Mayor Domenic J. Sarno issued a statement today with his concerns about the effects of a potential Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus drivers strike on Springfield residents.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “First off, although I am sympathetic and compassionate to the needs of the union Local 448, I support the administration of the PVTA and believe that a fair and financially sustainable offer has been made. The PVTA is more than willing to continue negotiations to reach a plausible compromise that is beneficial to both parties, however as the PVTA has indicated, it is the union that has stepped away from the table. This is not a city service or city contract, but this strike will greatly impact service in Springfield.”
“I have made it clear to the administration of the PVTA and to the Advisory Board that my number one priority is to get our 2000 affected students to school and provide transportation services for our residents, especially our seniors who rely upon public transportation to get to doctor appointments and get medical care or emergency services, as well as the hundreds of our citizens that rely on public transportation to get to and from work to support their families.”
“In response to my concerns, the PVTA will consider emergency service that will restore limited service to Springfield. This emergency service will restore limited service to some of our most heavily utilized lines that our students use for school, seniors rely upon to make doctor appointments and citizens need to get to work.”
“I will continue to monitor the situation and encourage the administration of the PVTA to explore all possible solutions to address and resolve this issue, including reaching out to Governor Healey and the state delegation, as the state is the primary source of funding to PVTA and their actions are what drives those budget decisions. I have also personally spoken to Governor Healey alerting her of this situation. I remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached and full service will be restored to our residents.”
Please also see below Transportation Update shared be the PVTA.