REGIONAL – MEVA, the fare-free bus line that serves northeast Massachusetts, turned 50 last week with a celebration at the new McGovern Transportation Center.
In 1974, the Massachusetts legislature created 10 regional transit authorities to take over for failing private operations in the industrial cities. The authority that has served the towns and cities from Lawrence to Salisbury and Newburyport was the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA).
That mouthful was shortened to Merrimack Valley Transit (MEVA) last year when the bus company repainted its fleet of buses into a colorful Caribbean-themed paint job. MEVA now carries 3.4 million riders annually across 16 cities and towns.
MEVA celebrated its birthday on its buses, handing out t-shirts to riders and providing snacks in a lobby at the McGovern center.
In recent years, MeVa has implemented several initiatives to increase access and opportunity across the region, including going fare-free systemwide, doubling frequencies in Lawrence, extending service later into the evening, adding Sunday service, optimizing routes and relocating its Lawrence hub to the McGovern Intermodal Station.
For the future, MeVa plans to implement more frequent service, adding new stops and digital signage, new crosstown service, the establishment of a community space at McGovern Station. And possibly the most innovative step is launching seasonal ferries on the Merrimack River.
