As the name suggests, GATRA’s 140 route is a bus meant for students at Wheaton College. I checked Wheaton’s website for more information: “The GATRA route 140 schedule is a campus favorite.” Barring the strange inclusion of “schedule” in that sentence, the website definitely makes the route seem appealing. Why, I’ll bet it’s gonna have lots of people! Oh wait…it’s summer. Why do they still run this thing??

What a strange-looking bus. There was no signage at Mansfield, incidentally.

The 140 uses a pretty interesting minibus, although personally I’m not the biggest fan of how it looks on the outside. Still, it seats a lot of people on the inside, and there was even a screen in front! There weren’t announcements, unfortunately (aside from “stop requested”), so the screen just repeated the date and time over and over again. Finally, the bus was pretty quiet, owing to the fact that its wheelchair lift wasn’t too jiggly.

The inside of the bus.

From the station, we headed onto Crocker Street, running alongside a common. We turned onto North Main Street from there, then Old Colony Road. The scenery was mostly apartments, but once we merged back onto North Main, there were businesses everywhere.

Prepare for lots of back views – rear windows are fun!

The street turned into South Main Street at another common, and it got residential south of there. We turned onto Spring Street, and after some more houses and an apartment, there was a short woodsey section where we went over a river. The houses came back after that, and we also passed a cemetery.

Spring Street.

We merged onto School Street, which became quite wide as we passed through a huge intersection. On the other side, we entered the Mansfield Crossing shopping complex. Lots of businesses and parking lots lined the road, culminating in a big parking lot for a mall, through which we looped and picked up no one.

Was there signage? Ha!

We went back the way we came, except this time we turned onto the wide Commercial Street (Route 140). It was basically a highway running through the woods, which became even more so when we merged onto I-495. It was only the distance of a single exit, and a close one at that, but it was still cool to have a bit of an “express” section.

The section on I-495.

We turned onto South Main Street once more at the next exit, intermittently passing random businesses with parking lots. When we entered Norton, the street became Mansfield Ave, and soon after we went by an apartment development on one side of the road. We then reached another mall (Great Woods Plaza), and of course we had to go in and serve it! Hey, wanna guess if there was signage or not? Answer: NO!

Sigh…

We went by a trailer park upon returning to Mansfield Ave, but then the scenery got really nice – for a decently long stretch, the street ran alongside or even over the Norton Reservoir! On the land portions, it was a solid mix between houses, businesses, and industrial buildings.

Beautiful!

After the reservoir, it became mostly houses again. Eventually, we turned onto West Main Street in downtown Norton…if it can be called that. It was basically just a common and a church, with a few businesses down Taunton Ave. We turned onto Howard Street, which was lined with Wheaton College buildings, and reached the last stop (with a sign!). Here, we laid over for a bit before leaving again to return to Mansfield.

Oh boy…this is not a photogenic bus.

GATRA Route: Wheaton T Shuttle/Route 140

Ridership: Look, I’m sure this route gets great ridership when school is in session. Sure, it only gets about 80 people per weekday, but that jumps up to around 130 per Saturday – GATRA’s fifth-busiest route. The 140 even has Sunday service when school is in session, and the Wheaton College website goes as far as to call it a “campus favorite.” But on my summer ride? No one. Not a soul.

Pros: The 140 is a quick link (25 minutes) from Wheaton College to the Commuter Rail, and it serves a number of malls and shopping centers along the way. The schedule can be roughly simplified to every 30 minutes rush hour, every 90 minutes during the day, and every hour on weekends, although it’s really not that consistent.

Cons: Well, firstly, a 25 minute trip means you can easily have a clockface schedule, but the 140 refuses to do this most of the time. I also question the 70 minute layover at Mansfield on Saturdays – it’s clearly for the driver’s break, but having a driver switch would allow for one extra trip. Of course, I consider all of this to apply only to school days, because…WHY DOES THIS ROUTE RUN DURING THE SUMMER?! It’s clearly meant for students, and if my Saturday afternoon round trip was any indication, no one uses this thing during school vacation.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Students seem to use this route mostly for shopping, and you can, too! It serves a few malls, with Mansfield Crossing seeming to be the most interesting one.

Final Verdict: 6/10
There’s certainly no denying that the 140 gets ridership during the school year. But based on my experience (maybe it was a quiet day for one reason or another), no one uses this thing during the summer. The schedule could definitely be toned down when school isn’t in session, and could generally be tinkered with to give the route clockface headways. The 140 is definitely a solid route, but it has a lot of problems that need to be fixed.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

The 15 is the shortest GATRA route in Attleboro, and also the one with the least ridership, not to mention an inconsistent schedule. What is this strange route? Does it get any passengers? Let’s find out.

The bus at the Attleboro Transit Center.

