SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Thousands of Springfield residents who rely on the PVTA for a free ride to work can breathe a sigh of relief tonight. Despite recent calls from the mayor to end the free-fare program due to safety concerns, state leaders say the money is already in place to keep the buses free.

Mayor Domenic Sarno has been very vocal about the “chaos” he says is happening right here at Union Station — even calling the free bus program a “free-for-all” for troublemakers. On Thursday, Western Mass News spoke with State Representative Carlos Gonzalez, who said the program isn’t going anywhere, “everything is on a budgetary year-to-year basis. We have refunded the program, and we expect that the program will continue after the end of June.”

Gonzalez told Western Mass News that the state has already allocated the funding to renew the free-fare program after it expires at the end of June. He said the buses are a lifeline for nearly 150,000 residents who use them for groceries, doctor’s appointments, and work. while the mayor is pushing for a swipe-card system to track juveniles causing disturbances, Gonzalez argued that taking away free rides penalizes the working poor for the actions of a few, “the issue here is that free busing has nothing to do with the disturbances that are having. And if the city of Springfield needs more police officers, they need to request it from the city of Springfield.”

Now, the mayor isn’t backing down. He issued a new statement today saying he is still demanding “clarification” from the PVTA on a tracking system — saying public safety trumps policy.

Western Mass News will be tracking those upcoming meetings between the mayor and the PVTA to see if a compromise can be reached.

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