Last year, Merrimack Valley Transit invited legislators to meet with them. I put up my hand and asked, “Could we have a bus between Newburyport and Lawrence?” The director, Noah Berger, said “Yes!” 

We went to work on the #11 bus route. Representative Estela Reyes pointed out how many Lawrence residents rely on medical specialties in Newburyport.  Theater in the Open reached out because it needs transit for their collaboration with an arts group in Lawrence. And the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce advocated for help with workforce transit by hosting meetings and creating surveys. Together we put forth a unified plan to connect Lawrence, Haverhill, and Newburyport along a corridor with few public transportation options.