PVTA Plans Route Expansions After Fare-Free Program Boosts Ridership

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has restored ridership to pre-pandemic levels since eliminating fares in 2024, setting the stage for route expansions aimed at reaching underserved communities across the region. The "Try Transit" initiative, backed by state funding, has fundamentally changed how residents use the bus system, particularly those with the fewest transportation options.

For Sarah Hougen, a Northampton resident without a car, the shift to free fares has made small trips feasible. "It gives me the permission to ride more of the in-between things that I wouldn't normally choose. I wouldn't want to pay $1.50 to just go this little distance," Hougen said. She relies on the PVTA for errands and physical therapy appointments, and the cost savings have reduced her hesitation about frequent stops. PVTA data shows that 55% of riders live at or below the federal poverty line, and nearly 70% report having no other way to make their trips.

Since fares ended, ridership jumped 27%, from 7.3 million rides in fiscal year 2024 to 9.3 million the following year. PVTA Administrator Sandra Sheehan said the program was designed to "equalize some of the disadvantages that those individuals have." State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, confirmed that fare-free funding has been included in the state's fiscal year 2027 budget.

Before fares were eliminated, Sheehan observed riders struggling to afford passes. "You could see that they had some issues struggling to make ends meet," she said, recalling passengers sorting through coins for daily fares. The shift to free transit has also boosted system productivity, which rebounded from 71% in 2023 to 87% in 2025 after dropping to 44% during the pandemic's height.

The PVTA now plans new bus routes to expand service into lower-density areas. Proposed express lines in Ludlow, Chicopee, and Westfield, along with a recently launched route between Northampton and Southwick, could improve access for hundreds of thousands of residents. However, transit officials said the expansion depends on securing additional funding.

The system faced years of decline before the fare-free initiative. Between 2016 and 2020, the PVTA eliminated several routes and reduced frequency on others as rising operating costs and flat state funding forced cuts. The COVID-19 pandemic then pushed ridership to a record low of 3.9 million riders in fiscal year 2021 and created staffing shortages. "We had a lot of people that retired, and we were having difficulty hiring individuals," Sheehan said.

According to Alex Forrest, the PVTA's manager of planning and analysis, the Try Transit program succeeded in accelerating the system's recovery. "To that end, the program's been very effective," Forrest said. "I'd say we caught up maybe two years earlier than we would otherwise have caught up."