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32-602: Named after long-time western Massachusetts congressman John Olver , the hub is the first zero net energy transit center in the United States. Built with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, the facility was constructed with solar panels, geothermal wells, copper heat screens and other energy efficient technologies. It houses the FRTA offices and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments,

64-708: A 1991 special election to succeed 17-term Congressman Silvio O. Conte , who died in office. He was the first Democrat ever to represent the 1st congressional district . Olver announced he would not seek re-election in 2012 and retired at the end of his eleventh term in Congress. He died at home in 2023 at age 86. Olver was born on September 3, 1936, in Honesdale, Pennsylvania , the son of Helen Marguerite (née Fulleborn) and Thomas Horace Olver. His paternal grandparents were of English descent, and his maternal grandparents were German. Olver grew up on his father's farm, where

96-753: A Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. Olver taught chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for eight years and later resigned to pursue a career in politics. He served two terms as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from January 1, 1969, to January 3, 1973. He later served for nine terms in the Massachusetts Senate from January 3, 1973, until his resignation in 1991 to serve in

128-576: A farm in Pennsylvania, Olver graduated from college at the age of 18 and went on to earn a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later taught chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for eight years. He served in both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court , being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1968 and the Massachusetts Senate in 1972. He ran in

160-573: A new central bus and rail station in Greenfield, Massachusetts , was dedicated in Olver's honor. The building is the first zero-net-energy transportation facility in the nation, generating heat and power via geothermal wells, photovoltaic panels, and sunlight. On October 27, 2017, the John W. Olver Design Building at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was dedicated in Olver's honor. The building

192-459: A political solution in cooperation with the states neighboring Iraq, such as Iran and Syria, rather than pursuing a strategy based primarily on military means to create a stable and democratic Iraq. Olver was critical of the United States lack of involvement regarding the genocide in Darfur . Olver was one of five members of Congress arrested on April 28, 2006, after protesting the genocide outside

224-611: The 13th district in 1893. Olver resigned from the state Senate on June 15 and was sworn in on June 18. Olver won the election to a full term in 1992. In 1994, the year in which Republicans took control of the House for the first time in 40 years, Olver ran unopposed. In 1996, he defeated State Senator and future Lieutenant and Acting Governor Jane Swift by a 53% to 47% margin. After 1996, Olver continually won re-election with high margins above 60%. On October 26, 2011, Olver announced he would not seek re-election in 2012, clearing

256-749: The Montrealer ; it was replaced by the Vermonter in 1995. The station was closed on December 28, 2014, when the Vermonter was rerouted to the faster Connecticut River Line to the west. The station was built in 1853 by the Amherst and Belchertown Railroad —the only brick station on the line. Service began in May 1853 under lease to the New London, Willimantic and Palmer Railroad (NLW&P). Amherst

288-491: The American Conservative Union . As a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention , Olver endorsed future President Barack Obama . In a tribute to an outgoing Olver and Barney Frank , Ed Markey remarked that, unlike other elected officials who embraced superficial positions to curry public favor, the two were "happy to tell you [they] disagree with you" if they believed so. Olver

320-599: The Connecticut River Line ended on September 6, 1966 with the discontinuing of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New Haven's earlier version of the Montrealer . Local service between Springfield and Brattleboro lasting until the end of the year. The Boston and Maine then maintained a Greenfield-Springfield shuttle, then connecting with New Haven RR trains bound for New York City. The Greenfield-Springfield shuttle would also be terminated before

352-669: The Sudanese Embassy . Olver was arrested again in front of the Sudanese Embassy during a protest in 2012 along with other members of Congress and actor George Clooney . Olver co-sponsored H.R. 676 which would introduce a universal health insurance program with single-payer financing. In addition to supporting different pieces of health care reform legislation in the House, Olver had also strongly supported allowing federal funds related to health care programs to fund abortion operations. In addition to supporting

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384-472: The U.S. House of Representatives . On February 18, 1991, Congressman Silvio O. Conte died one month after taking office for his 17th term. That June, Olver, who had been sworn in for his 10th term in the state Senate a few months earlier, in January 1991, narrowly defeated Republican Steven Pierce in a special election for the seat, becoming the first Democrat to win the seat since it changed from being

416-651: The Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad reached Brattleboro in 1850, the Connecticut River Railroad began running through service from Springfield to Brattleboro. Service east from Greenfield to Boston was started by the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad in 1851, and was extended west to Troy, New York through the Hoosac Tunnel in 1875. The CRRR was host to a mix of local and long-distance passenger and freight service. It became part of

448-698: The CV in Vermont) was restored on a new routing via Amherst, with a stop there. The building, which is privately owned, was restored to its original condition in 1992. The interior was split between a passenger waiting area and a commercial space. On April 1, 1995, the Montrealer was cut back to St. Albans, Vermont and renamed as the Vermonter . In 2014, the Connecticut River Line was rebuilt for renewed passenger service. On December 29, 2014,

480-660: The JWO Transit Center. The station was torn down in April 1966 after many years of being abandoned and due to neglect. The town council voted to tear down the station due to the threat to public safety. The former lot was vacant for many years at the end of Miles Street until the Greenfield Energy Park was opened. Service between Greenfield and Troy was discontinued in 1958, and all service east to Boston ended in 1960. Long-distance passenger service over

512-665: The NLN south of downtown Amherst, had its own station—the building of which is also still extant—located on South Pleasant Street. Passenger service on the CV south of the Vermont state line ended on September 27, 1947; the station was modified for other uses. On July 18, 1989, the Amtrak Montrealer (which had been discontinued in 1987 due to poor track conditions on the Connecticut River Line in Massachusetts and

