HADLEY — Passengers aboard Pioneer Valley Transit Authority buses on a popular route between Northampton and Amherst could see their commute times reduced when a new traffic control system, in which green lights can be held longer for buses, is activated by early 2020.
The $1.07 million state Department of Transportation project will see the installation of Transit Signal Priority, or TSP, technology at 11 intersections in Northampton, Hadley and Amherst by Dagle Electrical Construction Co. of Wilmington.
In addition to the signal improvements, Dagle has provided PVTA 14 controller kits for the buses that travel along what is known as the B43 route, a one-way ride that typically takes between 25 and 30 minutes.
“When completed the project should allow the B43 to travel more quickly between Amherst and Northampton,” said Brandy Pelletier, PVTA’s director of advertising and marketing. “Estimates are a time saving of at least 5 minutes per trip.”
TSP works by sensing when a PVTA bus is in close proximity. If the light is already green, the bus may be given enough time to pass through before changing to red.
The idea, according to MassDOT’s description, is to prioritize traffic flow on roads like Route 9 in Hadley, a principal arterial roadway, over the intersecting streets.
The B43 route connects Smith College and downtown Northampton with the Route 9 corridor in Hadley, including both Hampshire and Mountain Farms malls, and then heads to Amherst center and the University of Massachusetts at Haigis Mall.
According to the state’s project description, reducing times on the route should enhance public transportation. “The B43 has one of the highest ridership volumes in the PVTA transit system and could potentially attract additional ridership if service was improved.”
Unlike ambulances and emergency vehicles that are able to override, or preempt, traffic signals, the buses will only be prioritized.
The PVTA B43 buses operate from the Valley Area Transit Co. garage on Industrial Avenue in Northampton. Pelletier said the 14 kits provided by Dagle are being installed by maintenance teams.
Hadley Planning Board Clerk William Dwyer said the TSP can be viewed as an alternative to adding a dedicated bus lane on Route 9, which is not included in the state’s latest plans for rebuilding the state highway between Hadley center and South Maple Street.
There are other changes also being contemplated to speed up the B43 buses, Dwyer said, including eliminating internal stops at both the Hampshire Mall near JC Penney and at Mountain Farms Mall at Wal-Mart, and replacing these stops with passengers being picked up and dropped off at the edge of the state highway.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.