Audit of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Overview of Audited Entity

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.

Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities

Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws established regional transit authorities (RTAs) and defined the roles and responsibilities for these authorities, the municipalities in which they operate, and the Commonwealth. According to Chapter 161B of the General Laws, RTAs are controlled by the municipalities in which they operate. Each RTA is governed by an advisory board composed of elected officials in the community (e.g., city manager or mayor), as well as one representative of the disabled commuter population¹ and one representative of the local rider community. The advisory boards appoint administrators, establish bylaws, and approve budgets and changes to RTA services.

Section 53 of Chapter 6C of the General Laws makes the Rail and Transit Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation “responsible for overseeing, coordinating and planning all transit and rail matters throughout the commonwealth,” including intercity buses, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and RTAs.

Source: Massachusetts Department of Transportation—Rail and Transit Division (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/public-transportation-in-massachusetts)

Currently, there is a network of 15 RTAs operating in the Commonwealth, in addition to the transit services provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. These RTAs serve a total of 272 cities and towns outside the greater Boston area. RTAs are funded through a combination of state appropriations, federal grants, local governments, transit fares, and other sources. State appropriations for the 15 RTAs increased from approximately $80 million in fiscal year 2018 to approximately $94 million in fiscal years 2021 and 2022.

Americans with Disabilities Act–Required Paratransit Services

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 recognized that some individuals’ disabilities prevent them from using a fixed-route transit system. Section 37(F) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which covers the transportation and related stipulations of ADA, states,

Each public entity operating a fixed route system shall provide paratransit or other special service to individuals with disabilities that is comparable to the level of service provided to individuals without disabilities who use the fixed route system.

The above regulation also establishes minimum levels of service that RTAs must provide for complementary paratransit services.

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) was established in 1974 and reports to the Rail and Transit Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation under Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2009. According to PVTA’s website, it “is committed to providing the highest quality of convenient and accessible public transportation service that meets the needs of our customers in an efficient, cost effective manner.” PVTA’s operations are overseen by an advisory board. PVTA’s administrator, hired by the advisory board, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the agency.

During our audit period, PVTA contracted with two private operating companies to provide fixed-route transportation services:² DRG Management, Inc., which owns two subsidiaries (Springfield Area Transit Company and Valley Area Transit Company), and University of Massachusetts Transit.

Additionally, PVTA provides ADA-required paratransit and demand response transportation services³ for individuals who cannot use PVTA’s fixed-route bus services. During our audit period, PVTA contracted with two private operating companies—National Express Transit Corporation, from October 1, 2019 through June 30, 2021, and MV Transportation, from July 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021—to provide ADA-required paratransit and demand response transportation services. The operating companies’ responsibilities include scheduling trips as close to the riders’ requested times as possible, preparing the daily schedules for the vehicles’ drivers, and making any necessary adjustments to trips. PVTA oversees the operating companies and manages ADA-required paratransit and demand response service rider eligibility at its administrative offices. PVTA managed all ADA-required paratransit and demand response services provided during the audit period using a transit software called ADEPT.⁴

ADA Paratransit Complaints

ADA paratransit complaints are complaints related to ADA-required paratransit services. According to Section 27.13 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, transportation programs that receive federal funding must adopt complaint procedures and designate a responsible employee to coordinate these procedures.

A customer service representative (at PVTA or the contracted paratransit provider) inputs ADA paratransit complaints (received in-person, by phone or email, or by completing a complaint form online) from paratransit riders or the general public into PVTA’s complaint management system (the Feedback System). It is the responsibility of the contracted paratransit provider to investigate the complaint and determine whether the complaint warrants further action. The operating company reports the investigation results to PVTA’s customer service manager and documents the results in the Feedback System. Complainants have the option to appeal a determination within 30 days if they do not agree with the resolution.

PVTA Paratransit Ridership Information

During the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, PVTA’s ridership and number of drivers decreased substantially. The table below summarizes PVTA’s paratransit information for fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

	Fiscal Year 2019	Fiscal Year 2020	Fiscal Year 2021
Number of Unique Riders	1,896	1,677	945
Number of Trips	253,105	196,606	109,449
Number of Miles	2,626,645	2,095,653	1,252,761
Number of Drivers	113	121	69
Number of Vehicles Used	102	93	71

PVTA Funding Sources

In fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021, PVTA received revenue from a variety of sources, including fares and federal, state, and local assistance. State assistance was the largest source, followed by local assistance and federal assistance. The table below shows the types of funding PVTA received during fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Type of Funding	Fiscal Year 2019	Fiscal Year 2020	Fiscal Year 2021
State Assistance	$ 25,233,938	$ 25,483,838	$ 25,962,099
Local Assistance	8,947,886	9,171,583	9,400,873
Federal Assistance	6,283,734	7,055,374	7,607,847
Fixed-Route Income	6,713,061	5,090,852	3,002,979
Paratransit Income	794,068	586,382	276,208
Other Operating Assistance*	803,396	510,297	538,010
Other Income**	577,822	621,613	486,641
Shuttle Service Income	19,539	12,259	10,748
Total	$ 49,373,444	$ 48,532,198	$ 47,285,405

*      Other operating assistance is from grants and contracts for specific services.

**    Other income is from advertising, miscellaneous sources, and interest.

1.    According to Section 5 of Chapter 161B of the General Laws, “This representative shall be mobility impaired, have a family member who is mobility impaired, be a caretaker of a person who is mobility impaired or work for an organization that serves the needs of the physically disabled.”

 

2.    Fixed-route transportation services have established routes, schedules, and stops.

3.    Demand response transportation services do not have fixed routes, schedules, or stops. They must be requested by riders and scheduled by dispatchers through a transportation service.

4.    ADEPT is an industry demand response software developed by StrataGen that facilitates scheduling and dispatching paratransit and on-demand transportation.

Date published:	March 17, 2023