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Date: 4/4/2023
SPRINGFIELD — The City Council approved a new resolution that proposes a 50 percent subsidy for Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus lines for two years during their March 20 meeting. City Councilor At-Large and 2023 mayoral candidate Justin Hurst’s resolution was developed with input from PVTA Administrator Sandra Sheehan and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Transit Planner Alexander Forrest.
Advocating for affordable PVTA bus access for residents has been a focus for Hurst in the past. In April 2022, he proposed a resolution for a pilot program that would have made the B7, the G2 and the B6 bus routes free over two years. He envisioned an approximate cost around $3.4 million and suggested the program could be funded from the American Rescue Plan Act monies distributed to mitigate impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The proposal was ultimately not enacted.
Hurst said his original resolution did not work because it did not equitably address transportation expenses.
“There was a significant concern that it was an equity issue. One of the concerns I heard from the PVTA is that there would be other passengers that would be disappointed at the fact that they too would not receive any sort of free transportation … We decided a 50 percent subsidy made more sense,” said Hurst.
Hurst said he has worked over the past year to develop a new resolution that could benefit PVTA travelers. He, Sheehan and Forrest discussed the topic over several meetings as they strategized on creating an achievable form of relief.
“We came up with something that we thought was reasonable and could be implemented,” said Hurst.
Hurst read the resolution and discussed its possible benefits to Springfield. He referenced that many frequent users of the PVTA bus lines were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, stating that ARPA funds could be utilized to fund the proposed subsidy.
“It is well-documented that many of our essential workers on the front-line of COVID relied heavily upon public transportation to get to and from work and access essential services,” said Hurst.
Hurst shared that low-income families spend nearly 30 percent of their income on transportation services. He viewed a more affordable PVTA service as an avenue for improving community health with residents continuing to deal with rising inflation rates.
“The 50 percent subsidy for all residents would provide easier access to full-service grocery stores, high schools and colleges, COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, health care facilities, banks, libraries and critical community support services,” said Hurst.
Boston, Worcester and Lawrence are among the communities that have already enacted a form of public transportation relief since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hurst said the PVTA resolution would cost approximately $4 million. He hopes that the city utilizes some of its remaining ARPA funds of approximately $39 million to enact the resolution.
“We haven’t in my opinion done enough … This would provide the administration with an opportunity to ensure that folks would benefit immediately,” said Hurst.
Ward 6 City Councilor Victor Davila, Ward 8 City Councilor Zaida Govan and City Councilors At-Large Tracye Whitfield and Kateri Walsh co-signed the resolution. The councilors originally connected with residents while traveling around a daily bus line in 2022.
“I am in full support of this resolution and hope it will be successful … I think it would be great to give a boost to the residents of Springfield,” said Walsh.
“This would be a great way to show the residents of city of Springfield that we really care,” said Whitfield.
Whitfield mentioned that the city could also utilize free cash or other funding sources to support the resolution.
Sheehan and Forrest would still have to present the resolution to their organization’s leadership advisory boards. If approved by the organizations and supported by city leadership, Hurst hopes that the resolution could evolve into a permanent fixture after the pilot program concludes.
The City Council approved the resolution in a unanimous vote.