Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
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Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus #3401 at the UMass Transit Services garage in Amherst.
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| Founded | 1974 |
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| Headquarters | 2808 Main Street Springfield, MA 01107 |
| Locale | Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts |
| Service area | Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. |
| Service type | Local bus transit |
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| Fleet | 186 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.
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:First Transit and UMass Transit Services. The contractors run semi-autonomous garages that act as vehicle depots for the surrounding areas.
The Springfield Area Transit Company (SATCo) operates the southern portion of PVTA's service area, servicing Hampden County. 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.
Builder's Plate reads XD40
Designated for the R24: Paper City Express
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. 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.
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