Mayor Welcomes Expanded MVRTA Weekday Bus Service

(File photograph.)

Local, weekday bus service now runs hourly rather than 90 minutes.

Weekday buses operated by Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) began the “enhanced” service in September, said Mayor James J. Fiorentini.

“Transportation is critical to our residents,” Fiorentini said. “It helps people get to shopping areas to give them the ability to purchase food and other items. It also is a means of transportation to get to and from jobs. The enhanced service will give people the ability to connect with other buses for other routes without a long connection wait time.”

There is no change of service to the weekends due to the enhanced weekday service, Fiorentini said. He approved the enhanced weekday service last spring and previously approved Sunday service in the city.

Last May, David S. Van Dam, Fiorentini’s chief of staff and MVRTA representative, said the cost for more frequent bus runs will be “up to $35,000” during the fiscal year that begins July 1, said. While the state and federal governments subsidize MVRTA, remaining “net costs” are borne by participating cities and towns and deducted from state aid. During the current fiscal year, the state estimated $447,323 would be deducted from Haverhill’s “Cherry Sheet” for regional transit authority service.

The MVRTA runs five routes serviced by four buses, operating Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday service runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The MVRTA also runs 16 vans for elderly and disabled with a one-day advance notice.

More details are available at www.mvrta.com.

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