*UPDATE* City of Newburyport Invites Residents to Preview New MeVa Bus Routes on March 6

NEWBURYPORT – Mayor Sean Reardon invites the community to join him on a demonstration tour of planned new inter-municipal public transportation routes next week. 

Mayor Reardon will be joined by Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove and Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington as MeVa (Merrimack Valley Transit) officials unveil the routes. 

The tour was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28, but has been rescheduled due to a forecast of snow. The tour will take place on Monday, March 6, starting at 2 p.m. at the Costello Transportation Center, 68 Elm St., Amesbury. 

After consulting with officials in the three communities, MeVa developed more direct and more timely routes to better meet the needs of residents and visitors.

The new, free routes are:

• Route 17,  service from Amesbury to Salisbury
• Route 19, service from Newburyport to Amesbury
• Route 20, service from Newburyport to Salisbury

These routes replace the Route 54 bus from Amesbury to Salisbury through Newburyport, and the Route 57 Newburyport Shuttle.

These changes will mean the following service improvements for Newburyport residents:

• Routes 17 and 20 both will go to downtown Salisbury and Salisbury Beach along Beach Road, doubling current ride frequency.
• Routes 19 and 20 both will connect downtown Newburyport and the MBTA commuter rail station, doubling current ride frequency.
• Route 19 will offer new direct service from downtown Newburyport to Anna Jacques Hospital, the Newburyport Senior Center, and Port Plaza.
• Route 19 will offer new service along Merrimac Street to the Towle Office Building.
• Route 19 will offer new service along Macy Street in Amesbury.
• Route 17 will offer new service along Elm Street in Salisbury.
• Routes 17 and 19 will double service frequency along Main Street in Amesbury and the downtown.

“Mayor Gove, Town Manager Harrington, and I have had many discussions with the MeVa about service changes, and their team has been extremely responsive,” Mayor Reardon said. “These routes expand frequency of service and ensure residents and visitors have new free options to move around the city.”

MeVa is tentatively scheduled to begin the new routes on Monday, April 4.