Five College Consortium

The campuses are linked by a daily bus service during the academic year. Many routes are free, but require an ID. Keep in mind that while many PVTA routes are free for Five College students, faculty and staff members, others require a fare of $1.50. Some routes include stops at local towns and shopping centers.

You can use a number of online services to find the best route to get you where you want to go. PVTA uses MyStop, which can be downloaded onto your mobile device. UMass Transit has created UMass BusTrack, which can be downloaded to mobile devices and used for all PVTA routes. In addition, Google Maps also provides PVTA bus route information. Schedules are available on the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) website and printed schedules are available on the buses, at bus stops and in campus student services offices. For contact information and updates on possible weather-related delays, visit UMass Transit.

See information and links to the Five College bus runs below.

Learn how to ride the PVTA and other buses to travel among the Five Colleges: Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Hampshire College, and UMass Amherst.

Riders wanting to ride a PVTA bus in the Five College area should consult a current bus schedule, visit the schedule links below, or use one of the bus apps noted above. For questions about bus service, call (413) 545-0056. For current service bulletins, visit UMass Transit.

Buses 38 and 39*- Between UMass, Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke, with connection to Smith

Bus 38 (schedule) regularly runs between UMass, Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke. Riders wishing to go from one of these campuses to Smith can connect with Bus 39 to Smith by changing buses at Hampshire and waiting in a bus shelter until Bus 39 arrives.

*Please note: the 39 will not be running during the fall 2021 semester due to a driver shortage.

Bus 39* and 39 Express- Between Mount Holyoke and Smith

The 39 Express buses (schedule) run from Mount Holyoke to Smith every day, Monday through Friday. Riders can also use a combination of the Bus 39 routes (schedule) between Smith and Hampshire and the Bus 38 route running from UMass to Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke.

*Please note: the 39 will not be running during the fall, 2021 semester due to a driver shortage. However, the 39 Express will run as usual.

Bus 43- Between Smith, Hampshire Mall, UMass and Amherst

This bus (schedule) runs between Smith, UMass and Amherst, with stops at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley.