The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has awarded a $191,034 grant to fund a bus line connecting Brattleboro, Vt. to Boston through Fitchburg and Worcester as part of an effort to expand transportation access through rural western communities.
The funding comes as part of more than $800,000 to support similar rural bus lines throughout the state. The other routes connect communities such as Albany and Springfield as well as Pittsfield and Boston.
The Worcester route will be operated by Illinois bus provider TrueNorth Travel Solutions. The routes were selected through a competitive process. The grants are one-year contracts that can be renewed pending annual reviews of how well the companies have met goals, including ridership and financial viability.
