Transportation Research

At a well-attended presentation at The Atheneum in December 2009, Norman W. Garrick, an Associate Professor and Director of The Center for Transportation and Urban Planning at the University of Connecticut, praised Nantucket's seasonal bus system and said it was reliable, clean and safe and is rated highly by its users. "The existing bus system is well-run and well-designed," said Dr. Garrick. "I was very impressed when I arrived to begin my work."

Garrick's team was on-island at three different times the summer of 2009, surveying public attitudes towards transportation.Overall,the team gathered the views of 742 people. His report at The Great Hall was a chance for the public to hear some of his conclusions.

"NRTA's system of buses provides a solid foundation for the community as it looks at an interconnected system that includes cars, bicycles and buses." Garrick said. "Paula Leary has done a great job running an efficient system."

In the fall of 2008 the Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel identified a very real need for more and better transportation-related research on Nantucket. ReMain Nantucket through Greenhound acted on ULI's recommendation and, in collaboration with NRTA, developed a research program for the 2009 summer season.

ReMain believes that the UConn survey helped identify strategies to increase the visibility, viability and attractiveness of alternatives to cars, especially in the summer when traffic congestion and parking are problems. ReMain followed up on Garrick's recommendations, outlined in his report summary "A Plan for Growing Transit on Nantucket", by continuing to work with NRTA on enhancing the visibility of the system and by funding research through Nelson/Nygaard on new directions for managed parking.