| Pioneer Valley Transit Authority | |
| Company Slogan: | Moving Forward |
| Founded: | 1974 |
| Headquarters: | 2808 Main Street Springfield, MA 01107 |
| Locale: | Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts |
| Service Area: | Hampden and Hampshire counties |
| Service Type: | Bus |
| Routes: | 46 (as of January 2023) |
| Hubs: |
|
| Fleet: | 186 buses, 144 vans |
| Fuel Type: | Diesel, battery-electric |
| Operator: | See organizational structure below |
| Ceo: | Sandra Sheehan (administrator) |
| Website: | https://www.pvta.com/ |
| Depots: |
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| Annual Ridership: | 6.2 million (FY2022) |
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) oversees and coordinates public transportation in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, offering fixed-route bus service, paratransit service, and senior van service. PVTA was created by Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws in 1974. Based in Springfield, Massachusetts, PVTA serves Hampden and Hampshire counties, and provides connecting service to CTtransit in Hartford County, Connecticut, to FRTA in Franklin County, and to WRTA in Worcester County. It is the largest regional transit authority, and second largest public transit system in Massachusetts after the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, providing service to over 11 million riders annually across 24 municipalities in the region,[1] with about 70% of all riders using the system as their primary mode of transit.[2]
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:[3] First Transit and UMass Transit Services. The contractors run semi-autonomous garages that act as vehicle depots for the surrounding areas.[4]
The Springfield Area Transit Company (SATCo) operates the southern portion of PVTA's service area, servicing Hampden County. SATCo, located at 665 Cottage Street in Springfield, is managed by First Transit. All SATCo fixed-route buses are numbered in the 1000 series. SATCo transports more than 9 million passengers annually.
| Manufacturer/ Model | Order Year | Series (Qty.) | Powertrain | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillig Advantage 40' Hybrid | 2005 | 1310 (1) | Cummins ISB/ Allison Ep40 | Active | |
| Gillig Advantage 29' | 2006 | 1401-1407 (7) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-300R5 |
| |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2006 | 1508-1517 (10) | 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' | 2008 | 1640-1649 (10) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2008 | 1550-1559 (10) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2010 | 1560-1578 (19) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2010 | 1650-1664 (15) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40 | 2011 | 1801-1805 (5) | Cummins ISB/ BAE HybriDrive |
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2011 | 1701 (1) | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 |
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2011-12 | 1810-1819, 1821-1826 (15) | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2014 | 1830-1837 (8) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2015 | 1840-1849 (10) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2015 | 1710-1715 (6) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| Proterra Catalyst BE40 | 2016 | 1410-1412 (3) | UQM HD220 electric motor/ Eaton EEV-7202 |
| |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2018 | 1670-1673 (4) | Cummins L9/ Allison B-400R6 | ||
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2020 | 1716-1719 (4) | Cummins L9/Allison B-400R6 | Active | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2020 | 1850-1854 (4) | Cummins L9/Allison B-400R6 | Active |
See main article: University of Massachusetts Transportation 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.[5] 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, with the remaining employees falling under University 03 employment status or full time administrators. UMass Transit Services is 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. 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. UMass Transit Services transports more than 3.5 million passengers annually.
| Manufacturer/ Model | Order Year | Series (Qty.) | Powertrain | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TMC RTS T80-606 | 1990 | 1070 (1) | Detroit Diesel Series 92/Allison VR-731 | Retired
| |
| NovaBus RTS T80-606 | 1995 | 3030, 3040 (2) | Detroit Diesel Series 50/Allison VR-731 | Retired | |
| NovaBus RTS T70-206 | 1995 | 1109, 1122 (2) | Detroit Diesel Series 50/Allison VR-731 | Retired
| |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2006 | 3201-3205 (5) | Cummins ISL/Allison B-400R5 | In-Active on fixed route
| |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2007 | 3211-3215 (5) | Cummins ISL/Allison B-400R5 |
| |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2008 | 3221-3225 (5) | Cummins ISL/Allison B-400R6 | Retired | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2009 | 3226-3228 (3) | Cummins ISL/Allison B-400R6 | Retired | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40 | 2011 | 3301-3305 (5) | Cummins ISB/BAE HybriDrive | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2011 | 3306-3310 (5) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In Service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE60 | 2013 | 3401-3402 (2) | Cummins ISL9/Allison H 50 EP | In Service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2014 | 3311-3315 (5) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2020 | 3316-3320 (5) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2021 | 3321-3323 (3) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 | 2021 | 3501 (1) | Siemens Standard Grade ELFA3 1DB2016-6NB06 | In Service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2022 | 3324-3326 (3) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2023 | 3327-3330 (4) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2023 | 3331-3334 (4) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 | 2023 | 3502-3503 (2) | Siemens Standard Grade ELFA3 1DB2016-6NB06 | In Service
|
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 area 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.
