Author: niorka

New year, New Service: MeVa Buses Will Be Running Sundays Starting in January

New year, New Service: MeVa Buses Will Be Running Sundays Starting in January

HAVERHILL – We live in a seven day a week world and thanks to a boost in state funding from the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Healey, MeVa’s buses will be adding Sunday service to its schedule starting Sunday January 7, 2024.  MeVa selected seven of its routes for Sunday service based on Saturday ridership, input from passengers and the community, and service to areas with a high concentration of Sunday employment, shopping, and places of worship. Sunday service was also designed to maximize coverage across MeVa’s service area and will serve every fixed route community except for Groveland and Newburyport.

Methuen resident Joey McDonald, 18, was thrilled about the addition of Sunday service because of the direct benefit to him and his family. “My mom works full time at the Loop,” he noted, “so now she can ride the free #1 bus to work on Sundays instead of paying expensive cab fares. On my end,” he added, “I will be able to go to the gym on Sundays, so the added service will keep me healthy!”

The routes that will be running on Sundays are the #1, which connects Lawrence with Haverhill via the Loop, the #2, which connects Lawrence with Andover via South Broadway, the #8, which connects Lawrence with North Andover via Parker Street/South Union Street and Colonial Heights, the #10, which connects Lawrence with Methuen via Broadway, the #13, which connects Haverhill with Plaistow NH via Main Street and North Avenue, the #17 which connects Haverhill with Merrimac, Amesbury, and Salisbury Beach, and the #24, which connects Lawrence with Lowell via Route 110. Buses will depart hourly from MeVa’s Transportation Centers at Buckley and Washington Square starting at 9am with the last bus departing at 5pm.

In addition to the new Sunday service, MeVa will also be extending Saturday service on Route #1 until 7pm and will run on 30 minute frequencies all day long. They will be also be adding previously unserved holidays to the schedule, including Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Patriots’ Day, Juneteenth, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. The #14 will also extend from its current terminus in Ward Hill to Osgood Landing and the new Amazon distribution facility, while the #3 will start serving the Andover/North Andover YMCA via Route 133.

MeVa Transit is one of 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) across Massachusetts, which together serve the majority of communities in the state. The added Sunday service along with the later evening service introduced this past September were made possible by a $56 million increase in funding for RTAs statewide that was included in the 2024 state budget. With the added dollars, Massachusetts RTAs finally have the resources to deliver a baseline of service that brings transit equity to areas outside Boston and Route 128.

State Representative Frank A. Moran held up MeVa’s Sunday service as exemplary of what the legislature was seeking when he and his colleagues voted to increase funding for RTAs. “We need to invest in reliable, frequent, seven-day public transportation because it is an essential asset that allows those in our community to access employment, educational opportunities, and more,” he said.  “I would like to thank MeVa,” he added, “for extending their bus schedules to provide transportation on Sundays, which will allow our residents, especially the very young and old, to have additional flexibility and freedom to connect with every opportunity.”

Of course even with the new funding, the added service is only possible because despite a national driver shortage, MeVa has been able to recruit and retain a staff of professional drivers to cover the new runs. Thanks to a lot of hard work and creativity by MeVa’s human resources team, the agency has been able to grow its driver workforce by 39.1% since August 2021, recently adding a new class of eight drivers with a new training class underway. As MeVa Human Resources Director Jaymi Swarbrick explains, “our secret sauce has been establishing MeVa as an inclusive environment, where management listens to and takes input from our frontline employees. As a result, people want to work here and we have the staff to operate the buses later in the evening and on Sundays.”

About MeVa Transit: MeVa Transit is the regional transportation agency serving the 16 communities along the Merrimack River from Andover to the seacoast. MeVa Transit runs fixed route buses and paratransit vans (mini MeVa) with service hubs in Lawrence, Haverhill, and Amesbury. In March of 2022, the MeVa board voted to go fare-free systemwide in a move to encourage ridership and alleviate some of the financial burden shouldered by residents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to free fares, MeVa rebranded all their vans and buses, doubled service on Lawrence-based routes, extended service into Groveland, and optimized routing to improve efficiency. Since going fare free, fixed route bus ridership through November 2023 has more than tripled and has now exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 53.8%. On the paratransit side, November 2023 ridership has increased 186.4% and now exceeds pre-pandemic levels by 19.0%.

MeVa Buses Will Be Running Later Into the Evening

HAVERHILL – Life doesn’t end at 7pm, and thanks to a boost in state funding from the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Healey, MeVa’s buses won’t either. Starting on September 5, MeVa’s six highest ridership routes will be running two hours later into the evening.

