Southborough commuters may see new faces on the train next week.
I previously shared news that reverse commuters would be using the Southborough train station to work in Marlborough. What I didn’t realize is that they’d also be shuttling over Marlborough residents to commute to Boston/Worcester via the train.
The bus was initially pursued to collect riders getting off the train in Southborough and shuttle them to workplaces in Marlborough (and of course help them get home at the end of the day). Now it will also aid Marlborough residents who want to ride the Commuter Rail.
The shuttle will be launched on September 16th. The good news is that it only holds 14 passengers per trip.
(I’m presuming that’s not enough to negatively impact Southborough commuters looking for seats. But it’s been many years since I took the train into Boston in the morning. So, tell me if I’m wrong.)
The latest news on the Marlborough shuttle from MassTransit Magazine explains:
City councilors last week signed off on a $200,000 transfer from the city’s economic development account to pay for the service for a year.
The 14-passenger shuttle will pick up residents at the Marlborough Hills mixed-use development on Forest Street and drop them off at the Southborough train station. It will then pick up passengers at the train station and travel to the Apex Center and back to Marlborough Hills. There will be a designated area at Marlborough Hills for shuttle riders to park their cars.
Riders are required to preregister and show proof of residence when boarding the shuttle at Marlborough Hills. There is no fee to ride the shuttle the first year, however, the city could implement a fee in future years.
The shuttle, which will be provided by A&A Metro Transportation, will make three full runs in the morning — beginning at 5:50 a.m. — and three more in the afternoon and evening — beginning at 3:45 p.m.
You can read more here.
(photo by Susan Fitzgerald)
