Pioneer Valley Transit Authority

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus #3401 at the UMass Transit Services garage in Amherst.
Founded 1974
Headquarters 2808 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01107
Locale Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts
Service area Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.
Service type Local bus transit
Hubs
  • Springfield Bus Terminal
  • Holyoke Intermodal Center
  • Northampton Academy of Music
  • UMass Haigis Mall & Fine Arts Center
Fleet 174 buses, 144 vans
Annual ridership 11.5 million (2012)
Operator See organizational structure below
Chief executive Mary MacInnes (administrator)
Website Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
University of Massachusetts Transit

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) oversees and coordinates public transportation in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Currently the PVTA offers fixed-route bus service as well as paratransit service for the elderly and disabled. The PVTA was created by Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws in 1974. It is based in Springfield, Massachusetts and serves Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.

Organizational structure

As per Section 25, Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws, regional transit authorities in Massachusetts are not permitted to directly operate their service, but must instead contract with other entities to operate the buses. As such, the PVTA contracts with two entities to provide fixed-route service in the service area:[1] First Transit and UMass Transit Services. The contractors run semi-autonomous garages that act as vehicle depots for the surrounding areas.[2]

Springfield Area Transit Company

The Springfield Area Transit Company (SATCo) operates the southern portion of PVTA's service area, servicing Hampden County. The SATCo, located at 2808 Main Street in Springfield, is managed by First Transit. PVTA's headquarters are also housed at this same location. All SATCo fixed-route buses are numbered in the 1000 series, except for the Palmer and Ware shuttle buses, numbered in the 5000 series along with other vans. Springfield PVTA transports more than 9 million passengers annually.

Fleet (Fixed Route Vehicles)

Manufacturer/ Model Order Year Series
(Qty.)
Powertrain Notes
Gillig Advantage 40' 2005 1310 (1) Cummins ISB/ Allison Ep40 Active
Gillig Advantage 29' 2006 1401-1407 (7) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2006 1618-1621 (4) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2007 1630-1636 (7) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2007 1640-1649 (10) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 35' 2008 1550-1569 (20) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2008 1650-1659 (10) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 35' 2010 1570-1578 (9) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2010 1660-1664 (5) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40 2011 1801-1805 (5) Cummins ISB/ BAE E-Series HybriDrive Active

Builder's Plate reads XD40

New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 2011 1701 (1) Cummins ISL9/ Allison B400R6 * Active
  • Designated for the R24: Paper City Express
New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 2012 1810-1818 (9) Cummins ISL9/ Allison B400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 2014 1830-1849 (20) Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 2015 1710-1714 (5) Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 Active

UMass Transit Services

UMass Transit Services operates PVTA's routes through the Five Colleges area in eastern Hampshire County and neighboring towns, with most of the routes centered around UMass Amherst, the largest ridership generator in the service area. UMass Transit Services is a department within the University of Massachusetts Amherst.[3] The UMass Transit garage is located on-campus at 255 Governors Drive, Amherst. All UMass Transit fixed-route buses are numbered in the 3000 series. UMass Transit is a student-based organization with more than 90% of the employees (i.e. bus drivers, mechanics, dispatchers) being UMass students. Amherst PVTA is operated by one of the oldest student driver groups in the country, having been founded in 1969 as a demonstration grant from the Urban Mass Transit Administration. Today, UMass Transit Services operates 10 routes with a fleet of 40 transit vehicles (35' - 60'). Service runs 12 months a year, 20 hours per day, seven days per week, and is driven by over 150 student operators. UMass Transit Services Amherst PVTA transports more than 3.5 million passengers annually.

Fleet (Fixed Route Vehicles)

Manufacturer/ Model Order Year Series
(Qty.)
Powertrain Notes
TMC RTS T80-606 1990 1070 (1) Detroit Diesel Series 92/ Allison VR-731 Active

Used for special events only

NovaBus RTS T80-606 1995 3030, 3040 (2) Detroit Diesel Series 50/ Allison VR-731 Active

Used for special events only

NovaBus RTS T70-206 1995 1109 Detroit Diesel Series 50/ Allison VR-731 Active

Used for special events only Ex-SATCo unit

Gillig Advantage 40' 2006 3201-3205 (5) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2007 3211-3215,3221-3225 (5) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2010 3226-3228 (3) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40 2011 3301-3305 (2) Cummins ISB/ BAE E-Series HybriDrive Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 2011 3306-3310 (5) Cummins ISL9/ Allison B400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XDE60 2013 3401-3402 (2) Cummins ISL9/ Allison EP50 Active

First articulated vehicles outside of Boston in Massachusetts

New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 2014 3311-3315 Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 Active

Valley Area Transit Company

The Valley Area Transit Company (VATCo) operates the central portion of PVTA's service area. All of its routes originate from Northampton, providing connections to the UMass Transit service areas via Route 9, and to the SATCo service area on the other side of the Mount Tom Range via Routes 5 and 10. VATCo, located at 54 Industrial Drive in Northampton, is managed by First Transit. All VATCo fixed-route buses are numbered in the 7000 series, except Easthampton-Nashawannuck vans, which are numbered in the 5000 series.

