The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced the release of the People and Transportation Project Report, a groundbreaking community-based participatory study that offers new insights into the lived experiences of residents using the transportation system in the Springfield region.

To carry out the project, MassDOT worked with The MassINC Polling Group (MPG), a public opinion research firm based in Boston and Northampton, and Way Finders, a non-profit community development corporation headquartered in Springfield. Together, they surveyed over 1,600 Way Finders clients and held eight focus groups. MPG also ran a separate survey of 600 residents of Hampden and Hampshire counties making less than $75,000 per year. Way Finders staff played a key role in every step of the project, from helping to design and lead focus groups through writing the survey, sharing it with clients, and analyzing the results.

Perhaps the most striking finding of the research is how much the cost transportation is weighing on these lower-income residents. About half (49%) of low-income residents in Hampden and Hampshire counties in Western Massachusetts report that their monthly transportation expenses are a burden. Among those getting help from Way Finders, that number rises to 80%. Nearly half (49%) of Way Finders clients say their transportation costs are a “very big burden.” A majority (62%) of Way Finders clients say they have missed paying other bills due to the cost of transportation, and 75% have been unable to afford to get where they needed to be.

The report also found:

• Driving is the dominant travel mode in both surveys. Way Finders clients are much more likely to have only one car, and most say they could not afford a major repair or borrow another car if needed.
• More than 80% of Way Finders clients have been negatively affected by problems with transportation, including being late for or missing appointments (54%), being late for work or school (36%), skipping medical care (31%), and being stranded somewhere (25%).
• Getting to Boston is a particular challenge for people in both surveys, especially for medical appointments. Most people in both surveys say they would be likely to ride West-East Rail to Boston.
• Most people in both surveys support continuing fare free service on the PVTA, and most Way Finders clients say that fare-free buses would make them likely to ride more than they do now.

MassDOT will use the findings to help plan transportation projects that better meet community needs. Way Finders will use the data to better understand the transportation challenges its clients face and improve its services to help them overcome barriers to economic opportunity.

o view the report, visit https://www.mass.gov/the-people-and-transportation-project.