MeVa bus rider and Elevated Thought Development Strategist Sara Morin was effusive about the later service: “I’m really excited about later night buses,” she said, noting that “it’s a great option not just for me, but for students taking classes at Northern Essex, workers getting off their shifts at the plazas, and anyone who needs a safe way to get home.”

Lawrence Mayor Brian A. DePeña is a big fan of the extended service, stating: “Giving good quality services to our residents, especially in terms of transportation with extended service until 9:00 pm, is a sign that we are taking our city on the right path. Thank you MeVa for thinking about our City of Lawrence.”

The routes that will be running later are the #1, which connects Lawrence with Haverhill via the Loop, the #2, which connects Lawrence with Andover via South Broadway, the #9, which connects Lawrence with North Andover via Phillips Street, the #10, which connects Lawrence with Methuen via Broadway, the #13, which connects Haverhill with Plaistow NH via Main Street and North Avenue, and the #24, which connects Lawrence with Lowell via Route 110. Buses will depart from MeVa’s Transportation Centers at Buckley and Washington Square at 8 and 9pm, returning by 10pm.

MeVa Transit is one of 15 Regional Transit Authorities or RTAs across Massachusetts, which together serve the majority of communities in the state. For the past six years RTAs had been level funded in the state budget, which had prevented MeVa and other transit authorities from expanding service to meet the needs of the communities they service. That changed on August 9, when Governor Healey signed the $55.98 billion 2024 state budget, including an $56 million increase in funding for RTAs. With the added dollars, Massachusetts RTAs finally have the resources to deliver a baseline of service that brings transit equity to areas outside Boston and Route 128.

MeVa Chief Communications Officer Niorka Mendez noted that “for a long time riders and community groups have been asking us for later evening service and we’ve been listening. We are thrilled to be able to put this new funding to work to provide the service our community needs and deserves.”

MeVa did not waste any time putting these new dollars to work for the region. Thanks to a lot of hard work and creativity by MeVa’s human resources team, the agency has been able to buck a national trend and successfully recruit and retain a full staff of professional drivers. As a result, MeVa was able to immediately utilize these new dollars to extend service in an unprecedented four weeks.

While the extended hours are a great first step, MeVa readily acknowledges that there is still more work to be done to ensure riders have access to high quality public transportation. In addition to later service hours, riders have also been asking for Sunday service, which MeVa anticipates being able to begin in January, 2024

About MeVa Transit:

MeVa Transit is the regional transportation agency for 16 communities along the Merrimack River from Andover to the seacoast. MeVa Transit runs fixed service buses and paratransit vans (mini MeVa) with service hubs in Lawrence, Haverhill, and Amesbury. In March of 2022, the MeVa board voted to go fare-free systemwide in a move to encourage ridership and alleviate some of the financial burden shouldered by residents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to free-fares, MeVa rebranded all their vans and buses, doubled service on Lawrence-based routes, extended service into Groveland, and optimized routing to improve efficiency. Since going fare free, fixed route bus ridership through March 2023 has increased 226.1% and has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 4.5 percentage points. On the paratransit side, March 2023 ridership has increased 175.3% and has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 9.7 percentage points. For routes, schedules, and more information about MeVa Transit bus services, visit www.mevatransit.com.

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The MVRTA will be Sporting a New Name and Colorful Look

Lawrence, MA.  A fresh splash of color has hit the Merrimack Valley and, perhaps surprisingly, the source is the local transit authority. The first hints of the rebranding of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) as MeVa-Merrimack Valley Transit are the bright new buses, bedazzled in coral, aqua and yellow that can now be spotted along local roadways. MVRTA will officially unveil its new look buses, logo and name at a ribbon cutting event on Thursday, October 20 at the Buckley Transportation Center in Lawrence.

The impetus for the rebranding started over a year ago, when then-newly-appointed MVRTA Administrator Noah Berger and Communications Director Niorka Méndez-Almonte started going to community groups to access where the service was doing well and where it was falling short. Through their conversations, it quickly became clear that MVRTA was invisible to many of their potential riders. As Berger notes, “people who could use our service either didn’t know we were here or thought of us as irrelevant. For many reasons, our vehicles blended into the woodwork—of course it doesn’t help that we have the same color scheme as a mail truck!”