Fleet (Fixed Route Vehicles)

Manufacturer/ Model Order Year Series
(Qty.)
Powertrain Notes
Gillig Advantage 29' 2006 7401-7403 (3) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2008 7550-7552 (3) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2006 7604 (1) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2007 7610 (1) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
Gillig Advantage 40' 2008 7660-7662 (3) Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 2011 7801-7802 (2) Cummins ISL9/ Allison B400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 2012 7811-7815 (5) Cummins ISL9/ Allison B400R6 Active
New Flyer Xcelsior XDE60 2013 7901-7902 (2) Cummins ISL9/ Allison EP50 Active

First articulated vehicles outside of Boston in Massachusetts

Ford E-350 2007(?) 5574 Engine Unknown/Transmission Unknown Active
Used only on the Nashwannuck Express
Ford E-450 2014(?) 1204 Engine Unknown/Transmission Unknown Active

Used only on the X98 Crosstown

Paratransit

ADA paratransit service is provided by Hulmes Transportation for the entire service area, except for the University of Massachusetts, for which UMass Transit Services provides ADA paratransit service for university members. (Non-UMass members are services by Hulmes.) All paratransit vehicles are numbered in the 5000 series.

Routes

Hampden County

These routes are all operated by SATCo.

Route Route Name Notes
Green 1[4] Chicopee Big Y / Sumner Avenue - Allen Street
Green 1e[5] Sumner Express (Discontinued)
Green 2[6] Carew Street / Belmont Avenue - East Longmeadow
Green 3[7] Springfield Plaza / King St - Westford Cir.
Blue 4[8] Plainfield Street
Green 5[9] Dickinson Street / Maple / Longmeadow Connects with CT Transit Hartford's 905E-Enfield Express route.
Blue 6[10] Ludlow via Bay
Blue 7[11] State St. - Boston Road / Eastfield Mall
Red 10[12] Westfield / Westfield State University
Purple 11[13] Holyoke Community College Express
Blue 12[14] Stonybrook Express (Hampden County
Correctional Facility at Stonybrook)
Red 14[15] Feeding Hills
Red 14E[15] Agawam Industrial Park / Heritage Nursing Home Express
Blue 17[16] Eastfield Mall via Worthington St & Wilbraham Rd
Purple 20[17] Holyoke via Riverdale / Holyoke Mall (also Holyoke Mall via I-91 Express)
Purple 21[18] Holyoke via Chicopee Center (also Holyoke via I-391 Express)
Blue 23[19] Holyoke / Westfield via Holyoke Community College
Red 24[20] Holyoke Shuttle
Red 27[21] Wilbraham / Eastfield Mall
Red 29[22] Holyoke Mall / Amherst via Route 116 Serves Mt. Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College and UMass.
WS[23] Ware Shuttle Connects to Palmer Village van
PV[24] Palmer Village Connects to B7 and B17 routes
OWL[25] Westfield State University Shuttle Connects to R10

Route Red 10 Shuttle: Westfield Center & Westfield State University: http://pvta.com/schedules/R10.pdf http://pvta.com/schedules/R10S.pdf

X90A Inner-City Crosstown. Replaces the Green 19. Serves Downtown Holyoke, New Ludlow Road, Memorial Drive, Springfield Plaza, Armory St, Walnut St, White St. and Big Y in East Longmeadow.
X90B Inner-City Crosstown. Replaces the Red 22. Serves Downtown Holyoke, Willimansett, Grattan St, Springfield Plaza, Armory St, Walnut St, White St. and Big Y in East Longmeadow. http://pvta.com/schedules/X90.pdf

X92 Mid-City Crosstown: Route serves Mill Street, Island Pond Rd, Independence House and East Springfield Memorial Industrial Park. Replaces the former route Green 8: http://pvta.com/schedules/X92.pdf

South Hadley Tiger Shuttle: Formerly the Route Red 25. Bus services South Hadley, Mount Holyoke College, and the Holyoke Transportation Center. http://pvta.com/schedules/TT.pdf

University of Massachusetts

These routes are operated by UMass Transit Services.

Route Route Name Notes
Route 30[26] North Amherst / Old Belchertown Road
Route 31[27] Sunderland / South Amherst
Route 33[28] Puffer's Pond via UMass and Cushman Center / Big Y and Stop & Shop via UMass and Amherst Center
Route 34[29] Campus Shuttle (Northbound): Mullins Center via Computer Science Building / Orchard Hill via Sylvan
Route 35[30] Campus Shuttle (Southbound): Orchard Hill via Butterfield / Mullins Center via Southwest
Route 36[31] Olympia Drive / Atkins Farm
Route 38[32] UMass-Haigis Mall / Amherst College / Hampshire College / Mount Holyoke College
Route 39[33] Smith College / Hampshire College (Evening 39E: Smith/Hampshire/Mount Holyoke)
Route 45[34] UMass / Belchertown Center via Gatehouse Rd
Route 46[35] UMass / South Deerfield Center / Whately Park & Ride

Northampton

All of these routes are operated by VATCo, and hub around the Academy of Music Theatre in downtown Northampton. VATCo only operates the daytime E runs on the O39 route; all other O39 trips are operated by UMass Transit.

