and root causes including structural racism, poverty, and deep power imbalances. The three areas of focus for the funds are Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change(PSE), Healthy Aging, and Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP).

Keep in touch!

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