Transit Services Celebrates 50 Years

This article was published on June 27, 2019 by the UMass Amherst News & Media Relations office.

A smiling man stands in front of an image of an old bus with several students standing in front of the bus

Transit Services celebrated its 50th anniversary of providing public bus service for the campus community on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15.

Around 160 alumni, spanning the full 50 years, attended the weekend-long celebration.

The weekend began with a reception in Old Chapel. Paul Jablonski, a former campus bus driver and current CEO at the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, was a featured speaker.

UMass Transit student bus drivers discuss job experiences

This article was published on April 12, 2013 on the Daily Collegian online publication.

Student Driver with Bus

University of Massachusetts sophomore Jen DePlanche runs out of her dorm and through the concourse of the Southwest Residential Area at 6:50 a.m. on her way across campus to get behind the wheel of a blue and orange Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus — taunts by peers fresh in her head.

“Can you even reach the pedals?” they ask the 5-foot-3 DePlanche.

“Shut up, they’re adjustable,” she replies.

One of more than 150 students who serve an on-campus community of over 12,000, DePlanche works as a driver for UMass Transit, which operates PVTA service in the Five College area.

PARKING

parking@umass.edu
(413) 577-PARK (7275)

     

TRANSIT

transit@umass.edu
(413) 545-0056

     

FLEET

transport@umass.edu
(413) 545-4682

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