Route Route Name Notes
Maroon 40E[36] Minuteman Express via Routes 9 and 116 (Smith College / UMass)
Red 41[37] Northampton / Holyoke Community College & Holyoke Mall via Easthampton Additional service to Easthampton available on the NE van.
Red 42[38] Northampton / Williamsburg
Blue 43[39] Northampton / Hadley / Amherst
Red 44[40] Florence Heights/Northampton/Hampshire Plaza/
Hampshire County Correctional Facility
Blue 48[41] Northampton / Veterans Park / Holyoke Mall Transfer to P20 at Holyoke Transportation Center for service to Holyoke Mall. Connects with FRTA bus to Greenfield.
NE[42] Easthampton Nashawannuck Express

X98 Crosstown Route services Downtown Northampton, Hampshire Plaza and River valley Market. http://pvta.com/schedules/X98.pdf

Connections

PVTA offers connections to the following regional transportation agencies, weekdays only:

Fares

One way

One-way fixed-route fares are noted below. NOTE: UMass Amherst buses (3000-series) do not have fareboxes and operate via a proof-of-payment system (see UMass Transit buses below).

Adults 13 and older Children 6 to 12 Children under 6 Seniors 60 and older Transfer
$1.25 $0.75 Free $0.60 $0.25

Passes

All passes are good through the end of the service day.

1-Day Pass 7-Day Pass 31 Day Pass
$3.00 $12.50 $45.00
($43 with Big Y card at Big Y stores)

UMass transit routes

PVTA buses operated by UMass Transit operate via a proof-of-payment system. See here for more details.

Ridership increase

Ridership is up 12% in September 2014 and 9% in October.[43] Springfield mayor Domenic Sarno stated that people who choose to live without a car in city centre in market rate housing can step out and get transit virtually everywhere in New England.

Accounting errors investigation

An audit in 2005 revealed that the PVTA made approximately $10 million in accounting errors on a transportation development project at Springfield's Union Station. Initial reports said PVTA could owe the federal government as much as $4 million.[44] That amount was reduced in 2009 to less than $1 million.[45] A federal probe in 2006 also targeted some PVTA employees. Subsequently, Administrator Gary Shepard resigned in 2006 after being put on leave by the Advisory Board, but he was never charged with any offense.[46][47]

Holiday and school break service

References

  1. "PVTA Annual Report". Pvta.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20100726170348/http://www.pvta.com/maps.php. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Transit - Transportation Services - UMass Amherst". Umass.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  4. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101011092116/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G1.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127114858/http://pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G1Express.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101011173824/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G2.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115626/http://pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G3.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115611/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B4.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127114529/http://pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G5.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115121/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B6.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101011092006/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B7.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20100821074256/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R10.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20110719030451/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/P_Lines/P11.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115503/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B12.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. 1 2 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127120510/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R14.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127120946/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B15_17.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20100821121159/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/P_Lines/P20.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101011083559/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/P_Lines/P21.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115419/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B23.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127113037/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R24.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115225/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R27.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20120710083109/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R29.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20131219013023/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/Other/Ware.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20131219015122/http://www.pvta.com/schedules/Other/Palmer.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115405/http://pvta.com/schedules/Other/WestfieldState.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127112957/http://pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G30.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127120457/http://pvta.com/schedules/P_Lines/P31.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. "Route 33 : Puffer's Pond / Shopper Shuttle : Weekday" (PDF). Pvta.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  29. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115005/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B34.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127120201/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B35.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. "Route 36 : Olympia Crive / Atkins Fam : Weekday" (PDF). Pvta.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  32. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127113428/http://pvta.com/schedules/Other/O38.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127120215/http://pvta.com/schedules/Other/O39.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127120038/http://pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G45.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115107/http://pvta.com/schedules/G_Lines/G46.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127114421/http://pvta.com/schedules/M_Lines/M40.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127114742/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R41.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115913/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R42.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  39. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127113123/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B43.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  40. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127115820/http://pvta.com/schedules/R_Lines/R44.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  41. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101127114842/http://pvta.com/schedules/B_Lines/B48.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  42. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20101011175131/http://pvta.com/schedules/Other/NE.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  43. Tuthill, Paul (December 5, 2014). "Public Transit Is Becoming More Popular". WAMC. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  44. "MV transportation loses contract bid: awarding practices spark federal investigation". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  45. "Pioneer Valley Transit Authority gives up $1 million in funding to settle Union Station audit". Masslive.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  46. https://web.archive.org/web/20110717140746/http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/pvta-2297-shepard-board.html. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  47. Stephanie Barry (2009-11-05). "PVTA pays $175,000 to former counsel Kevin Walkowski, who said he was fired for cooperating with FBI investigation". Masslive.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  48. 1 2 "Transportation Services - UMass Amherst". Umass.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
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