HAVERHILL — MeVa Transit’s administrator received a 5% merit increase to his salary and to bring him in line with the pay other regional transit authority administrators earn in Massachusetts.
Noah Berger’s current salary, $155,000, with the $5% bonus and a 2.3% cost of living increase, will boost his fiscal ’26 earnings, beginning July 1, to about $166,000.
The MeVa advisory board voted the increase for Berger at its June meeting at MeVa headquarters.
Board members said Berger has met goals of increasing ridership and recruiting and retaining bus drivers.
MeVa is on track to carry 3 million passengers in fiscal ’25, a more than 50% increase from pre-pandemic ridership.
MeVa now has 104 bus drivers, up 63% from a low of 64 drivers in 2022.
“I think we are in really good hands with Noah’s leadership,” said board member Andrew Shapiro, who represents North Andover.
The board said MeVa had the fourth highest ridership in the state among the 15 regional transit authorities, yet Berger was being paid at level below 10 of the RTA administrators.
His new earnings will move him to the middle of the pack, they said.
Berger thanked the board for the increase and credited his success to the MeVa team.
“Everyone here bleeds coral and gold,” he said, referring to the RTA’s bus and brand colors.
Last year, Berger signed a 5-year contract with the board, which has 16 members, one for each community in the RTA. Fourteen communities are served by fixed route buses, while two additional communities receive paratransit services.
The contract allows an annual 5% merit increase and cost of living increase; and provides an out, if needed.
The board can dismiss the administrator at will for just cause, and can dismiss with 60 days notice for no cause.
MeVa and other regional carriers are funded by a mix of local, state and federal funds as well as local receipts, according to the agency’s website.