MA: Springfield City Council endorses free busing

The City Council voted last week to endorse the free busing that has become a lifeline to many city residents, saying they were concerned disturbances at Union Station could put the program in jeopardy.

“This resolution reiterates this particular body’s support for fare-free transportation and, in my opinion, sends a strong message to the legislature that we would like to see this fully funded,” City Councilor Justin Hurst said.

In the past, the City Council fought for fare-free transportation, which was instituted statewide in the summer of 2023. Hurst said he is concerned Mayor Domenic J. Sarno’s call to end the benefit sends the wrong message.

The problem of large and sometimes unruly gatherings mainly made up of teenagers has been taking place for at least a year, officials have said. It came to a forefront two weeks ago when Sarno witnessed a group of 50 to 70 teens creating a disturbance and sparking dozens of police officers across the city to respond. A 16-year-old from Springfield and a 14-year-old from Holyoke were arrested in the incident.

Sarno then called for an end to free busing. After hearing pushback from riders, legislators and others, the mayor has since backed down saying he is not against keeping busing free but wants a system where riders would have to show identification when boarding.

While he has talked about having the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority issue free passes to riders, there has been no specifics on how it would be funded or how it would work especially for visitors or occasional riders.

“We were leaders on fare-free transportation and I expect for us to continue to be leaders as a body,” Hurst said.

The City Council voted 10-0 to support the resolution Monday with members saying they have long pushed for the program and believe the problems at Union Station must be handled in a different way.

“Free public transportation is here to stay. The problem is not free transportation, the problem is security at Union Station,” said Councilor Victor Davila.

He said his wife takes the bus daily to her job next to Union Station and has been concerned about the crowds, but added it is a multifaceted issue that will take many people working together to solve.

Putting more officers in Union Station is not a permanent answer because police are stretched thin and that would take officers away from the neighborhoods, Davila said.

“I do realize the safety aspect which is a very serious aspect,” Davila said. “I don’t want my wife to get hurt by a knucklehead when she is going to work.”

In 2022, five city councilors who are all currently in office— Hurst, Davila, Zaida Govan, Kateri Walsh and Tracye Whitfield — rode the bus from the then- Eastfield Mall in a trip advocating for free transportation on three popular bus routes. At the time, their idea was to use pandemic relief grants.

Since then, the legislature has paid for free busing across the state. Funding is included in both the House and Senate’s proposed budgets for the next fiscal year.

“I believe (when) our youths act out, it is a cry for help,” Govan said. “Young people don’t know how to ask for help.”

She instead proposed using the state-funded Shannon Community Safety Initiative grant, which is designed to keep students out of gangs and trouble, to help solve the problem by having some recipients posted at Union Station to get students involved in their programs.

“Fare-free transportation is not a public safety problem. We do need buses to be safe. We do need Union Station to be safe,” Govan said. “I believe we can achieve it with the resources that we have.”

City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce said he does support the free busing but agreed with the mayor’s call for an accountability system.

He said drivers have been harassed and spit on by adults as well as youth, and they should know who is riding their buses.

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