Route Focus: PVTA P21 - Holyoke/Springfield via Chicopee

Route Focus: PVTA P21 - Holyoke/Springfield via Chicopee

  April 16, 2020    Kareem W

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Trip: Union Station via Meetinghouse/Meadow

Taken: June 2019

The P21 is one of the three PVTA routes that run directly between Springfield Union Station and the Holyoke Transportation Center. The P21 travels via Chicopee, making it a key route for Chicopee as well.

Our chariot for the P21, arriving at the HTC

I took the P21 on a near-summer afternoon from Holyoke to Springfield. The vehicle operating the trip was PVTA bus #1824, a 2012 New Flyer XD40. Leaving the HTC, we were on the one-way Maple Street, and we continued to head South through Holyoke’s Downtown.

A side-street in downtown Holyoke

The bus served a major stop at the Holyoke Public Library, and we turned onto Cabot Street, descending a hill with lots of brick apartments. This area of Holyoke is a bit run-down, with many apartments in disrepair and some even abandoned.

There are some colorful brick rowhouses down this side-street, but sadly some are also abandoned

The surroundings of Cabot Street became industrial as we went over some of Holyoke’s canals, but then returned to apartments and shops as we went through the South Holyoke neighborhood. 

One of the many canals of Holyoke

After a little bit, we crossed another canal, and the road rises to the Willimansett Bridge, where we went over the Connecticut River and entered Chicopee.

Crossing the somewhat scenic Connecticut River

After crossing the river, we were on the appropriately named Chicopee Street, heading through the Willimansett neighborhood. Just after going under I-391, the road splits off as Chicopee Street or Meadow Street. Alternating P21 trips take Meadow Street, and I was on one of those trips, so we continued on Meadow Street, passing a park. 

Rivers Park, with I-391 in the distance

Going down Meadow Street, there’s housing on one side of the street and industrial buildings and the occasional store on the other side. 

Miscellaneous industry

After a bit, we reached Meeting House Road, a narrower street which had a school and housing projects. At the end of Meeting House Road, we turned back south on Chicopee Street, passing more single-family homes.

At a certain point, Chicopee Street becomes highway-like as it approaches a highway interchange with I-391.

Kind of like a highway, not much to see here

Just after the highway jog, we turned onto Springfield Street, crossing a bridge over the Chicopee River, and we entered Chicopee’s downtown. 

The Chicopee River

Passing two large brick buildings (one converted into apartments), we turned onto Front Street, then immediately onto Cabot Street, stopping for one of the weirdest timepoints I know, which is just on the side of a dilapidated shopping plaza with a Family Dollar. Quite a few people got off here though. This stop is also shared by the southbound G1. After waiting for a moment, we left the timepoint and turned onto Exchange Street, going through Chicopee’s not-so-impressive downtown. 

The main square? of Chicopee, outside of the City Hall

Passing Chicopee’s City Hall, we were back on Springfield Street and we ascended a hill, passing a couple churches and a school. Besides the relatively small Elms College, Springfield Street is mostly residential from that point on.

The front of Elms College

Finally, we reached a roundabout surrounded by shops called Glenwood Circle, and we entered Springfield. Still on Springfield Street, we were now going through one of the more affluent neighborhoods of Springfield, Atwater Park.

Admittedly, Glenwood Circle is not that exciting, aside from a couple of local restaurants and a 7-Eleven

The street curves and we descended a hill, coming up on the massive Baystate Medical Center. At the bottom of the hill, the street became Chestnut Street, and we passed an elementary school and the Baystate hospital campus.

The grand front of the Baystate Medical Center

Soon, we turned onto Jefferson Avenue, passing a park, and then turned onto the one-way Dwight Street. On Dwight Street, the housing became much denser with brick apartments and public housing.

After an intersection with Carew Street, Dwight Street became two-way, and we passed a large grey apartment building and went underneath several bridges for ramps of the I-291.

Passing Carew Street, served by the G2

At this point, we were entering a more built up area leading towards Downtown Springfield, and we were coming up on the end of the route. Passing a hotel, some office buildings, and a parking garage, we turned onto Liberty Street, and then entered Springfield Union Station. Arriving at the bus berth for the P21, the trip ended there.

Loading up for the next trip back up to Holyoke

Overview

The P21 operates 7 days a week, with headways of every 30 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and 45 minutes on Sundays. The ridership of the P21 is good, with data showing around 30 passengers per revenue hour. The trip I took, which was during peak weekday time, had a very good load of 43 passengers overall. The route of the P21 itself is fairly straightforward, serving mostly residential in all 3 cities, but it also serves destinations like the Chicopee RMV, Chicopee Center, Elms College, and the Baystate Medical Center. For those who just want to travel between Springfield and the Holyoke, the P21 is the second fastest out of the PVTA’s 3 routes that do this, making it a good alternative to the P21E.

All in all, I really have no complaints about the P21. The route is not complicated, and the headways are good for what the route is, and the ridership reflects that. The P21 is another one of PVTA’s routes that serve its purposes well.