Select Board Hears Transit Staffing Warning
Sheffield Select Board heard that its regional transit provider faces a near-total staffing collapse.
Select Board · Meeting of August 3, 2026
Sheffield Select Board heard that its regional transit provider faces a near-total staffing collapse. Tate Coleman, outgoing director of public transportation for Great Barrington, which runs the South County Connector, said the service's 11 budgeted positions will fall to 3.1 full-time equivalents amid his own departure and a hiring freeze from Great Barrington's town manager. Sheffield logged 2,891 rides for 130 riders in fiscal year 2026, but its trip denial rate reached 22 percent in May and June, above the systemwide 17 percent.
The FY27 budget totals $897,640, backed by a $600,000 MassDOT grant; Sheffield's annual contribution is $25,000. Resident Renee Wood said she was "very distressed" and pressed the town on an unfinished intermunicipal agreement, which Town Administrator Doug O'Reilly said remains under review in Great Barrington. The board also previewed an LED streetlight test pilot and left two committee appointments pending.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,589 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of August 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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