Burlington Businesses Seek Lowell Labor With New Shuttle

BURLINGTON, MA — In 2015, having heard from his group's members that transportation was standing in the way of filling hundreds of jobs, Burlington Are Chamber of Commerce President Rick Parker went to state Rep. Ken Gordon and asked for help getting workers from Lowell. There was already an organization providing shuttles to businesses — the Middlesex 3 Transportation Management Association — but those were generally shuttles devoted to individual large organizations. In this case, it was a bunch of smaller businesses, largely restaurants, that only needed a worker or two transported each day, said Gordon.

There are also already Lowell Regional Transit Authority buses, but they run most frequently in the morning, leaving a gap for second-shift restaurant workers. The way to close that gap, having the restaurants pay for seats on a shuttle, was obvious, but it was a "chicken and egg thing," said Gordon. Restaurants wanted seats but didn't want to pay until they need there were employees, and potential workers were interested but didn't want to accept jobs if they didn't know for sure there was a shuttle.

Four years later, the shuttle finally launched this month, on the first. And on Oct. 30, the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "Restaurant Express Job Fair" in Lowell, so that restaurants and potential workers can make use of it.

The chicken and egg problem was solved with state funding: $250,000, for the first two years. Once a four-month pilot period ends, ticket costs will likely increase for restaurants, from $150 per month for one round trip per day, according to Gordon.

"By the time the four months run out, will the restaurants be in the position where they're convinced enough that it's worth investing?" asked Gordon.

Gordon points out that the current rate, $150 for a month of round trips, averages around $2.5 per round trip — cheaper than MBTA fares.

"We know it takes time to build ridership," saidStephanie Cronin, the director of Middlesex 3. "People need to see the shuttle on the road, know they can depend on it, and know it's a reliable way to get to work. It takes time to build that brand, that trust. It's going to take time, even though the need is clear."

Ridership is growing and there are a few local businesses that have been "champions" of the business, buying tickets for their workers or as a way to attract new ones, Cronin said.

"It's also important to realize, these are not just entry-level jobs. There's mobility with many of these restaurant jobs. There's so many great resources in Lowell, and so many of them are geared toward culinary arts and hospitality," she added.

The shuttle is not confined to restaurants; one of the early champions, said Cronin, is the Burlington Marriott. The hotel's general manager, Philip Bond, said they bought multiple seats to help with recruitment, even though they don't have any employees using them currently.

"We have probably a dozen open positions, which we're actively recruiting to try and fill. We think the greater Lowell area is a great place to target. There's a great workforce up there, and it's not an area we've generally hired from," Bond said.

Bond said the shuttle option has already produced interest, and that his hotel plans to be at the job fair at the end of the month.

According to Gordon, there is statewide interest in the shuttle, from other areas where there are mismatches of labor and job pools, citing conversations with multiple state cabinet members.

"This is really a great opportunity for us to demonstrate this is viable program," Gordon said.

Christopher Huffaker: 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com