With a goal of increasing visibility and ridership, MVRTA put together a diverse focus group and began asking what the community wanted their buses to look like. Participants originally hailing from the Caribbean and Latin America shared that they were used to colorful, dynamic buses that do a much better job of getting people’s attention. Working with Studio Six Branding, which had been successful rebranding other transit authorities such as the Hop in Boulder Colorado, the focus group, along with additional stakeholders including drivers and riders, settled on a new design and name in May that better reflects the cultural and linguistic richness of the area, with special homage to what makes the Merrimack Valley unique and special. The colors are inspired by housing in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, while subtle ripples and water droplets honor the Merrimack River and abstracted clockfaces mirror the clocks adorning many of the area’s historic mill buildings.

The new name, MeVa, short for Merrimack Valley, was seen as hipper and easier to say than MVRTA. With the tag line “Let’s go/íVamos!” prominently displayed on the buses, the system is especially welcoming to its many Spanish-speaking riders. Méndez-Almonte proudly observed that: “Being Latina, born and raised in the Dominican Republic, I feel connected to the new brand, the cheery and happy colors perfectly reflect the Hispanic culture. I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way.”

The new look is much more than mere cosmetics and supports a dramatic campaign to improve service, including going fare free systemwide back in March, doubling frequencies in Lawrence beginning last month, optimizing routings and adding bus stops. Through September, ridership is up 97.9% since going fare free and growing. Nine of the newly wrapped buses have been plying the streets of the Merrimack Valley since last week and the area has taken notice, as evidenced by posts of sightings on social media as if the new buses were exotic birds. After the initial launch, the authority will continue to work on wrapping the rest of the fleet. MVRTA was established back in 1974 and has had the same look ever since. It is time for a fresh look that reflects and supports a new, responsive and welcoming twenty-first century transit service.

MVRTA INCREASES SERVICE FREQUENCY IN LAWRENCE

August 22, 2022

MVRTA INCREASES SERVICE FREQUENCY IN LAWRENCE

Lawrence, MA.  For the first time in the history of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA), all Lawrence-based bus routes will operate every 30 minutes, all day long, starting September 6, 2022. Historically, MVRTA buses in Lawrence only ran every 30 minutes during peak hours, with hourly service at all other times. For many riders, this proved to be confusing, as they were unsure when buses were running every half hour and when they were running hourly. Keeping a consistent 30-minute service all day long not only makes the schedule easier to understand, it also better reflects the reality that riders need the bus throughout the day and are not likely operating on a banker’s 9-5 schedule.

Since July, all service was only running hourly except for routes #1 and #41, due to a national driver shortage.  Thanks to an aggressive recruitment campaign and a top salary of $27.61/hour, MVRTA has been able to overcome the driver shortage and add new operators over the summer who will be deployed in September. Buses will operate every half hour out of the Buckley Transportation Center on Common Street from 5:00 AM until 7:00 PM on weekdays.  Saturday service will continue to run hourly, from 7:00 AM until 6:00 PM.

With this service improvement, people living, working or visiting Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Andover and North Andover will have more flexibility when using public transportation. MVRTA Communications Director Niorka Mendez noted that “Adding more frequency will not only make our system more reliable, it will also improve the rider experience. Riders will no longer need to check the schedule to make sure they don’t miss the bus and wait for an hour for the next bus—they will know that the bus will show up every half hour.”

Rider Ana Salinas added that “Having the half hour pulse extended for longer hours helps with my time management and makes it that much easier and faster to get around.”

In planning this change, MVRTA worked closely with Lawrence Mayor Brian De Peña, who was very enthusiastic about the improved schedule, noting that the more frequent service will be a great benefit for area businesses: “I applaud the decision that MVRTA made to provide a more efficient and faster bus service in our city. This determination will definitely have a positive impact in our community by making our transportation system even more reliable.”

The new schedule is part of a larger campaign to make MVRTA service more responsive to riders’ travel needs, and be more visible and accessible. Back in March, all MVRTA buses went fare free, resulting in a 71.48% ridership increase.  Starting in April, MVRA began optimizing routings, starting with routes 35, 36 and 37, by making routes simpler and more direct.  As Administrator Noah Berger observed, “the 37 bus used to literally travel in a figure eight, which meant that in many instances, you couldn’t return to where you initially got on the bus. And since travel times are decreased, we are better respecting our passengers’ time.”  MVRTA will also be introducing bus stop signs and, through a grant from MassDOT’s Shared Streets Program, bus shelters, which will remove the intimidation of waiting for a bus. Finally, later this fall, MVRTA will introduce a new colorful bus design and logo that will add to the visibility and attractiveness of riding system.

