CTI YouthBuild is piloting a new approach to helping low-income youth access jobs to help them move out of poverty: paying for drivers' education and licensing fees. Thanks to a grant from Kronos, YouthBuild will be able to pay fees for 10 participating youth this year.

 

YouthBuild serves at-risk youth from Lowell between the ages of 16 and 24. Through the program, participants study for their High School Equivalency Test, receive vocational training in a carpentry/construction or culinary/hospitality track, and study life skills - including financial literacy. Participants graduate the program with industry-recognized certifications, but many do not have access to a car and are therefore limited to jobs that are on the bus line and shifts that are within the bus operating hours, as relying on taxis, Uber, or Lyft can be prohibitively expensive.

 

Recognizing that many restaurant and construction opportunities in the region are not accessible by bus, or have early morning or night hours, YouthBuild program staff identified transportation as a barrier they wanted to address. They learned from participants that drivers' education and related fees can add up to $900 - an insurmountable sum for many. YouthBuild came up with the idea of covering these costs for participants, and Program Director Siobhan Sheehan successfully pitched the idea to employees of Kronos, a local company that funds initiatives through its GiveInspired program.

 

CTI is currently identifying a drivers' education school and plans to offer the classes in October so that students can be driving by the time they graduate YouthBuild in December. The financial coaching already incorporated into the program will help participants save to buy a car and pay insurance.

A Western Massachusetts Transportation Forum held in Northampton on September 13 drew stakeholders from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties, including the Administrators of all three Western Mass Regional Transit Authorities and a number of state representatives and senators. After opening remarks from two transit riders, State Senator Eric Lesser delivered a keynote speech. The majority of the forum was devoted to a lightning round: nine five-minute talks highlighting efforts underway to expand mobility, including community transportation services such as the Hilltown Easy Ride and Quaboag Connector, public transit, and rail initiatives including the Valley Flyer. At the end, attendees broke into small groups to share their reactions and discuss opportunities for enhancing mobility in the future. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts organized the forum, in partnership with other regional and statewide organizations.

In advance of a change in software coming later this fall, The MBTA's RIDE has published an explanation for riders, as well as an FAQ. They also mailed this information to all RIDE customers.