BRTA Announces New Driver Schedule

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) announced that its new driver schedule has taken effect, ending months of route cancellations and ensuring more reliable service for riders. 

Kathleen Lambert, administrator for BRTA, said that developing the new schedule was a milestone, and the process was a cooperative effort among Teamsters Local Union 404 drivers; Transdev and Keolis, public transportation management; and the BRTA administration. 

Lambert offered thanks to the partners who made the effort possible and added, "BRTA would also like to thank our loyal riders who have suffered through some tough times. Thanks for sticking with us."

Lambert said service improvements are also coming in the form of new Intelligent Transportation System software, which will offer customers tools to understand if a service interruption has occurred and help answer questions like, "Where is my bus?" 

"Text messaging and new online apps will provide more detailed information about all our service alerts," she said. 

For more information, visit berkshirerta.gov


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ICE Grabs Person in Downtown Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement appear to have taken a person into custody in downtown Pittsfield on Tuesday. 

A bystander video was posted to Facebook in the afternoon, and Mayor Peter Marchetti later confirmed that ICE was in Pittsfield, and reported that the city did not assist. 

Agents called the Pittsfield Police Department around 1 p.m. and spoke with the desk sergeant, informing him they were in the area and looking for a specific person. 

"That was all we were provided, and we were not present during any arrest," Marchetti said. 

On Tuesday, a community member posted a minute-long video of what appeared to be an ICE arrest in the Burger King parking lot near Wendell Avenue Extension. The video is blurry, but three masked agents are seen restraining a person on the ground next to a white SUV with the driver's door open. In text, it says "Ice at Burger King in Pittsfield." 

Agents can be heard telling the person, seemingly a woman, to turn over and get down while she was audibly upset. She tells a man off-screen that she loves him, and he yells back that he loves her, too. 

In the background of the video, a bystander says, "They always think that they can do what they want and they hurt other people."

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