544-471: The Olver Transit Center; Greyhound provides a single round trip per day from Brattleboro and White River Junction to Springfield and New York City via Greenfield. Amtrak's north–south Vermonter service stops daily in the afternoon along with two roundtrip Valley Flyer trains in the morning and night hours. The Amtrak boarding platform, which is handicapped accessible, is located behind

576-474: The United States need to be provided with a pathway to citizenship and that these immigrants should not have to return to their countries of origin before obtaining citizenship. Olver was married to Rose Richardson Olver, a Professor of Psychology and Sexuality, Women's and Gender Studies at Amherst College , from 1959 until she died in 2014, and they had one daughter named Martha. He lived in Amherst, Massachusetts , from 1963 until his death. On May 4, 2012,

608-592: The end of 1967. In 1972, Amtrak began running the Montrealer, which ran along the line at night, stopping at Northampton but not Holyoke or Greenfield. The Montrealer was discontinued in 1987 due to poor track conditions on the line. Service resumed in 1989 after Amtrak seized control of the line in Vermont from the Boston and Maine Railroad, but the train was rerouted over the Central Vermont Railway through Massachusetts and Connecticut to avoid

640-468: The goal of ending veteran homelessness. Olver died at his home in Amherst on February 23, 2023, at the age of 86. Amherst station (Massachusetts) Amherst is a former intercity rail station located in Amherst, Massachusetts . The station was built by the Amherst and Belchertown Railroad in 1853; it was served by the Central Vermont Railway until 1947. Amtrak service began in 1989 with

672-614: The inclusion of coverage for abortions in health care, Olver had consistently supported pro-choice legislation in the House and has received favorable ratings from pro-choice interest groups such as the NARAL Pro-Choice America , which gave Olver a rating of 100. Olver supported efforts to reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States but also believed in immigration reform so that qualified immigrants could more easily be granted entrance. Olver also believed that illegal immigrants currently residing in

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704-426: The populated Connecticut River Valley, the Connecticut River Line was rebuilt with $ 73 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money and $ 10 million in state funds. Construction of an accessible station platform at the Olver Transit Center was to have begun in early 2014 and been largely finished when passenger service began; however, construction was delayed. A temporary accessible wooden platform

736-470: The route for crack New York-Montreal trains as early as the 1860s, and was acquired by the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1893. The Fitchburg Railroad was similarly acquired six years later. Under the Boston and Maine, Greenfield was an important local rail hub for the next century. The former Boston and Maine passenger station was situated on the east side of the Connecticut River Line tracks slightly north of

768-401: The still-dilapidated Connecticut River Line which Amtrak did not control. A stop was added at Amherst to replace Northampton. The Montrealer was replaced by the daytime Vermonter in 1995, using the original route through Connecticut but still avoiding the Connecticut River Line in Massachusetts. In order to shorten travel times on the Vermonter and add additional local service to serve

800-537: The successor organization to the Franklin County county government. Passenger amenities available at the JWO Transit Center are an indoor waiting area, rest rooms, public WiFi service and bicycle racks. Short-term parking is available for a limited number of vehicles and long-term parking is available one block away at the city lot located on Hope Street. All FRTA fixed route bus routes connect at JWO Transit Center. Greyhound offer limited bus service from

832-543: The transit center building. A waiting area is available inside the building for passengers, but Amtrak tickets are not available for purchase at the JWO Transit Center. The Connecticut River Railroad (CRRR) opened to passenger service between Springfield and Northampton in late 1845; trains reached Deerfield in August 1846, Greenfield in December 1847, and the junction with the Central Vermont Railway in January 1849. When

864-513: The two tended cows, while his mother ran a boarding house which served families from Philadelphia and New York City. Olver graduated from high school when he was 15 and enrolled in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , where he earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry at the age of 18. After earning his undergraduate degree , Olver went on to earn a Master of Science in chemistry from Tufts University in 1956 and

896-543: The way for any potential Democratic primaries due to Massachusetts losing a congressional seat after the 2010 United States census . Congressional Quarterly ' s Politics in America described Olver as "a staunch liberal who prefers to yield the spotlight to other similarly ideological members." Olver has consistently high rankings from the progressive lobbying group Americans for Democratic Action , and consistently low rankings from its conservative counterpart

928-529: Was a staunch opponent of the United States involvement in Iraq and opposed a United States military presence in Iraq since the 2002 authorization for the use of force in Iraq . He advocated for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq and consistently voted against proposals to increase funding for military operations and increased deployment. Olver stated that he believed that the United States should seek out

960-456: Was completed for the start of Vermonter service on December 29, 2014. On August 30, 2019, Amtrak extended two daily Amtrak Hartford Line round trips (branded as Valley Flyer ) to Greenfield as a pilot program. John Olver John Walter Olver (September 3, 1936 – February 23, 2023) was an American politician and chemist who was the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district from 1991 to 2013. Raised on

992-621: Was the largest and most technologically advanced academic wood structure in the US upon completion. It was also the first in the US to use a wood-concrete composite floor system researched at the University of Massachusetts. On October 28, 2010, the veterans' group Soldier On awarded Olver the Soldier On Award. This award, created for Soldier On by sculptor Andrew DeVries , recognizes individuals whose leadership and actions have advanced

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1024-693: Was the northern terminus of the line until 1867, when the New London Northern Railroad (NLN)—which had taken over the bankrupt companies—completed an extension to Millers Falls on the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad . The line became part of the Vermont Central Railroad in 1871, which was taken over in 1873 by the Central Vermont Railroad (after 1899, the Central Vermont Railway [CV]). The Central Massachusetts Railroad , which paralleled

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