MA: Transit agencies launch pilot bus service linking Pioneer Valley, Berkshires
Traveling between Pittsfield and Northampton, Pittsfield and North Adams or North Adams and Greenfield without a car will get easier Wednesday with the launch of new bus service.
Three regional transit authorities in Western Massachusetts have been working on what they call Link413 for more than a year in response to customer demand.
The bus operators estimated average ridership of 15 riders per trip.
The service is led by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, in partnership with the Franklin Regional Transit Authority and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.
“Link413 will fulfill those regional service needs, so now you finally can get there from here,” Robert Malnati, the BRTA administrator, said in a statement.
Peter Pan Bus Lines of Springfield provides service between Western Massachusetts regions now. The Franklin Regional Transit Authority and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Hampden and Hampshire counties also interconnect.
But there was a gap in the middle between the Berkshire system and the two in the Pioneer Valley.
The collaboration offers customers three new longer-distance, weekday bus routes providing service across four counties and enabling out-of-state connections.
“Our goal with this project is to provide improved direct connections between our Western Mass. communities for commuters, job seekers, students and visitors. Projects like Link413 demonstrate how much can be done when authorities work together,” said Tina Cote, the FRTA administrator.
The service offers connections to Boston, Connecticut, New York, and Vermont with Amtrak’s Valley Flyer, Vermonter, Lake Shore Limited and Berkshire Flyer train services, according to a news release.
A one-way Link413 ticket will cost $10 per trip, or $5 per trip for qualifying customers.
The three routes take between an hour and half and 45 minutes in one direction:
Route 901 will travel one way in approximately 45 minutes between Pittsfield and North Adams.
Route 903 will travel one way in approximately 90 minutes between North Adams and Greenfield via the communities of Adams, Savoy, Plainfield, Ashfield and Charlemont.
Route 904 will travel one way in approximately 90 minutes to serve riders traveling between Pittsfield and Northampton along the Route 9 corridor with stops in Dalton, Windsor, Cummington, Goshen and Williamsburg.
Service is offered in both directions, eastbound and westbound, as well as northbound and southbound for the Pittsfield- North Adams route.
The first buses leave at 7:30 a.m. The final buses arrive at their destinations at 9 p.m. A schedule is available online at shorturl.at/0WKRU.
The routes are a pilot project. During the first two years of service, the transit authorities and the state will evaluate ridership and other performance metrics as they search for sustainable funding sources.
Link413 buses will offer amenities such as high-back seats, free WiFi and accessibility for customers traveling with the help of mobility devices.
In the 2024 budget year, MassDOT granted $4.46 million to the three transit authorities. The money rehabilitated seven buses and will be used to fund service. In December 2025, the state also announced $1.57 million for the project.
The buses are branded with the Link413 name and feature images of Western Massachusetts, such as the Connecticut River and surrounding farmland, rolling hills and popular destinations like the Poet’s Seat Tower, Bridge of Flowers and Mount Greylock.
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