Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority 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, serves Hampden and Hampshire counties, and provides connecting service to the FRTA in Franklin 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, with about 70% of all riders using the system as their primary mode of transit.
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: First Transit and UMass Transit Services. The contractors run semi-autonomous garages that act as vehicle depots for the surrounding areas.Springfield Area Transit Company
The Springfield Area Transit Company 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.Fleet (Fixed Route Vehicles)
| Manufacturer/ Model | Order Year | Series | Powertrain | Notes |
| Gillig Advantage 40' Hybrid | 2005 | 1310 | Cummins ISB/ Allison Ep40 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 29' | 2006 | 1401-1407 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-300R5 |
|
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2006 | 1508-1517 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2006 | 1618-1621 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2007 | 1630-1636 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2008 | 1640-1649 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2008 | 1550-1559 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2010 | 1560-1578 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2010 | 1650-1664 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40 | 2011 | 1801-1805 | Cummins ISB/ BAE HybriDrive | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2011 | 1701 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2011-12 | 1810-1819, 1821-1826 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2014 | 1830-1837 | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2015 | 1840-1849 | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2015 | 1710-1715 | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| ProTerra Catalyst BE40 | 2016 | 1410-1412 | UQM HD220 electric motor/ Eaton EEV-7202 | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2018 | 1670-1673 | Cummins L9/ Allison B-400R6 |
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. 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 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. 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 transports more than 3.5 million passengers annually.Fleet (Fixed Route Vehicles)
| Manufacturer/ Model | Order Year | Series | Powertrain | Notes |
| TMC RTS T80-606 | 1990 | 1070 | Detroit Diesel Series 92/ Allison VR-731 |
|
| NovaBus RTS T80-606 | 1995 | 3030, 3040 | Detroit Diesel Series 50/ Allison VR-731 | |
| NovaBus RTS T70-206 | 1995 | 1109, 1122 | Detroit Diesel Series 50/ Allison VR-731 | |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2006 | 3201-3205 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2007 | 3211-3215 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2008 | 3221-3225 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2009 | 3226-3228 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE40 | 2011 | 3301-3305 | Cummins ISB/ BAE HybriDrive | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2011 | 3306-3310 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE60 | 2013 | 3401-3402 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison H 50 EP | |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD35 | 2014 | 3311-3315 | Cummins ISL9/Allison B-400R6 | Active |
Valley Area Transit Company
The Valley Area Transit Company 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.Fleet (Fixed Route Vehicles)
| Manufacturer/ Model | Order Year | Series | Powertrain | Notes |
| Gillig Advantage 29' | 2006 | 7401-7403 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-300R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 35' | 2008 | 7550-7552 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2006 | 7604 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2007 | 7610 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R5 | Active |
| Gillig Advantage 40' | 2009 | 7660-7662 | Cummins ISL/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2011 | 7801-7802 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 2012 | 7811-7815 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison B-400R6 | Active |
| New Flyer Xcelsior XDE60 | 2013 | 7901-7902 | Cummins ISL9/ Allison H 50 EP |
|
| Ford E-350 | 2007 | 5574 | -- | |
| Ford E-450 | 2014 | 1204 | -- |
National Express Transit (Paratransit Service)
is provided by National Express Transit for the entire service area, except for the University of Massachusetts, where the provides service for University members. Amherst-area paratransit passengers who are not members of the University community are served by NEXT. All paratransit vehicles are numbered in the 5000 series.Hulmes Transportation Services (Community Shuttles)
The fixed-route van shuttles are operated by . These routes are operated by vans numbered in the 1200 series.Routes
Hampden County
These routes are operated by the Springfield Area Transit Company, except for the Ware-Palmer Circulator and Ware-Palmer Express, which are operated by Hulmes Transportation Services.| Route | Route Name | Notes |
| LOOP | The Loop | Serves Union Station, MGM Springfield, Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield Museums, and other downtown attractions and hotels. Free fare. |
| G1 | Chicopee / Sumner Avenue - Allen Street / Canon Circle | |
| G2 | East Springfield via Carew St / Belmont Avenue - Dwight St | |
| G2E | East Springfield Express | Serves Union Station, State Offices at Industry Ave and Cottage St, and Memorial Industrial Park. Express via I-291. |
| G3 | Springfield Plaza via Liberty St / King St - Westford Circle | Also serves Springfield Registry of Motor Vehicles. Trips on Sundays extend to Chicopee Falls. |
| B4 | Plainfield Street | Serves Wason Medical Offices. |
| G5 | Dickinson Street - Jewish Home / Maple St / Longmeadow | Connects with CTtransit and at MassMutual - Bright Meadow Campus, Enfield, CT. |
| B6 | Ludlow via Bay St | |
| B7 | Eastfield Mall via State St / Boston Rd | |
