MTA to Announce New Stop, New Service, New Signs for Green DASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gemma Waite French
Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
Direct: (603) 792-4119
Mobile: (207) 831-0329
gemmaf@manchester-chamber.org
MTA TO ANNOUNCE NEW STOP, NEW SERVICE, NEW SIGNS FOR GREEN DASH
Press conference to be held January 18 at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
Manchester, NH (January 13, 2012)—The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Manchester Transit Authority will present the latest information on the city’s downtown circulator, the Green DASH, the city’s first hybrid bio-diesel circulator bus on Wednesday, January 18 at 10 a.m. at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce offices at 54 Hanover Street in downtown Manchester. Reporters and attendees will learn about the success of the Green DASH as it reaches the half-way point in its grant funding cycle. Ridership information will be released along with information about the economic impact, environmental impact, re-brand efforts. Also, a new stop, new service, new signs and new sponsorship opportunities will be outlined. Those in attendance will be invited to tour and ride the Green DASH.
The Green DASH went into service as the “Downtown Circulator” on August 1, 2010. The free bus services Manchester’s Central Business District. Buses run Monday through Friday, every ten minutes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., passengers can “hop on” or “hop off” anywhere along the route. The bus is an asset to those looking to easily and quickly travel between Manchester’s Mill Yard and Elm Street. While on its route, the Green DASH passes within one city block of 108 businesses located in Downtown Manchester.
Initially the free bus was a mystery to many who saw the wrapped vehicle riding around Manchester’s central business district. In February of 2011 the Manchester Transit Authority looked to the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Committee to assist with a re-brand of the bus to increase ridership and visibility of the vehicle. The Downtown Committee came up with the name—Green because the vehicle is hybrid electric and DASH which stands for Downtown Area SHuttle. The committee also brought in Chamber member, MESH Interactive Agency, based in Nashua, to design a new wrap for the bus. The rebranding was aimed at making the vehicle more inviting to passengers and more visible to the public. The new vehicle design provides transparent windows, brighter colors, and greater emphasis on hybrid technology; it also better promotes that the service is free to ride.
“This partnership between the Manchester Transit Authority and the Chamber’s Downtown Committee is a great example of the type of economic development work we do at the Chamber,” says Robin Comstock, President and CEO, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. “Through this partnership we hope to encourage more people to get outside during their lunch hour, run errands, visit local businesses and grab a bite to eat. It’s safe, it’s free and it’s a huge asset to our downtown,” says Comstock.
The Green DASH was funded through a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant which provided funding for the vehicle for three years (August 2010-September 2013). The bus is 80 percent federally funded through the grant, with a 20% local match ($45,000) provided by Manchester’s Parking Division revenue. No public tax dollars are used to fund the Green DASH. In its first 14 months of service the Green Dash served 32,320 riders. Since the re-brand in September of 2011 ridership is up nine percent, rising from 1,689 passengers per month to 1,845 passengers per month.
“We are so grateful to have the support of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the committed people who serve on the Chamber’s Downtown Committee,” says Michael Whitten, Executive Director, Manchester Transit Authority. “You can do these types of things alone, but it is so much more successful when you have the input and support from local businesses and the community,” says Whitten.
The Green DASH is a hybrid electric bus, the first in a public transit fleet in New Hampshire. The bus has a diesel component in its engine, which runs on B-20 biodiesel providing additional environmental benefits. This type of shuttle reduces vehicle starts by 86 per day and vehicle miles traveled downtown by 152 miles according to air quality analysis done by Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission.
Agenda
10:00 a.m.
Welcome – Robin Comstock, President & CEO, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
10:05 a.m.
Mayor’s Remarks – Mayor Ted Gatsas, City of Manchester
10:10 a.m.
Green DASH news and update — Michael Whitten, Executive Director, Manchester Transit Authority
10:20-10:45 a.m.
Public and Media ride along on the Green DASH
About the Manchester Transit Authority: The MTA was established by the State of New Hampshire on May 1, 1973 to provide mass transit service for the community. In addition to public transportation, the MTA provides pupil transportation for the Manchester School District. For more information visit www.mtabus.org.
About the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce: Incorporated in 1911, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) is the largest business organization in the greater Manchester area, focusing its efforts primarily on Manchester and the surrounding communities of Auburn, Bedford, Candia, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Litchfield, Londonderry, and Merrimack. It is the Chamber’s mission to be the leading force in the improvement of the business environment, the economic health and the general vitality of the region. The GMCC provides members with marketing opportunities, economic indicators, legislative bulletins, and representation in both local and state government. For more information visit
www.manchester-chamber.org.
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