Audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (August 23, 2023)

This is a Massachusetts State Auditor performance audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority covering October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021.

“In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) for the period October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021.”

Auditors checked whether FRTA provided ADA-required paratransit rides on time and whether it properly handled ADA paratransit complaints.

“In this performance audit, we determined whether FRTA delivered paratransit services required by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) on time in accordance with federal law and FRTA procedures.”

FRTA provides transportation in many western Massachusetts communities, including services for riders whose disabilities prevent them from using regular fixed-route buses.

“FRTA provides transportation services to 41 cities and towns in Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties: Ashfield, Bernardston, Blanford, Buckland, Charlemont, Chester, Chesterfield, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Goshen, Granville, Greenfield, Hatfield, Hawley, Heath, Huntington, Leyden, Middlefield, Montague, Montgomery, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Plainfield, Rowe, Russell, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Southampton, Southwick, Warwick, Wendell, Westampton, Whately, and Worthington.”

If you rely on FRTA paratransit, the audit says FRTA was on track with the specific on-time service and complaint-response rules the auditors tested.

“Below is a list of our audit objectives, indicating each question we intended our audit to answer and the conclusion we reached regarding each objective.”

The main problem found was not with rides or complaints, but with missing cybersecurity training for people with system access.

“During the two-year audit period, none of FRTA’s 23 employees and contractors completed cybersecurity awareness training.”

The auditor recommended that FRTA make sure employees and contractors complete cybersecurity training when they start and every year after that.

“FRTA should ensure that its employees and contractors complete initial and annual cybersecurity awareness training.”

The cybersecurity gap matters because weak training can increase the risk of cyberattacks and damage to FRTA’s finances or reputation.

“Without educating all its employees and contractors on their responsibility to protect information assets, FRTA is exposed to a higher risk of cybersecurity attacks and financial and/or reputational losses.”

Paratransit means special transit service for people with disabilities that is meant to be comparable to regular fixed-route transit service.

“Each public entity operating a fixed route system shall provide paratransit or other special service to individuals with disabilities that is comparable to the level of service provided to individuals without disabilities who use the fixed route system.”