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Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
Pioneer Valley (Springfield, MA Metro Area & UMASS Amherst) Fixed Bus Route Service From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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]
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![]() | This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a particular audience. (February 2018) |
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 transit service. Contractors and their staff are based at various vehicle depots dispersed throughout the service area.[3]
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 DGR Management. All SATCo fixed-route buses are numbered in the 1000 series.
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 DGR Management. All VATCo fixed-route buses are numbered in the 7000 series.

University of Massachusetts Transportation 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.[4] 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.
The fixed-route van shuttles (Ware Shuttle, Palmer Shuttle, and Nashawannuck Express) are operated by Hulmes Transportation Services, located at 15 Bridge Street in Belchertown. These routes are operated by vans numbered in the 1200 series.
ADA Paratransit Service and Senior Van Service is provided by MV Transportation for the entire service area. MV is based at 2840 Main Street in Springfield. All paratransit vehicles are numbered in the 5000 series.
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Routes
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Springfield-area
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.
Amherst-area
These routes are operated by UMass Transit Services (UMTS), except for 39 and AG, which are operated by MV. PVTA buses operated by UMass Transit (except for route B79) do not charge fares.
Northampton-area
These routes are operated by the Valley Area Transit Company (VATCo), except for the Nashawannuck Express, which is operated by Hulmes Transportation Services.
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See also
- Holyoke Street Railway, a predecessor of the authority and former contractor, dissolved in 1991
- Springfield Street Railway, a predecessor of the authority, merged into the Springfield Area Transit Company in 1981
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