Transit services are set to expand throughout the region next year, with more than $3 million in state grants awarded to transit authorities in the Pioneer Valley and surrounding areas to improve connections across routes.

These expansions come as part of a $10 million grant package announced this week by the Healey-Driscoll administration, which will fund 10 projects that increase connections between transit routes and service areas.

Two of these projects are located in western Massachusetts — the Pioneer Valley Connectors, which will establish two new north-south routes between Northampton and Westfield and in Hampden County, and the 413 Commuter and Regionally Interconnected Bus network (413 CRIB) that will offer service between Northampton and Pittsfield and between North Adams and Greenfield.

“Residents across our state rely on Regional Transit Authorities to get to work, school, the grocery store, doctor’s appointments, and more. This funding will increase service options and make commutes easier, in addition to our recent investment to make service free at most RTAs,” said Gov. Maura Healey in a statement. “Our administration is committed to prioritizing improvements to transportation infrastructure and quality of life in our communities.”

Pioneer Valley Connectors

The Pioneer Valley Connectors program is a collaboration between the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) and Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) that will establish two new fixed north-south routes and creating “microtransit” in Southampton and Southwick. The program will expand the areas served by transit, expand the connections that riders can make and facilitate connections between PVTA and FRTA service areas.

This program has been awarded $1.8 million in state funding, and officials anticipate these routes will launch next spring.

One of these new routes will connect the communities of Southwick, Westfield, Northampton, Southampton and Easthampton.

“The route provides much needed north-south transit service along state routes 10 and 202,” said PVTA spokesperson Brandy Pelletier in an email to the Gazette.

The route will provide transportation between academic institutions such as Westfield State University and Smith College while linking riders to major PVTA transit hubs such as the Olver Transit Pavilion in Westfield and the Academy of Music in Northampton. The route will also provide a dedicated connection to FRTA’s Demand Response service in Southwick and Southampton, facilitating better connections between PVTA’s and FRTA’s fixed route systems.

The second new fixed bus route will be east of downtown Springfield, and will serve East Longmeadow, Springfield and Ludlow via Parker Street.

“The route provides much needed north-south, crosstown transit service connecting people to employment via the Cartamundi Industrial Park, grocery stores other retail at Five Town Plaza, Boston Road in Springfield and Ludlow,” Pelletier said. “The route will end at Big Y Plaza in Ludlow. This route will add new service to the East St. Corridor in Ludlow, significantly enhancing connections from this community to PVTA’s system.”

413 CRIB route

For the 413 CRIB program, according to Pelletier, PVTA and FRTA will partner with the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) to connect western Massachusetts with commuter transit, which will launch following Massachusetts Department of Transportation repairs to the intercity coaches that the RTAs will use for the service.

The 413 CRIB program will also establish two new routes utilizing $1.6 million in state funding: a Pittsfield-Northampton service operated jointly by BRTA and PVTA, and a North Adams-Greenfield service operated jointly by PVTA and FRTA.

For the Pittsfield-Northampton service, BRTA would depart from the ITC in downtown Pittsfield, travel to Northampton via Route 9 where it will meet up with FRTA and PVTA buses downtown, and then reverse direction. This will occur once in the morning and once in the late afternoon, according to Pelletier.

PVTA would depart from the Academy of Music area to Pittsfield via Route 9 and reverse direction after meeting up with BRTA buses at the Pittsfield ITC once in the mid-morning and once in the late afternoon.

Additionally, FRTA would provide more trips on its current Route 31 between Greenfield and Northampton, making additional connections to this new service and other fixed routes within the PVTA system.

For the North Adams-Greenfield service, Pelletier said that BRTA would depart downtown North Adams to the JWO Transit Center in downtown Greenfield via Routes 8, 116, 112 and 2 and reverse direction after connecting with FRTA buses at the JWO Transit Center once in the morning and once in the late afternoon.

The FRTA would then depart from the JWO Transit Center to downtown North Adams traveling along Routes 2, 112, 116 and 8, reversing direction after connecting with BRTA buses in downtown Adams and North Adams once in the morning and once in the late afternoon.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.