Clark student is all business when it comes to buses

Garren Kalter ’21, M.S. ’22, has a plan to transform public transit in Worcester.

The urban geography and economics double major developed a comprehensive operations analysis for his honors thesis that outlines ways to improve Worcester Regional Transit Authority bus service while reducing operating costs.

Kalter notes that a trip by bus currently takes about 277% longer than a trip by car. The WRTA only offers full service on weekdays, with the most frequent buses arriving at 30-minute intervals. By reconfiguring the WRTA network, reducing redundancies, and implementing several one-time improvements, Kalter found that each bus line could provide higher quality service — with a path toward 10-minute frequencies, 18-hour-a-day service, and full service each day of the week. He explains how in the accompanying video.

Kalter plans to present his final report to the Worcester City Council this fall.