Commission endorses update to bus stop ordinance, adds PVTA stop IDs and 84 stops to city code

Northampton — The Transportation Parking Commission on Oct. 21 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council adopt a revised bus stop ordinance that lists all operational PVTA stops in the city, adds PVTA stop identification numbers and makes a small number of location consolidations.

Keith Benoit of the planning office told the commission the existing ordinance listed roughly 16 stops but the city currently hosts about 84 operational PVTA stops. “Of the current ordinance, there's only about 16, working bus stops that are on there, but we have 84 bus stops,” Benoit said. The revision would align the city code with the stops PVTA actually uses and would add PVTA stop IDs to make enforcement and rider wayfinding simpler.

PVTA staff and city officials discussed operational details including the length of space needed for buses to pull in safely. Benoit and Paul from PVTA said many locations are already compliant with current vehicle lengths but recommended a target of 60 feet for most stops and about 80 feet for the longest routes. “In a perfect world, every stop should be at least 60 feet,” Paul said, noting operational tradeoffs and that PVTA will supply signage where feasible.

The proposal includes removing two stops that PVTA data shows are unused and shifting eight existing stops to safer or more operationally sensible locations; staff said they are not proposing removing any parking spaces as part of the shifts. Benoit described one specific change in Florence where a stop would be moved away from a pair of parking spaces to an area with no conflict with curb cuts; he also said the city proposes to remove a bench on King Street to accommodate an accessible stop near 129 Pleasant Street.

Parking enforcement, represented at the meeting by Nancy Forrestal, asked how the city will mark and sign the new stops so that enforcement is practical. City staff said PVTA will provide signs in many locations but that pavement markings and full accessibility upgrades will require additional funding. Commissioners asked for a plan to add signage and to coordinate enforcement and recommended DPW and PVTA work through operational details before the ordinance goes to the City Council's Legislative Matters committee on Nov. 10.

The commission moved a positive recommendation; the roll call vote was unanimous (9–0). The commission asked staff to continue ground‑truthing locations with Councilor Alex Jarrett and to return any technical edits before the ordinance goes to the Council.