SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts’ state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the encouragement for people to stay at home when possible, is prompting the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority to scale back the frequency of its buses.
Beginning Monday, PVTA will move to a modified Saturday schedule daily, with service from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. systemwide. On Sundays, buses will operate on the Sunday service schedule.
PVTA spokeswoman Brandy Pelletier said Gov. Charlie Baker’s emergency declaration necessitated the changes.
“With all the business closures and people being told to not leave their homes unless necessary, there is not a need to service some locations,” Pelletier said.
Pelletier said PVTA no longer has enough ridership to maintain regular levels of service, but there is still a need to provide public transit for people to get to work, medical appointments, grocery stores and pharmacies.
In Hampshire County, the changes will be more dramatic, largely the result of the University of Massachusetts and other colleges moving to online learning following spring break.
Some routes operated by UMass Transit are changing, while others are ending.
Route 38, the UMass-Amherst-Hampshire-Mount Holyoke route, will be operating on a winter session weekday schedule through at least April 5.
Route B43, the Smith-UMass-Amherst-Hampshire Mall route, will resume its regular full-service weekday schedule Monday, but use the Monday through Wednesday evening end times on all weekdays, with the last bus leaving Smith for UMass at 10:45 p.m. Regular full-service Saturday schedules will end early at 12:30 a.m.
Routes 39, the Smith-Hampshire-Mount Holyoke-Hampshire Mall route, and 39E, the Smith-Mount Holyoke express route, are being eliminated for the rest of the semester.
Route R29, which provides service from Holyoke Mall through South Hadley to UMass, will continue as normal.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
