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Winter is long gone, but the Springfield City Council is still tackling the issue of the best means to ensure that PVTA bus stops, such as the one above at Court Square, are properly cleared of snow after significant winter storms

(File photo / Don Treeger)

SPRINGFIELD - City Councilor Bud L. Williams said he believes progress is being made in the effort to ensure that the snow-clogged conditions of many Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus stops in Springfield this past winter is not repeated in future years.

In recent months, Williams was proposing a home rule bill aimed at forcing the PVTA to be held responsible for the cleanup of hundreds of bus stops citywide after snowstorms. However, he said he will ask the council Monday night to keep the matter on hold in committee due to the recent progress in talks.

PVTA Administrator Mary MacInnes met last week with the Springfield Disabilities Commission and said the agency plans to clear snow from the numerous bus shelters in Springfield to address concerns about handicap accessibility, said Williams, who attended the meeting. In addition, the PVTA will be evaluating other bus stops that have the most activity with riders with disabilities, he said.

There are approximately 50 bus shelter locations among approximately 700 bus stops in Springfield, officials said.

In past discussions, MacInnes had asked councilors to give her time to work with city officials including Mayor Domenic Sarno on ways to collaboratively address the issue of snow-clogged stops. She said the PVTA does own the bus shelters, but not the bus stops and curbsides, and that it would be a financially unfeasible for the agency to clear curb sides at 700 bus stops citywide.

Williams and members of the Disabilities Commission had been highly critical of the snowbound conditions of many bus stops, and received assistance from the Sheriff's Department to provide inmate crews to assist the city in clearing many stops as a temporary solution.

Richard Tyrell, a member of the Disabilities Commission, joined in praising progress in talks.

"I believe this is progress toward a goal we are all trying to achieve for the safety of the people using public transportation," Tyrell said.

In February, Williams called the snow clogged stops a "nightmare," particularly for riders with disabilities, saying many riders were left waiting in the street for buses, or trying to climb over snowbanks.

Williams said Friday he will alert councilors about the progress in the talks at Monday's meeting that starts at 7 p.m., at the council chambers at City Hall.

In other action, the council will consider approving a new contract for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 1596A, representing more than 40 city library professionals in Springfield.

As proposed, the employees would receive a 2 percent pay raise, retroactive to July 1, 2014 when the prior contract expired, and 2 percent pay raise effective July 1, 2015.

The union members already agreed to a residency requirement in their prior contract, that requires that all employees hired after Jan. 1, 2014, are subject to the city's residency requirement including amendments.