Hampshire College
- Transportation

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Students without a car need not despair: There is a free bus system that links Hampshire with the other four colleges in the consortium and with the towns of Amherst, Hadley, South Hadley, and Northampton. The buses run frequently enough that taking an off-campus class or going to another campus to use their library or to attend an event is not much of a hassle. It never takes more than 20 minutes of riding time to get to another campus, though the accumulated time waiting for late buses does add up. Drugstores, bookstores, restaurants, and small shops are never a far bus ride away, but if you’re craving some consumer spending, it will take you upwards of 40 minutes of travel time to get to the nearest Target or Wal-Mart. Want to go to the nice mall in Holyoke? That’ll cost you a few hours of your life in bus travel time.

The closest mall is the Hampshire Mall, but getting there will require at least one bus transfer because in 1979, students formed a human blockade around the mall bus in protest of its social and economic impact on the community and demanded that the bus never come back, and it never has. The bus system is convenient, but for those looking for alternatives, the Ride Board posted outside the campus post office is where drivers and hopeful passengers post information about times and destinations of places they can either offer rides to or are looking for rides for.

Hampshire Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Transportation at Hampshire College

mollyfl

'00

Psychology

3.8

B+

PVTA

Bus goes between the 5 colleges. Last time I checked it was free for students. Comes and goes regularly and stops at convenient locations. Not as easy as having a car, but a good backup if you can't afford one (parking on campus is free!).

Dec 16, 2011

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Transportation at Hampshire College

ellisbell10

'14

Chinese Language and Literature

3.1

B-

PVTA

The public transportation is decent, but it is often unreliable. The bus schedules often do not match up with the other bus schedules and it is difficult to make transfers.

Feb 02, 2011

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Transportation at Hampshire College

katarinaanya1

'13

Theatre, Arts, and Media Management

2.7

C+

PVTA

The PVTA is great for Hampshire students because it's free and it runs frequently to where you need to go. HOWEVER, the busses are always late, particularly the evening ones. I waited for the bus out in the cold in Northampton for a half an hour many a time. They also change their schedules without decent notification, so people get stuck stranded fairly often.

Dec 24, 2010

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