For the first time in the history of the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, all Lawrence-based bus routes begin operating Tuesday, Sept. 6. every 30 minutes, all day.
The Authority said Lawrence buses ran only every 30 minutes during peak hours, but provided 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,” the Authority said Tuesday in a statement.
“With this service improvement, people living, working or visiting Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Andover and North Andover will have more flexibility when using public transportation,” said MVRTA Communications Director Niorka Mendez. She added, “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.”
Buses will travel every half hour out of the Buckley Transportation Center on Common Street in Lawrence from 5 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and hourly, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturdays.
Since July, all service was running only 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 per hour, MVRTA hired new drivers.