MWRTA Bringing Free, On-Demand Rides To Natick, Framingham

NATICK, MA — The MetroWest Transit Authority (MWRTA) will debut a new on-demand transit service this weekend in Natick and Framingham, allowing riders to avoid having to wait at bus stops.

The Catch Connect service works similar to rideshare services like Uber and Lyft: riders use an app to select a pickup time, location and destination. The service will be free of charge for now, according to MWRTA, and users will get a $2 credit at signup to use for future rides.

MWRTA launched Catch Connect in Wellesley in February, allowing users to be dropped off anywhere in that town, plus local transit hubs like Green Line stops in Newtown, and Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

In Natick and Framingham, the service will provide rides generally for users in the downtown areas of each community and within the Golden Triangle shopping area along Route 9. To start, Catch Connect will only be available on weekends between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Transit agencies across the country are beginning to provide services like Catch Connect to capture new riders and to provide connections between underserved areas and major transit hubs, like commuter rail stations and bus stops. The MBTA, for example, offers RIDE Flex, which uses Uber and Lyft cars to provide low-cost curb-to-curb service.

To download the Catch Connect app and learn how to use the service in Framingham and Natick, visit the MWRTA website.