PVTA Service Changes in Effect for Fall Semester

Campus officials say students, staff and faculty will find some changes to service on bus routes this fall with year-round residents seeing the greatest adjustments. Students will see some changes in a campus shuttle route, but most other routes remain the same except for some where early morning and late evening runs that have been eliminated.

The service reductions are the result of an anticipated budget deficit of between $750,000 and $1 million to the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) for the next year. UMass Transit Services operates most PVTA routes that service the UMass Amherst campus and surrounding communities. Route B43 is operated by Valley Area Transit Co.

Glenn D. Barrington, manager of transportation services for facilities and campus services, says when making the changes, “We focused on trying to maintain services during academic periods.” Full service schedules are in effect when school is in session, reduced service schedules are in effect during breaks.

Commuters will see changes on the bus routes along Route 9, Route 116 in South Deerfield, Whately and Sunderland and from Belchertown center.

Those changes are summarized here:

B43 Northampton/Hadley/Amherst

Full service – eliminate 6:20 a.m. trip, eliminate 8:15 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. express trips, eliminate last trip Monday through Wednesday at 11:30 p.m., eliminate last 2 trips at 1 a.m. and 1:45 a.m. on Thursday, eliminate last trip at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Reduced service – eliminate last trip at 10:30 p.m. on weekends. All holidays will run on Sunday schedules.

45 Belchertown Center/UMass

First inbound trip arrives at UMass eight minutes earlier. No 9:50 a.m. trip.

46 South Deerfield/Whately Park & Ride/UMass

No direct service but provide one morning and one afternoon trip that will be a combination of Routes 31 and 46.

Other routes and changes are here:

R29 Amherst/Holyoke Mall via Route 116

Five college individuals can ride by showing student ID between Labor Day and Memorial Day.

30 N. Amherst/Old Belchertown Road

During full service – trips every 20 minutes, instead of every 15 minutes on weekdays between 6-8 p.m.  Monday through Wednesday, eliminate last trip ending a 12:10 a.m.

Reduced service – weekday end at 9:40 p.m. at Graduate Research Center (GRC), Saturday end at 10:40 p.m. GRC, Sunday end at 8:40 p.m. GRC.

31 Sunderland/S. Amherst

During full service – Trips every 20 minutes instead of every 15 minutes on weekdays between 6-8 p.m. Weekday and Saturday service ends 30 minutes earlier.

Reduced service – weekday end 9:35 p.m. GRC, Saturday end 11:01 p.m. Studio Arts Building (SAB), Sunday end 8:41 p.m. SAB.

33 Puffer’s Pond/Shopper Shuttle – No 7:20 p.m. trip departing GRC on weekdays, eliminate last trip on weekends at 7:15 p.m. GRC, adjust timepoints to improve reliability.

34 Campus Shuttle Northbound – No service after 8:09 p.m., the 35 continues to run.

36 Olympia Dr./Atkins Farm – create an hourly schedule by expanding trips from 45 to 60-minute headways.

38 UMass/AC/HC/MHC – Full service – adjust timing to transfer with 39.

Reduced service – Trips run every 90 minutes weekdays, end weekday service at 9:25 p.m., end Saturday services at 8:40 p.m., no Sunday service, no service during spring break and between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

39 SC/HC – Full service – timing adjustments to meet Route 38 weekday evenings and weekends. Buses will go the Hampshire Mall after 6 p.m. and on weekends. 

Reduced service – Saturday service to Hampshire Mall, end weekday service at 9:20 p.m., end Saturday service at 8:20 p.m., no Sunday service.

39E SC/MHC Express

9 trips daily, Monday through Friday, academic semester only.