| Manufacturer/ Model | Order Year | Series (Qty.) | Powertrain | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillig Advantage 29' | 2006 | 7401-7403 (3) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-300R5 |
| |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2008 | 7550-7551 (2) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | In Service | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2006 | 7604 (1) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | In Service | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2007 | 7610 (1) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | In Service | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2009 | 7660-7662 (3) | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2011 | 7801-7802 (2) | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2012 | 7811-7815 (5) | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE60 | 2013 | 7901-7902 (2) | Cummins ISL9/ Allison H 50 EP | In Service | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2020 | 7553-7554 (2) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In Service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2021 | 7816 (1) | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | In Service
| |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 | 2021 | 7700-7701 (2) | Siemens Standard Grade ELFA3 1DB2016-6NB06 | In Service
| |
| Ford E-350 | 2008 | 5574 | -- |
| |
| Ford E-450 | 2015 | 1205 | -- |
|
ADA Paratransit Service and Senior Van Service is provided by MV Transit for the entire service area, except for the University of Massachusetts, where the UMass Accessible Van Service (operated by UMass Transit Services) provides service for University members. Amherst-area paratransit passengers who are not members of the University community are served by MV. All paratransit vehicles are numbered in the 5000 series.
The fixed-route van shuttles (Ware Shuttle, Palmer Shuttle, and Nashawannuck Express) are operated by Hulmes Transportation Services. These routes are operated by vans numbered in the 1200 series.
Route B79 is operated by the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation and the Town of Ware, through its Quaboag Connector partnership.
These routes are operated by the Springfield Area Transit Company (SATCo), except for the Ware Shuttle and Palmer Shuttle, which are operated by Hulmes Transportation Services.
| Route | Route Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1[6] | Chicopee / Sumner Avenue-Allen Street-Canon Circle | ||
| G2[7] | East Springfield via Carew St / Belmont Avenue - Dwight St | ||
| G3[8] | Springfield Plaza via Liberty St / King St - Westford Circle | Also serves Springfield Registry of Motor Vehicles. | |
| B4[9] | Plainfield Street | Serves Wason Medical Offices. | |
| G5[10] | Dickinson Street-Jewish Home-Longmeadow | Connects with CTtransit 905 (Windsor Locks - Enfield Express) at MassMutual - Bright Meadow Campus, Enfield, CT. | |
| B6[11] | Ludlow via Bay St | ||
| B7[12] | Wilbraham Big Y-State St-Boston Rd | ||
| WSU[13] | WSU Shuttle | Provides service between Westfield Center and Westfield State University when classes are in session. Includes service to Horace Mann Center. | |
| R10[14] | Westfield / WSU / West Springfield via Route 20 | ||
| P11[15] | Holyoke Community College Express | ||
| B12[16] | Stonybrook Express | Serves Hampden County Correctional Facility at Stonybrook. | |
| R14[17] | Feeding Hills-Springfield | Some trips serve Heritage Nursing Home and Agawam Industrial Park. | |
| B17[18] | Wilbraham Big Y-Worthington St-Wilbraham Rd | ||
| P20[19] | Holyoke-Springfield via Holyoke Mall | ||
| P21[20] | Holyoke-Springfield via Chicopee | ||
| P21E[21] | Holyoke-Springfield Express via I-391 | ||
| B23[22] | Holyoke-Westfield via Holyoke Community College | ||
| R24[23] | Paper City Express | Holyoke Shuttle: Holyoke Transportation Center - Cabot St - Pleasant St - Holyoke Medical Center - Sargeant St - Holyoke Mall. Also serves Holyoke Train Station. Deviates on request to Holyoke Shopping Center. | |
| R29[24] | Springfield-Amherst via Holyoke | Serves Springfield Union Station, Holyoke Transportation Center, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College and UMass. | |
| G73E[25] | Springfield-Northampton Express | Express service via I-91 serving Springfield Union Station, Holyoke Mall, and Northampton Academy of Music. P20E was eliminated when this route was introduced. | |
| X90[26] | Inner Crosstown | A – trips in Chicopee Falls serve Canterbury Arms Apartments. From Chicopee Big Y, these trips serve Montgomery St., Granby Rd., and Memorial Dr. to New Ludlow Rd., and Montcalm St., then travel to Holyoke Transportation Center via Memorial and James St. to South Hadley Falls, then Bridge, Lyman, Dwight and High Streets. B – trips in Chicopee Falls serve Grove, Church, Court, and Main Streets. From Chicopee Big Y, these trips serve Montgomery, Grattan, and Chicopee Streets and travel to Holyoke Transportation Center via South Hadley Falls, then Bridge, N. Canal, Cabot, and High Streets. | |
| X92[27] | Mid-City Crosstown | Serves Union Station, Mill Street, Island Pond Rd, Independence House, Raymond Jordan Senior Center, and East Springfield Memorial Industrial Park. | |
| WS[28] | Ware Shuttle | Connects to B7 and B17 at Wilbraham Big Y. Operated by Hulmes Transportation Services. | |
| PS[29] | Palmer Shuttle | Some trips run express service between Palmer Big Y and Springfield Union Station. Operated by Hulmes Transportation Services. |
These routes are operated by UMass Transit Services (UMTS). See UMass Transit fixed routes for more information.
