If a UMass student plans to visit MassMOCA in North Adams, a senior in Goshen needs to see a doctor in Greenfield or a Pittsfield young professional wants to commute to their Northampton job, there are now bus lines that will bring them there.
Three transit authorities that service all of western Massachusetts this week launched a new initiative called Link413 that offers three long-distance bus routes connecting Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire counties and enabling out-of-state connections.
The collaboration between Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA), Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) and Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) was spurred from customers request for more regional connections.
“I think it will be great for our regions because people will have options with how they commute or travel between the three areas,” PVTA Administrator Sandra Sheehan said. “The whole point is to make individuals lives easier [and] to improve their quality of life. So to be able to do something like this and connect these three regions that are so far apart, it’s something that we’re very happy to complete.”
Link413 runs on weekdays with multiple round trips between the cities of North Adams, Greenfield, Pittsfield and Northampton. These trips stop in smaller communities along the way. Travelers can also reach other metropolitan areas via train routes like Amtrak’s Valley Flyer, Vermonter, Lake Shore Limited, and Berkshire Flyer train services.
“It’s just one more way that we can look to the public and let them know that we are trying to provide services to these more rural communities that feel they are being left out,” FRTA Administrator Tina Cote said.
The three routes include:
- Route 901 travels one way in about 45 minutes between Pittsfield and North Adams.
- Route 903 is a one-way, 90-minute trip from North Adams to Greenfield with stops in Adams, Savoy, Plainfield, Ashfield and Charlemont.
- Route 904 is a one-way, 90-minute trip to connect customers between Pittsfield and Northampton along the Route 9 corridor with stops in Dalton, Windsor, Cummington, Goshen and Williamsburg.
Unlike the existing bus routes, the Link413 lines are not free. Riders can purchase a one-way ticket for $10 through the MassDOT’s BusPlus+ mobile phone app. People over 60 years old with a photo ID, as well as those with a statewide access card or Medicare card, can purchase tickets at a $5 discount.
BRTA Administrators Robert Malnati and Kathleen Lambert initiated the project, Sheehan said, when they approached Cote and Sheehan about satisfying riders feedback for more routes between western Massachusetts counties. In 2024, Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded the three transit authorities a $4.46 million Regional Connectivity and Innovations grant to pay drivers and renovate six buses.
Each of the buses are wrapped in images representing the Valley and western Massachusetts, like the Connecticut River, Poet’s Seat Tower, Bridge of Flowers and Mount Greylock. Sheehan said the idea to decorate the buses stemmed from images of the valley on the PVTA bus running from Northampton to Worcester. The buses also have high-back seats and free Wi-Fi services for riders.
“We wanted something that represented each of the regions that we service and something that people will recognize,” she said.
After the two-year pilot, the transit authorities will work with state and municipalities to secure permanent funding and explore possible expansion, Cote said. While Cote said she did not see anyone use the Route 903 on launch day, she predicts more riders will take advantage of the service as the weather warms.
“We’re not leaving people without a way to get from point A to point B,” she said.