Media Contact:

Niorka Mendez

Director of Communications

[email protected]

(978) 469-6878  Extension 116

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program

Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority has established its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal for the next 3 years. The goal states 4.5% of contracts for goods and services procured over the next time period will be awarded to registered DBE firms. If you have any comments regarding our policy, please forward them to [email protected] by May 4th, 5 PM. To register as a DBE, information is found at: Apply for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification | Mass.gov

If you are interested in being added to the list of DBE vendors with MVRTA, please send your company’s information to Kathleen Lambert, Deputy Administrator and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Liason Officer (DBELO) for MVRTA at [email protected]. It is MVRTA’s practice to post all solicitations on our website under “Doing Business with MVRTA”. Feel free to check this page frequently for information. We look forward to doing business with you!

THE MVRTA GOES FARE FREE ON MARCH 1, 2022

Haverhill, MA The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) board voted unanimously yesterday to go fare-free for all local fixed route and EZ Trans paratransit services starting March 1, 2022 for at least a 2-year pilot. Fares will still be collected on the Boston Commuter bus.  

This pilot is an expansion of the City of Lawrence-funded initiative that has covered fares on three local routes in Lawrence since September, 2019.  The MVRTA will be using federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the pilot.

One local champion of the free-fare pilot is Congresswoman Lori Trahan, MA-3, who called “the decision to waive fares for Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority riders a game-changer for folks across the region who rely on public transit for their commutes.” She noted that she was particularly gratified to see the work she is doing in Washington benefit transit riders back home.  “I was proud to vote for the CARES Act last year and applaud the Board for putting funding from the relief package to use helping Merrimack Valley residents and small businesses working to recover from the pandemic,” she said.

Some of the many advantages of a fare free transit system include winning back riders who stopped riding during the COVID-19 pandemic, returning dollars back to the local economy, increased access for people having a hard time affording transportation, faster and more efficient trips, and reduced conflicts between drivers and passengers.  In addition, another factor supporting the budget-conscious board’s decision to go fare free is the high cost and inefficiency of collecting fares. As MVRTA Administrator Noah Berger noted, “for every dollar we collect in fares, we only see less than 24 cents when the fully allocated costs of collecting fares are factored in.”

“I am really excited about this pilot,” said MVRTA spokesperson Niorka Mendez, adding that “going fare-free will attract new riders, increase patronage of our local businesses, offer economic relief to families that rely on our service, and connect people to jobs and other economic opportunities.”

New Leadership at the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority

If you see a new face aboard an MVRTA bus, come on over and say ‘hello’—of course if you don’t, he will likely come over to introduce himself to you. Noah S. Berger, the new Administrator for the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, started on July 31, 2021, and made a public commitment to ride every route in the system. “The best way to understand the mobility needs of people is to talk with them on the bus,” he explains. “Transit systems look much different on a map than they do when you’re on the vehicles, riding in traffic with everybody else.”

Berger succeed long-time Administrator Joe Costanzo, who retired last month after forty-two years at the helm. Berger, who was appointed by the MVRTA Board to the position during its June 22, 2021 meeting, will be only the third Administrator in the history of the MVRTA, which was first established in 1974. The MVRTA serves the northeast corner of Massachusetts with over 1 million miles of scheduled bus routes, as well as demand-response van transportation for seniors and people with disabilities.  

Berger comes to MVRTA with almost thirty years of experience in the transit industry, most recently serving as Deputy Administrator for the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, based in Hyannis, where he garnered a reputation for creative planning, management and funding of innovative transit projects and programs. He spent fifteen years at the Federal Transit Administration, primarily as Director of Planning and Program Development in the Region 1 Office in Cambridge, MA, where he steered the $1.1 billion annual regional transit grant program from concept through award, and has held leadership positions with CTTransit, the Greater Hartford Transit District, the Boston Foundation, the MBTA Advisory Board, Cambridge Systematics, and Vermont’s Enterprise Community Transportation Project. He even worked for the New York Yankees when he was a teenager, although he concedes that he worked as a vendor, not a ballplayer. “Mostly soda, ice cream or peanuts,” he explains, because “only the seniors guys got to sell hot dogs or beer.”  He is originally from New York, where he recalls collecting bus drivers’ autographs from the time he was six years old because, he says, to him “they were superstars.” He is also an exhibited illustrator and oil painter and has Master’s Degrees in City Planning from M.I.T., and Philosophy from the State University of New York.