From Attleboro, we went onto Capron Street, going under the Commuter Rail tracks, then turned onto Union Street. The scenery was pretty industrial, although Union Street had a major stop where a few people boarded the bus. We then turned onto Park Street, which was a mix of houses, businesses, and offices, with some variety in the form of the huge Sturdy Hospital.

A side street.

Park Street became residential from there, the street lined with houses. At one point, we went past a factory, a field, and a gas station in quick succession, and there was an apartment complex soon after. From there, we went by a huge chapel called LaSallete Shrine, which is considered a major stop on the route.

The field.

There was a bit of forest after the shrine, then it became houses once again, aside from a fire station and a seafood restaurant at an intersection. It was residential past there, although we also passed a Mass Audubon nature reserve. There were businesses at Oak Hill Ave, though, onto which we turned. We drove down here for a bit before making a u-turn at the Oak Hill Trailer Park, which is the strange last stop on the route.

A nice shelter at Oak Hill.

GATRA Route: 15 (Oak Hill)

Ridership: The 15 is the least-used route in Attleboro on weekdays, with about 35 total passengers, while on Saturdays, it’s the least-used GATRA route in general, with only about 17 riders. My Saturday ride was surprisingly “busy,” though, with about five other people for the total round trip. Perhaps the 2:30 Saturday trip always gets a surge of riders?

Pros: A GATRA route that doesn’t make deviations? Well, that’s a pro right there! I like the 15’s simplicity in general – it’s a short, straight route that gets the job done and gets it done quickly. As for its schedule, the route generally runs every 60-90 minutes on weekdays, while on Saturdays, it has two morning trips and three afternoon trips – it’s not a lot of service, but it makes sense for the route.

Cons: The thing is, the weekday schedule has some odd quirks. You know how I said it “generally” runs every 60-90 minutes? Well, that’s because there are a few places where it can have a headway as close as 25 minutes! Why? What’s the point? Is it just something for the bus to do while it lays over? Seems like a waste of gasoline…

Nearby and Noteworthy: Mass Audubon reservations are always fun for hiking, while the LaSalette Shrine looks beautiful.

Final Verdict: 7/10
Well…it’s a GATRA route, so I’m giving it a break. To be honest, the 15 is hovering at around a 6.5 for me, but I give the GATRA a lot of hate, so I figured I’d round it up. Don’t get me wrong, this route has its problems, but it wins out with its simplicity and pretty sensible headways (aside for the weird tiny ones on weekdays).

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Here’s an alternate way of getting from the Emerald Square Mall to Attleboro. The 12 is theoretically more direct than the 10, but it suffers from “deviation syndrome” up near Emerald Square, and it ends up taking forever just like the 10. Oh well…what GATRA route doesn’t have deviation syndrome?

The Emerald Square Mall busway is a…dark place.

Leaving the Emerald Square Mall, we headed out onto Route 1…and almost instantly hit traffic. Well, no, Route 1 was flowing fine. But, see, we had to make a left turn in order to serve another mall, and since the light was so short and so many other people were heading left, we had to wait for quite a while.

HOORAY ANOTHER MALL!

After serving this mall, I figured we would be able to get back onto Route 1 and get going. But nope! First we had to deviate again to serve Walmart! WOOOOOOOOO! Yes, there were two people that got on, but why do we have to go all the way up to the front door? What’s wrong with boarding from across the parking lot? It was so slow.

Walmart: everybody’s favorite place.

Okay, so we finally returned to Route 1 and continued south. We continued to pass huge stores with big parking lots, but luckily we didn’t have to divert to serve them. There was a bit of an industrial section for a bit, but don’t worry – the malls came back! Indeed, we had to deviate once more to serve Mayfaire Plaza. I swear, these GATRA routes spend more time in parking lots than they do on actual roads.

Something being built, I guess.

We returned to Route 1 for only a little bit before turning onto Newport Ave. All of a sudden, the surroundings became residential, and let me tell you, the route sped up immensely from there. The street became West Street and we passed a water treatment facility, then it became pure woods as we merged onto South Ave.

Some trees.

After a few houses, we went under I-95, and it stayed residential on the other side. We also passed a few housing developments, and luckily we didn’t deviate to serve them. The street then became Thacher Street, but we turned onto County Street at a square of the same name (where there was some retail).

The intersection at County Square.

We went by the nice-looking Capron Park (which has a zoo in it), then the housing became more dense. Soon after passing a school, there were a few more businesses before we turned into the Attleboro Transit Center busway. As this was the last 12 trip of the day, our bus went out of service and the driver drove off.

At least it’s bright now.

GATRA Route: 12 (Attleboro/North Attleboro)

Ridership: On weekdays, this is the GATRA’s third-busiest route, with about 170 average riders. On Saturdays, it jumps up to second-busiest, with around 145 average riders. I took the bus on a Saturday, and there were about 10 people who boarded. That’s not bad for GATRA standards!

