A Springfield City Councilor and Mayoral candidate is proposing a 50 percent subsidy for all city residents riding the bus within the city limits.
Justin Hurst is now calling on the mayor to use 4 million dollars from the federal pandemic relief monies in order to get that done.
The four million dollars would cover a 50 percent subsidy. The goal according to Hurst is to make the subsidy permanent.
Councilor Hurst stated, “It is exciting to finally get this resolution over the finish line. While it is slightly different than the resolution that was proposed last year, this one covers more routes and will provide a much needed financial break to even more residents. More importantly, this is the culmination of a significant amount of research, intense discussions on how to provide relief equitably to all residents, and compromises made on all sides. I am extremely grateful to the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission for all of their hard work on this piece of legislation and I also am appreciative to my colleagues for seeing the importance of providing subsidized transportation for the residents of Springfield.”
Mayor Dom Sarno has not responded to the proposal yet.