When asked what the number one thing riders tell him about the service, he is quick to respond that the first thing he hears is how great the service is and how much people appreciate it, immediately followed by a desire for marked bus stops with shelters, like the new MassDOT-funded shelters on River Street near the intersection with Lowell Avenue. MVRTA has historically run as a flag stop system, where riders waive a bus down along the route. “Flag stops work well if you already know the route and know where to get on,” Berger adds, “but can be very intimidating for people who are unfamiliar with the system.”  Berger sees the addition of clearly-marked stops as part of a critical visibility campaign to attract new riders to transit. “After COVID,” he explains, “we need to draw new riders to the system—this means reassuring them that transit is a very safe, convenient, reliable, and even enjoyable way to get around.”

MVRTA Spokesperson Niorka Mendez added that “Noah has been in the MVRTA for only three weeks but it feels like he has been part of this family for a long time. He brings a combination of fresh ideas, experience, knowledge, motivation and positive attitude that makes him a great leader. We are very excited to have him on board and we are looking forward to this new journey.”

In addition to riders, Berger and his team are also meeting with leaders of all sixteen MVRTA cities and towns, as well as local community groups, the business community, and drivers, who Berger notes are on the front lines. Berger says that he has a great crew covering all aspects of operating a bus system, and that everyone at MVRTA looks forward to working with the community to deliver the best, most convenient transit possible.

Corona Virus Press Release

MVRTA Takes Recommended Precautions against the spread of Corona Virus:

We are following the procedures and guidelines recommended to all agencies from the US DOT and the CDC

  • The MVRTA Maintenance Team is sanitizing all vehicles each night.
  • Operators and supervisors have all been provided training on how to protect themselves from the virus in the last two weeks. The training was mandatory.
  • New and updated memos from the CDC continue to be posted on how everyone can protect themselves. These memos and updates will be posted at MVRTA transit centers, Buckley, McGovern, Washington Sq. Haverhill and Amesbury.
  • MVRTA’s Operations team has developed procedures should staff become infected; how to protect themselves and others from spreading infection.
  • All bus and van drivers carry pocket size hand sanitizer since soap and water is not available on the road. Sanitizer products are available to all staff.
  • Hand sanitizer stations are located in the MVRTA administration office lobby and transit centers. These are available to the public.
  • Finally use common sense, wash your hands frequently, stay home if you are sick, seek medical attention if your symptoms become severe.

FREE RIDES!

Starting Monday, September 9, 2019, thanks to a grant from the taxpayers of the City of Lawrence, the following routes will be FREE OF CHARGE:

  • Route 34 (Prospect Hill)
  • Route 37 (Beacon Street)
  • Route 85 (Lawrence Downtown Shuttle)

You will see the “FREE” sign next to the bus route information on the destination sign, on the front and side of the bus.

***NO TRANSFERS WILL BE GIVEN OUT FROM ANY OF THESE ROUTES***

HIRING NOW !

Job Opportunities

 

The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority serves the Northeast corridor of Massachusetts with over 1 million miles of city, suburban, interurban, and rural scheduled bus routes. MVRTA’s goal is to provide our passengers with affordable, safe, reliable and convenient transportation services by having well-trained, qualified, and professional staff.

The Merrimack Valley Area Transportation Company (MVATC) and Special Transportation Services, Inc. (STS) are under contract to providepublic transportation services for MVRTA, and both welcome a diverse, talented work force of dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to join our team.

All interested individuals can complete a job application on the premises of our administration building located at:

MVRTA – 85 Railroad Avenue
Haverhill, Massachusetts, 01835

Applications can be obtained Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, excluding holidays.

>>Current Job Openings<<

Equal Employment Opportunity

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY

 

As the operating company for the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) and as subsidiaries of First Transit Inc., Merrimack Valley Area Transportation Co. (MVATC) and Special Transportation Services, Inc. (STS) are committed to the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employment practices, including recruitment, selection, promotions, terminations, transfers, layoffs, compensation, training, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment. These practices will not discriminate against an employee or applicant for employment on the grounds of age, sex, creed, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability status, and any other characteristic protected under State or Federal law.

All employees and all applicants for employment have the right to file complaints alleging discrimination with MVATC/STS’s EEO Director. EEO complaints are tracked by the EEO Director, and include the date it was filed, the person(s) who filed the complaint, complaint summary, response/how it was corrected, and the date of the response. The Special Projects Manager, Monica Anderson is the EEO Director responsible for ensuring compliance and implementation of MVATC/STS’s EEO program. The EEO Director can be contacted at 978-469-6878, ext. 134 or [email protected].