MassDevelopment grants $1.5M to Central Mass. for transit initiatives

Read the original article in Worcester Business Journal

By Timothy Doyle

MassDevelopment made 18 grants totalling more than $1.5 million to businesses, cities, towns, and nonprofit organizations in Central Massachusetts, as part of its Taxi, Livery & Hackney Transportation Partnership Grant Program.

Statewide the program meant to improve transportation around Massachusetts awarded 42 grants totalling almost $4.6 million.

The program provides funding for entities that coordinate transportation services to contract with taxi, livery, or hackney businesses for transportation and delivery needs as well as institutional programs and non-emergency medical transportation initiatives, according to a Monday press release from MassDevelopment.

A second program, the Taxi and Livery Business Support Program, supports small businesses in the taxi, livery, and hackney industries. This program supplied 88 grants statewide for a total of $2.4 million, including just over $100,000 to Central Massachusetts businesses.

“Local economies are strengthened when residents and visitors have access to a range of affordable and reliable transportation options,” Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who serves as chair of MassDevelopment’s board of directors, said in the press release.

The following Central Massachusetts entities received funding from Taxi, Livery & Hackney Transportation Partnership Grant Program:

Open Sky Community Services, Inc. in Worcester received $250,000.

• Tri Valley, Inc. in Dudley received $250,000.
• The City of Marlborough received $250,000.
• Montachusett Regional Transit Authority in Fitchburg received $250,000.
• Towns of Sudbury, Acton, Bolton, and Stow received $222,336.
• Framingham Council On Aging – Callahan Center received $69,254.
• Shrewsbury Council on Aging received $60,000.
• Wayland Council on Aging received $35,620.
• Hopkinton Council on Aging received $35,618.
• Clinton Council On Aging received $31,000.
• Natick Council on Aging received $26,730.
• Holliston Senior Center received $21,500.
• Shirley Council on Aging received $20,000.
• Sherborn Council on Aging received $6,900.

These four businesses received funding from the Taxi and Livery Business Support Program:

• Able Limousine Inc. in Hopkinton received $35,000.
• Blackstone Valley Livery LLC in Uxbridge received $30,000.
• Knights Airport Limousine Service, Inc. in Shrewsbury received $30,000.
• Tommy’s Taxi, Inc. in Framingham received $7,900.

MassDevelopment, the state’s development finance agency and land bank, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the commonwealth.