GLSS awarded $287M MBTA contract to operate THE RIDE

Staff Writer

Wicked Local

GLSS and THE RIDE services residents in Beverly, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Danvers, Everett, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Marblehead, Melrose, Middleton, Nahant, Peabody, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wakefield, Wenham, Wilmington and Winthrop. COURTESY PHOTO

Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) has been awarded a contract of up to $287 million by the MBTA and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to operate THE RIDE transportation service in 27 communities.

THE RIDE is the critical paratransit service provided by the MBTA to ensure equal access to residents with disabilities who are unable to use public transportation.

GLSS was chosen over three other agencies in a competitive bidding process for the North Service Area, resulting in the agency’s securing the biggest contract in its history. The contract was approved at the Mass DOT board of directors meeting in Boston on April 9.

"We are grateful for the MBTA’s having continued faith in the valuable work we do," said GLSS executive director Paul T. Crowley. "As a human-services agency, we take great pride in helping people remain active in the community, and the award of this contract is central to fulfilling our broader mission of helping people with disabilities live independently, safely and with dignity, and stay connected to the people and places that matter to them."

Residents of Beverly are serviced by GLSS and THE RIDE, as are residents in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Danvers, Everett, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Marblehead, Melrose, Middleton, Nahant, Peabody, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Stoneham, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wakefield, Wenham, Wilmington and Winthrop.

Crowley noted that GLSS is a unique transportation contractor for the MBTA in that it is a nonprofit, human-services agency with a clear focus on promoting meaningful social inclusion and access.

"We believe that it’s not just about a ride, it’s about each consumer’s journey," Crowley said in describing GLSS’s overall approach to transportation.

The new contract is a five-year deal for $199 million with an MBTA option for two additional years at $88 million. The dollar totals are based on revenue the contract is projected to generate for GLSS, which is in the last year of a five-year, $145 million contract with the MBTA for THE RIDE. GLSS has been operating THE RIDE in the north region since 1993.

"We are very proud of the fact that we were able to secure this contract through an extremely competitive bidding process," Crowley said, noting that bidders included companies from throughout the country.

Because of the scope of this work, the new contract is expected to lead to the creation of as many as 100 jobs, primarily for drivers, over the next five years, Crowley said.

In 2012, GLSS provided more than 794,000 passenger trips on THE RIDE, including 112,085 to residents of Lynn and 132,028 in Boston. Through the first nine months of the current fiscal year, GLSS has provided more than 503,000 trips.

The MBTA projects the total number of trips to grow from 665,000 in 2015 to 904,000 in 2021, an increase of 36 percent over the life of the contract. Local officials reacted positively to the news of GLSS’ keeping THE RIDE contract.

"This is a perfect example of why investing in our transportation system is vital to our communities," said Sen. Thomas M. McGee of Lynn, chairman of the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation. "We must ensure that people have the access and opportunity to safely get where they need to go through programs such as THE RIDE."

"Without THE RIDE, many on the North Shore would not be able to work, visit with family, frequent businesses or live independently," said Mary Margaret Moore, executive director of the Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann. "GLSS has been a reliable and courteous provider and we are excited at the prospect of these critical paratransit services remaining with GLSS."

The DOT awarded the West Service Area contract, worth $361 million over seven years, to Waltham-based Veterans Transportation, LLC, and the South Service Area contract, at $268 million, to National Express Corporation, a national firm based locally in Dedham. Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville are considered part of all three areas and is serviced by all three providers.

GLSS is the Aging Services Access Point and Area Agency on Aging serving people age 60 and older and adults with disabilities in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus and Swampscott.