| Route | Route Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30[30] | North Amherst / Old Belchertown Road | Serves Valley Medical Center from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm on weekdays and noon to 4:30pm on weekends, upon request | |
| 31[31] | Sunderland / South Amherst | Transfers with FRTA Route 23 at Sugarloaf Estates for service to Greenfield | |
| 33[32] | Puffers Pond / Big Y and Stop & Shop | ||
| 34[33] | Campus Shuttle (Northbound): Mullins Center via Computer Science Building / Orchard Hill via Sylvan | Only operates on weekdays during full service periods | |
| 35[34] | Campus Shuttle (Southbound): Orchard Hill via Butterfield / Mullins Center via Southwest | Only operates during full service periods | |
| 36[35] | Olympia Drive / Atkins Farm | Only operates during reduced service periods (Thanksgiving Week, Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer).Functions to provide service to South Amherst during periods when the 38 is not operated | |
| 38[36] | UMass (Haigis Mall) / Amherst College / Hampshire College / Mount Holyoke College | Only operates during full service periods | |
| 39[37] | Smith College / Hampshire College | Service suspended until further notice.When it was being operated, it: Only operated during full service periods and wintersession (January) Provided evening and weekend service to Hampshire Mall On weekdays, two trips were operated directly between Smith College and Mount Holyoke College as an express variant of Route 39 (mimicking Route 39E). On wintersession weekdays, provided service between Smith College and Mount Holyoke College via Hampshire College. The Hampshire College–Mt. Holyoke portion was shared with the Route 38 | |
| 45[38] | UMass / Belchertown Center via Gatehouse Rd | Operates Monday - Friday. | |
| 46[39] | UMass / Whately Park & Ride via South Deerfield Center | Operates Monday - Friday.Connection available to FRTA Route 31 at Whately Park and Ride Currently mostly eliminated; interlined with Route 31. There are a total of two trips providing service to South Deerfield and Whately.[40] The first trip (morning) travels to Whately via Sunderland Road as Route 31/46, before continuing to Sugarloaf Estates, where it begins a southbound 31 trip. The second trip (evening) travels from Sugarloaf Estates to Whately as Route 31/46, before returning to Sugarloaf and starting a southbound 31 trip. | |
| B79[41] | Amherst-Worcester Intercity Service | Three round trips every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, two round trips every Sunday. Timed to connect with MBTA Framingham/Worcester Line services |
These routes are operated by the Valley Area Transit Company (VATCo), except for the Nashawannuck Express, which is operated by Hulmes Transportation Services.
| Route | Route Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39E[42] | Smith College / Mount Holyoke College Express | Only operated during weekdays when Smith College and Mount Holyoke College classes are in session. | |
| R41[43] | Northampton / Easthampton / Holyoke Community College / Holyoke Mall | Additional service to Easthampton available on the Easthampton Nashawannuck Express.Continues to Route R42. | |
| R42[44] | Northampton / Williamsburg | Continues to Route R41. | |
| B43[45] | Northampton / Hadley / Amherst | Serves Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall in Hadley.Combined with former M40. Operates express trips on weekdays between Smith College and UMass, effective September 5, 2017.[46] | |
| R44[47] | Florence Heights via King St and Bridge Rd | Serves Hampshire Plaza and the Hampshire County Correctional Facility. | |
| B48[48] | Northampton / Holyoke via Route 5 | ||
| NE[49] | Nashawannuck Express (Easthampton) | Operated by Hulmes Transportation Services. |
PVTA offers connections to the following transit agencies:
Route timetables and maps are available on PVTA's website at https://www.pvta.com/schedules.php. Customer Service Centers can print schedules for riders by request.
PVTA endorsed Transit as the official trip planning and real-time information app for PVTA bus routes.[50] In the app, you can look up real-time departures, plan trips, and receive service alerts for when there are detours or other disruptions. PVTA also provides Transit's Royale subscription feature to all riders at no cost. Transit can be downloaded at https://www.transitapp.com/download.
Schedule information is also available through other mapping platforms like Google Maps and Apple Maps, and service alerts are posted on PVTA's website at https://www.pvta.com/alerts.php.
One-way fixed-route fares are noted below.
NOTE: Buses operated by UMass Transit Services (3000-series) do not have fareboxes (see UMass Transit buses below).
One-way fares for adults 13 and older are $1.40 if purchased at the PVTA Customer Service Center at Springfield Union Station. Transfers for children 6-12 are $0.25, and transfers for mobility impaired passengers and seniors are $0.10.All passes are good through the end of the service day.
PVTA offers riders the ability to purchase tickets and passes on their smartphone, removing the need to pay cash on board or purchase physical passes ahead of time, using the MassDOT BusPlus app.[51] Tickets and passes purchased on smartphones are validated electronically with mobile ticket validators, located inside the front door of the bus on the right side. Tickets are visually validated by bus operators when mobile ticket validators are unavailable. This program launched on July 19, 2020,[52] and mobile ticket validators entered service on January 2, 2024.
PVTA buses operated by UMass Transit do not charge fares. See here for more details.
Ridership is up 12% in September 2014 and 9% in October.[53]
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.[54] That amount was reduced in 2009 to less than $1 million.[55] 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.[56] [57]