The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts requested the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, PVPC, create a tool to list transportation options for residents. Whether from home to work, school, medical appointments even grocery stores, the tool helps residents identify existing options as well as gaps in public transport. We invite you to send your comments regarding gaps in public transport to advocacy@foodbankwma.org.
Ride WMA: Public Transport in Western Mass. Tool
- Resources, Guides, & Toolkits
- Transportation
- Pioneer Valley
Overview
Western Mass Food Bank Transit Coverage Tool Video Tutorials and Instructions
The FBWM transit coverage tool/map (FBWMTCT) has two significant applications for use: as a transit route planning tool for the public and as a municipal/regional planning and advocacy tool.
The FBWMTCT provides a map combining western Massachusetts regional transit routes/schedules/work shift coverage and micro-transit options, in combination with significant points of interest such as major employers, health services, food retailers and food pantries, and their hours of operations.
The FBWMTCT allows you to zoom to a desired location and view the transit route and points of interest data layers as displayed in the legend of the map. Additionally, the data layers displayed on the map can turned on/off and can be selected (clicked on) to get more detailed information on transit routes and points of interest (links to route schedules, business hours of operations, work shifts offered by employers, etc.). For a full list of variables available for viewing and filtering through the tool, please see the data dictionary here.
Overlay Map Example I
If you live in North Adams and want to attend classes at BCC in Pittsfield, you can use the overlay map to view your options to get there and back.
Instructions
- Type your home address into the “Address Finder” in the top left corner of the webpage.
- Zoom out to see available bus routes near your home.
- Check to see if bus routes near your home provide service to BCC in Pittsfield.
- Click on bus routes to BCC in Pittsfield to see the schedules for those routes.
-OR-
- Zoom to BCC in Pittsfield to see bus routes providing service to the college.
- Zoom out to see which BCC service routes will bring you closest to your home.
- Click BCC service routes closest to your home to see the schedules for those routes.
Overlay Map Example II
If you live in Holyoke and are considering taking a second shift job in Chicopee at a specific employer, you can use the overlay map to view your options for public transportation.
- Type your home address into the “Address Finder” in the top left corner of the webpage.
- Zoom out to see available bus routes near your home.
- Check to see if bus routes near your home provide service to your potential employer in Chicopee.
- Look at the Regional Transit Work Shift Coverage layer on the map to see if bus routes connecting from your home/potential employer provide any second shift service coverage.
- Click on bus routes servicing your home/potential employer to see the schedules for those routes.
The FBWMTCT can also be used to select what information from the available data layers is displayed on the map by using “data filter” function in the data tables tab. Combinations of filters can be applied to all the data columns in all the map layers allowing you to see specific scenarios as desired. This feature of the tool may be of particular interest to transit planners and advocates as it allows you to look for gaps in transit coverage relative to points of interest.
Data Filter Function Example I
Use the data filter function to display all major employers of 500 or more who offer second shift work schedules and all transit routes that offer second shift coverage.
Instructions
- Click on the data tables tab at the bottom center of the page to open the data tables window.
- Click on the data layer tab that you wish to apply a filter to.
- Click on the options tab in the top left corner of the data tables window.
- Click on the filter function.
- Click add expression to add specific data filters.
- Select data field to filter from the dropdown box.
- Select an expression (is, is not, is at least, etc.) from the dropdown box.
- Select the desired data field value from the value dropdown box.
- Click “OK”.
Points of Interest Layer
Filter Category Column: “is” Employer
Filter Number of Employees Column: >500
Filter Second Shift Column: “is” Yes
Reginal Transit Routes Layer:
Filter Weekday Second Shift Coverage Column: “is anyof” Select values from dropdown box.
Data Filter Function Example II
Use the data filter function to display all food retailers that are not convenience stores that operate during first shift hours and transit routes with first shift coverage.
Instructions
- Click on the data tables tab at the bottom center of the page to open the data tables window.
- Click on the data layer tab that you wish to apply a filter to.
- Click on the options tab in the top right corner of the data tables window.
- Click on the filter function.
- Click add expression to add specific data filters.
- Select data field to filter from the dropdown box.
- Select an expression (is, is not, is at least, etc.) from the dropdown box.
- Select the desired data field value from the value dropdown box.
- Click “OK”.
Points of Interest Layer
Filter Category Column: “is” Grocery
Filter Grocery Type Column: “is not” Convenience
Filter First Shift Column: “is” Yes
Regional Transit Routes Layer:
Weekday First Shift Column: “is” Drop Off and Pick Up
Data Filter Function Example III
Use the data filter function to display all bus routes with less than 10 grocery stores the route and display all grocery stores and food pantries.
Instructions
- Click on the data tables tab at the bottom center of the page to open the data tables window.
- Click on the data layer tab that you wish to apply a filter to.
- Click on the options tab in the top right corner of the data tables window.
- Click on the filter function.
- Click add expression to add specific data filters.
- Select data field to filter from the dropdown box.
- Select an expression (is, is not, is at least, etc.) from the dropdown box.
- Select the desired data field value from the value dropdown box.
- Click “OK”.
Regional Transit Routes Layer
Filter Sum Grocery Column: <10
Employers & Services Layer:
Filter Category Column: “Is any of” Grocery, Food Pantry
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