2023-07-12-AHTC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

July 12th AHTC meeting brought to order 9.05 Participants present :Sally,Howard,Varda,Susan,Joe,Bridger,Deepika Sharon was unavailable Deepika:reported on her daughter and her friend’s trip the previous evening on Lexpress to the Mall.The trip was ‘Nice,clean bus,very polite driver ’.The bus was empty but for them.The trip took 25 minutes.The girls were given a ride home by parents,as the last bus ride is at 6.30pm. They would not ordinarily take the Lexpress as it takes longer if someone can drive them to their destination.If no one is available to drive them they would rather just go to Lexington center. Most shopping these days by this generation is on the internet so the reasons to go to teh Mall are few.It may be more important for the middle schoolers. Bridger:focus on the budget with Carolyn and on getting the info out.Varda came to the same conclusion on school bus financing and effectiveness.We need the budget and the details to unpack the financing.And challenge the group on the actual report itself and outline.Folks are continuing to read the content on the shared file and start answering the questions before us. Susan:TAC had a very productive meeting and something to look through the information on the shared file.The new pass has been selling since July 1st and about 101 have sold at the new rate. Howard:sent out an email broadcast at Lexington to home members and shared their thoughts and needs etc.WIth the same email.Similar email with the contact at brookhaven Deepika :Update on Sean and zoom link and email account.We have updated the town website,and have an email now attached to the AHTC where folks can send their feedback. Sally:All the other transit systems around the countries.Lexington appears to be doing better. Her work on the spreadsheet is almost over.All fixed routes have to have a paratransit by law (Lexconnect and one option from MBTA).The only other two groups are demand response or dial a ride works better on a fixed system.Taking a lot of phone calls and fixed routes do loops around and back.And fixed routes systems have many times zero riders coming back. Howard commented that the question of “expense”or “affordability”be deferred when evaluating whether to recommend the adoption of an “on-demand”or “direct response’’(DR)micro transit option as a solution to the ‘1st mile/last mile’problem for senior residents who no longer drive. He observed that those concepts are ‘relative’and are affected by the value parameters of the “deciders”–in this case,the Select Board.Instead,the committee’s focus should be directed at: 1)whether there is a demonstrable need for the option;2)are there alternative mechanisms to provide the option;and 3)if so,which alternative should the Town explore.