| B7S | State Street Shuttle | Serves Union Station, State Street, MassMutual, and the Raymond Jordan Senior Center. |
| OWL | Westfield State University Shuttle | Connects to R10 and 10s at Westfield State University - Scanlon Hall. Only operates when WSU is in session. |
| R10 | Westfield / WSU / West Springfield via Route 20 | Terminates at Westfield Center when 10s operates. |
| 10s | Westfield Center Shuttle | Serves Westfield Center and Westfield State University - Scanlon Hall. Only operates when WSU is in session. |
| P11 | Holyoke Community College Express | |
| B12 | Stonybrook Express | Serves Hampden County Correctional Facility at Stonybrook. |
| R14 | Feeding Hills | Some trips serve Heritage Nursing Home and Agawam Industrial Park. |
| B17 | Eastfield Mall via Worthington St / Wilbraham Rd | |
| P20 | Holyoke via Riverdale St / Holyoke Mall | |
| P20E | Holyoke Mall via I-91 Express | |
| P21 | Holyoke via Chicopee Center | |
| P21E | Holyoke via I-391 Express | |
| B23 | Holyoke / Westfield via Holyoke Community College | Runs on weekdays only. |
| R24 | 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 Soldiers' Home, Holyoke Shopping Center, and Mont Marie. |
| R29 | Amherst / Holyoke via Route 116 | Serves Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College and UMass. Transfer to P20, P21, or P21E at Holyoke Transportation Center for service to Springfield Union Station. Two trips per day on weekends as of 8/27/17. |
| X90 | 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 | Mid-City Crosstown | Serves Union Station, Mill Street, Island Pond Rd, Independence House, Raymond Jordan Senior Center, and East Springfield Memorial Industrial Park. |
| WP | Ware-Palmer Circulator | Combination of previous Palmer Village Shuttle and Ware Shuttle. Connects to B7 and B17 at Eastfield Mall. Operated by Hulmes Transportation Services. |
| WPE | Ware-Palmer Express | Provides express service between Palmer and Springfield Union Station. Operated by Hulmes Transportation Services. |
Amherst/UMass
These routes are operated by UMass Transit Services. See UMass Transit fixed routes for more information.| Route | Route Name | Notes |
| 30 | North Amherst / Old Belchertown Road | Serves Valley Medical Center from 7:30am-7:30pm on weekdays and noon-4:30pm on weekends. |
| 31 | Sunderland / South Amherst | Transfers with FRTA Route 23 at Sugarloaf Estates for service to Greenfield. |
| 33 | Puffers Pond / Big Y and Stop & Shop | |
| 34 | Campus Shuttle : Mullins Center via Computer Science Building / Orchard Hill via Sylvan | Only operated during full service periods. |
| 35 | Campus Shuttle : Orchard Hill via Butterfield / Mullins Center via Southwest | Only operated during full service periods. |
| 36 | Olympia Drive / Atkins Farm | Only operated during reduced service periods. |
| 38 | UMass / Amherst College / Hampshire College / Mount Holyoke College | Only operated during full service periods and wintersession. |
| 39 | Smith College / Hampshire College | Only operated during full service periods and wintersession. On evenings and weekends, also provides service to Hampshire Mall. On weekdays, two trips are operated directly between Smith College and Mount Holyoke College as an express variant of Route 39. On wintersession weekdays, provides service between Smith College and Mount Holyoke College via Hampshire College. The Hampshire College–Mt. Holyoke portion is shared with the Route 38. |
| 45 | UMass / Belchertown Center via Gatehouse Rd | Operates Monday - Friday. |
| 46 | 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, with a Route 31 bus providing service via Sunderland Road in the morning, and via Townhouse Apartments during the late afternoon, for a total of two trips to South Deerfield and Whately. |
Northampton
These routes are operated by the Valley Area Transit Company, except for the Nashawannuck Express, which is operated by Hulmes Transportation Services.Connections
PVTA offers connections to the following transit agencies:- Franklin Regional Transit Authority, for service to Greenfield, in Franklin County:
- *PVTA Route 31 connects with FRTA Route 23 at Sugarloaf Estates in Sunderland.
- *PVTA Northampton-area routes connect with FRTA Route 31 at the Academy of Music Theater in Northampton.
- *PVTA Route 46 connects with FRTA Route 31 at the Whately Park and Ride.
- CTtransit, for service to Enfield, Windsor Locks, Windsor, and Hartford, CT:
- *PVTA Route G5 connects with CTtransit Route and at MassMutual - Bright Meadow Campus, Enfield, CT.
- CTrail, for service to Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford and New Haven, CT, and points in between:
- *All PVTA Springfield-area routes except for OWL, 10s, B23, R24, R29, and X90 connect with Hartford Line at Springfield Union Station.
- Amtrak, for service to Boston, Albany, Chicago, and points in between, as well as Greenfield, Hartford, New Haven, New York, and Washington, D.C.:
- *All PVTA Springfield-area routes except for OWL, 10s, B23, R24, R29, and X90 connect with Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional, Hartford Line, Valley Flyer, and Vermonter at Springfield Union Station.
Fares
One-way
One-way fixed-route fares are noted below.NOTE: UMass Amherst buses do not have fareboxes and operate via a proof-of-payment system.
| Adults 13 and older | Children 6 to 12 | Children under 6 | Seniors 60 and older | Transfer |
| $1.50 | $0.75 | Free; accompanied by adult | $0.75 | $0.25 |
One-way fares for adults 13 and older are $1.15 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.
Passes
All passes are good through the end of the service day.- 1-Day passes are sold on PVTA Springfield and Northampton buses at the fareboxes, as well as at ticket vending machines at Springfield Union Station, Holyoke Transportation Center, and Westfield Olver Transit Pavilion.
- 7- and 31-day passes are sold at Big Y supermarkets in the service area, at Springfield Union Station, at the Holyoke Transportation Center, at the Westfield Olver Transit Pavilion, and by the Western New England University's bursar office.
- The 31-day pass is also sold on the PVTA website.
| 1-Day Pass | 7-Day Pass | 31 Day Pass |
| $3.50 | $15.00 | $54.00 |