Pros: The route basically offers an alternate way of getting from Emerald Square to Attleboro, plus it serves some other malls along the way. To be honest, the residential section from Route 1 to Attleboro doesn’t seem to get many riders, but it does let the bus go pretty fast. The schedule is good, too, with every-hour service on weekdays and Saturdays.

Cons: But…but just like the 10, it still takes forever! The mall deviations are so time-consuming, and we ended up being late getting back to Attleboro. I understand that the deviations get some riders, but they really slow down the route and affect its on-time performance.

Nearby and Noteworthy: The malls, I suppose. Who doesn’t love malls?

Final Verdict: 7/10
Again, this is a good GATRA route that seems to get a good amount of people. It’s slow because of its deviations, but if people use them, I guess that’s fine. Next up, though, we’re looking at another Attleboro route that’s significantly less decent, and is the reason I think GATRA’s Saturday service should be restructured. Stay tuned!

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates

Okay, maybe this one won’t be so bad. The numbered GATRA routes are typically more well-established and get more riders than some of their…other routes. What’s more, the 10 is basically the premiere Attleboro route, so maybe it’ll be good! Maybe it won’t make a bunch of deviations from the main route all the time, and it’ll be nice and direct. Or not.

Hey, at least the bus is nice!

My friend Nathan and I were originally going to use the 16 to get to Rhode Island, but when this beauty of a bus came up, we had to take a ride. It was a brand new New Flyer MiDi, and the inside felt a bit like the second bus I rode in Florence, except more sensibly designed. It felt super modern and looked really great and clean, although the seats were uncomfortable and the stop request bell was very hard to hear. Still, GATRA only has three of these, so it was great to take a ride.

Looking toward the front of the bus.

Leaving from the GATRA terminal at Attleboro Station, we headed up Main Street, passing the main businesses of downtown Attleboro. As we left the center of town, the scenery became a mix of houses and businesses, then we crossed over the Bungay River. We went by a cemetery on the other side and then we turned onto West Street.

Ahh, beautiful downtown Attleboro.

West Street was lined with houses until the intersection with North Ave, where there was a small shopping plaza and some apartments. Coincidentally, we also turned onto North Ave, which was mostly houses for a bit, aside from another development. However, we soon passed a field and an industrial wasteland right across the street from each other, then went under I-95 after another field (connected to a high school).

That’s a GATRA Dial-a-Ride vehicle parked in the field. I wonder what it’s doing there…

After more residential neighborhoods, we turned onto Robert F. Toner Boulevard to make – ugh – a deviation to Triboro Plaza, a shopping mall. But wait…there were two people waiting at the mall! A deviation that actually gets riders? And it had a shelter and signage and everything! Wow, this is a strange concept to grasp, but I like it!

There were two people waiting here? Oh well, more power to them, I guess.

We returned to Robert F. Toner Boulevard, which became Commonwealth Ave. The scenery was pretty varied, with houses, businesses, and a post office along the road. It became Elm Street, where we passed a school and a park, as well as lots more houses. Eventually, we reached the North Attleboro Council on Aging, which we had to – aghhhh – deviate to serve. And yet…one person got on! Okay, 10, you’re two for two so far with deviations.

A park at the Council on Aging.

We made our way back to Elm Street, and after crossing Route 1, we went by some dense apartments and a fire station. We then turned onto Washington Street, which was lined with businesses – this was North Attleboro Center, a place which I did not know existed! Next, we turned onto High Street, which was lined with more houses.

A side street in North Attleboro Center.

But alas! It was a dirty trick! Turns out this whole High Street adventure was just another – AHHHHHH – deviation. This time, it was to serve a housing development, and it got no riders. Nice try, GATRA, nice try.

Some houses near North Attleboro Center.

We made our way back through the center before turning onto…Route 1. Uh-oh. Yes, the road was just lined with really pitty, industrial businesses for a while, interspersed with the occasional housing development or shopping mall. And boy, there really isn’t much else to say. The bus usually diverts into a Stop and Shop, but I’ve taken two trips on the 10 and only one of them included that deviation; it got no one.

These flowers aren’t exactly making the median more pretty…

At one point, someone hit the stop request and the bus pulled over next to the “Pineapple Inn,” the sketchiest-looking highway motel I’ve ever seen. And…two people got off here! And walked toward the inn! People inhabit that place? It was a very strange sight.

The Pineapple Inn, ladies and gentlemen!

We went by some more washed-out businesses, including a huge Showcase Cinemas that seemed deserted. After going under I-295, we turned off into the Emerald Square Mall, which did seem like a decent mall, I’ll admit. However, we navigated to the strangest location for a bus stop – it was underneath the mall’s big parking garage. It was here that the bus became an 11, and Nathan and I just stayed on to continue to Pawtucket.

Here’s another shot in Attleboro, since the bus was signed as an 11 by the time we got to Emerald Square.

GATRA Route: 10 (Attleboro/North Attleboro)