MassDevelopment awards $236K transportation grants to Central Mass. groups

March 12, 2021

MassDevelopment has awarded $236,188 in transportation grants to six Central Mass. organizations through its Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program, the agency announced on Thursday.

The funding program is intended to help expand transportation service capacity through contracts with taxi and livery businesses, according to MassDevelopment.

Projects receiving funding in Central Mass. include:

• Blackstone Valley Education Hub –  $35,500. Funding will be used to contract with All Points Limousine to transport recently released prison inmates to training facilities and job placement programs.
• Clinton Council on Aging – $15,600. Funding will be used to contract with Clinton Livery, Inc., to help provide medical transportation for seniors to locations not served by the Worcester Regional Transit Authority and current Council on Aging vans.
• Open Sky Community Services – $36,800. Funding will be used to contract with J.C. Rides, Inc. to help provide transportation from the Oasis residential program in Douglas to substance abuse disorder treatments centers in Webster and Worcester.
• Shirley Council on Aging – $8,288. Funding will be used to contract with Destination Express to help provide transportation to medical appointments outside of the Council on Aging van service’s geographical area and normal service hours, replacing volunteer drivers.
• Shrewsbury Council on Aging – $40,000. Funding will be used to contract with New Worcester Yellow Cab and Safeway Luxury Transportation to supplement Council on Aging van service for seniors and people with disabilities, serving early-morning, late-evening, and weekend transportation outside of Council on Aging business hours.
• Tri-Valley Inc. – $100,000. Funding will be used to contract with Blackstone Valley Livery, LLC and JYL Transportation to facilitate transportation for seniors and people with disabilities.