That the Director of Economic Development, Director of Mobility, and Director of Parking explore North-South microtransit routes and report to this Council regarding feasibility and cost.

WHEREAS: Somerville has long suffered from a lack of North-South public transportation to connect our community and serve residents, particularly seniors and people with disabilities who have difficulty with long-distance mobility; and WHEREAS: The environmental goals of Somerville require us to reduce reliance on vehicles and encourage large group transport for those that require it; and WHEREAS: The creation of our City’s Bike Network will require a significant reduction in parking throughout the City, which will further incentivize large group transport, particularly to local businesses that currently rely on parking for a significant share of their revenue; and WHEREAS: The MBTA has proposed eliminating three critical bus routes (formerly trolley routes), which will increase the difficulty of transportation in Somerville if enacted; and WHEREAS: Several councilors have expressed interest in the creation of microtransit routes that can provide our residents with the opportunity to reach critical services such as food, medicine, and family locally; and WHEREAS: Cities like Salem, which are larger and have smaller budgets than Somerville, currently use microtransit routes through partnership with the company Via Transportation; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED: That the Economic Development, Mobility, and Traffic Departments coordinate with Via Transportation to determine the feasibility of a pilot program that would allow North-South microtransit routes for residents in Somerville; AND BE IT FURTHER ORDERED: That these departments, as well as any other relevant stakeholders, present a report to the council after an exhaustive review to demonstrate what a potential pilot might look like, its cost, and its feasibility.