BRTA Announces Community Shuttle Program

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority starts its Community Shuttle Program on Tuesday, Sept. 8. 
 
The program consists of using non-CDL drivers on smaller neighborhood routes. This will allow the BRTA to shift CDL drivers to cover other services. Especially in the evening when we have experienced driver shortages and cancellations.
 
Routes 1, 2, 3, and 34 with the goal of producing immediate relief for riders in North and South County.
 
Routes 11/15, 5 and 21 will be the first routes for Community Shuttle service. Route 21 will run until 9:30 p.m. to make sure South County riders have a way home. 
 
BRTA says it is committed to making sure all residents have the service they need daily.
 
The agency continues to work through staffing challenges, but believes this will alleviate the CDL driver shortage. It says it is committed to a program of continuous training and recruitment. Contact the BRTA if you have an interest in joining the team.

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Colombian Artist Celebrates Immigrant Stories in New Pittsfield Mural

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Artist Laura Barrios explains the  inspiration of the mural, of immigrants building new lives in the Berkshires.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The walls along the Intermodal Center's train platform are a little more colorful following the unveiling of Let It Shine's third mural at that location, transforming a space once surrounded by bare concrete into a vibrant display of public art.
 
The unveiling on Thursday, marks the close of Let It Shine's 2026 outdoor public art season and the third year of its emerging artist program, said Mill Town Foundation Program Director Andy Wrba. 
 
Let It Shine's Emerging Artists Mentorship program was established in 2024 to support aspiring artists in the community by providing guidance, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to create large-scale public art.
 
"This mural, along with all the murals, as part of this emerging artist program, and even more broadly, all the murals that you see downtown throughout Pittsfield shows that we care about the cultural scene and we care about the creative people that live and work in our city," Wrba said.
 
The new mural, painted by Colombian artist Laura Barrios, celebrates immigrants who have built lives and found a sense of home in Berkshire County.
 
Barrios has been working on the piece for the last two months alongside mentor artist, Jesse Tobin McCauley. 
 
"It's a homage to the immigrants who work and make a home in the Berkshires … this is a very personal experience too because I am an immigrant," Barrios said in her speech.
 
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