Reported by us | New Bedford

SRTA lists 16 New Bedford bus trips in its third disruption notice in three days

Route 9 Intercity, the only SRTA route between New Bedford and Fall River, has been on all three notices this week, and two routes appear for the first time since at least August.

By the SC360 Investigations Desk | Published Oct. 28, 2026 | Last verified Oct. 28, 2026, 11:55 p.m. ET

NEW BEDFORD The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority listed 16 New Bedford bus trips in a service disruption notice on Wednesday, Oct. 28, its third such notice in three days and the second largest single day of listed trips this month.

The notice, posted at 11:10 a.m., covered afternoon trips on seven routes, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.:

• Route 9 Intercity: 1:30 p.m. to Fall River and 2:35 p.m. back.
• Route 211 Fairhaven: 1:35 p.m. outbound and 2:15 p.m. inbound.
• Route 202 Lund's Corner: 2:15 p.m. and 3:55 p.m. outbound, 2:45 p.m. and 4:22 p.m. inbound.
• Route 210 Dartmouth Mall: 2:45 p.m. outbound and 3:02 p.m. inbound.
• Route 201 Fort Rodman: 3:10 p.m. outbound and 3:45 p.m. inbound.
• Route 205 South Central: 4 p.m. outbound and 4:08 p.m. inbound.
• Route 203 Dartmouth Street: 4:30 p.m. outbound and 5 p.m. inbound.

Each of the eight notices SRTA posted earlier this month opened with the words "Due to staff shortages, several trips will be cancelled today," followed by the date. Wednesday's notice lists the trips by route, time and direction under a New Bedford heading, without those words.

Nine notices in October

With Wednesday's list, SRTA's nine October notices name 67 trips. The first eight, each citing staff shortages, accounted for 51, more than twice the 25 trips the authority listed in all of September. Only Friday, Oct. 9, when SRTA listed 20 New Bedford trips, had more in a single day this month.

Route 9 is the only SRTA route connecting the New Bedford and Fall River bus systems, according to the authority's fiscal 2024 ridership report, and it has been on all three notices this week. The same 1:30 p.m. departure from New Bedford and 2:35 p.m. return were also listed Monday, Oct. 26. Across October, the notices name 16 Route 9 trips on five days, more than any other route.

The 201 and 202 routes were also on Tuesday's notice, at other times of day. Routes 203 and 205 had not appeared on any SRTA disruption notice since at least Aug. 1.

Hiring

SRTA's careers page listed an opening for bus operators on Wednesday, first posted Sept. 3, along with openings for a technician, a demand response agent, a ticket agent, a buyer and a junior buyer. A contractor, South Coast Transit Management, runs the authority's fixed route and demand response service, the careers page says. Applications are taken weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the New Bedford maintenance garage, 65 Potomska St., or the Fall River garage, 601 Brayton Ave.

Questions for SRTA

South Coast 360 asked SRTA on the evening of Monday, Oct. 26, which positions are behind the staff shortages its notices cite, how many are open and when it expects cancellations to ease, and followed up Wednesday morning. The authority had not answered by Wednesday night, and its answer will be added here when it comes.

What riders can do

SRTA posts its service notices on srtabus.com, and riders can follow buses in real time on SRTA's Bustracker, at bustime.srtabus.com or in the SRTA Bustracker app for iPhone and Android, and can call the authority at 508-999-5211 or email info@srtabus.com.

South Coast 360 reported Tuesday's six canceled trips in its second report and counted the notices from August on in its first.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.

Notes

Every fact comes from the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority's own website: its Oct. 28 notice, every notice it posted from Aug. 1 to Oct. 28, its New Bedford route list, its fiscal 2024 ridership report, and its careers, Bus Time and contact pages. We read them on Oct. 26 and Oct. 28. Trip counts are of the trips each notice lists, and the Oct. 28 trips are counted apart from the staff shortage notices. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar. Not heard yet: SRTA. We sent the authority questions on the evening of Monday, Oct. 26, followed up Wednesday morning, and will add any answer.

Corrections

No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.

Sources (8)

1. SRTA, "Service Disruption Notice for Today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026"The 16 New Bedford trips, by route, time and direction. Posted Oct. 28, 2026, 11:10 a.m. Read Oct. 28, 2026, 10:53 p.m.
2. SRTA service notices, August to October 2026Every disruption notice from Aug. 1 to Oct. 28, 2026, with the trips each one lists and the staff shortage line on the eight earlier October notices. Read Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, 2026.
3. SRTA, New Bedford route schedulesRoute numbers and names: 9 Intercity, 201 Fort Rodman, 202 Lund's Corner, 203 Dartmouth St, 205 South Central, 210 Dartmouth Mall, 211 Fairhaven. Read Oct. 26, 2026.
4. SRTA, Year End Fixed Route Ridership Analysis, FY 2024Route 9 as the one link between the New Bedford and Fall River systems. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
5. SRTA careers pageCurrent openings, and South Coast Transit Management as SRTA's contractor for fixed route and demand response service. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
6. SRTA, "Now Hiring for Operator"The bus operator opening and where to apply. Posted Sept. 3, 2026. Read Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, 2026.
7. SRTA Bus Time pageThe Bustracker and its apps. Read Oct. 26, 2026.
8. SRTA Contact Us pagePhone and email. Read Oct. 26, 2026.

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