The Butler Transit Authority on Tuesday accepted MV Transportation’s proposal to be the authority’s Commuter Service provider.

MV Transportation, a Texas-based transportation service, is the authority’s current provider for Commuter Service, but the authority’s executive director, John Paul, said the transit authority by law cannot award a contract longer than five years.

The approved proposal is for a three-year period with the possibility to extend it for two more years at an estimated $1.55 million for the first year. The transit authority is paying MV Transportation about $1.1 million this year on the current contract.

The authority received two proposals for the service, and they each were reviewed on a point system by Paul and transit authority directors in other counties.

“It’s the experience of the contractor, their technical abilities,” Paul said. “The agencies were rated the same in that area because they were both capable. At that point it came down to cost and cost savings. MV received the maximum amount of points for the lowest cost.”

The transit authority still has to reach a mutually acceptable contract agreement with MV prior to the board’s final vote to approve it as its service provider. If approved, the contract would begin July 1.

The Commuter Service has routes on Route 8 and Route 28 between Butler and downtown Pittsburgh and routes through Route 68, I-79 and I-279 between Butler and downtown Pittsburgh.