VTrans grants help establish four new bus routes

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has awarded grants totaling nearly $285,000 to help establish four new bus routes under the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program. The competitive grants were awarded to Chittenden County Transit Authority (CCTA), Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR), Deerfield Valley Transit Association (DVTA), Green Mountain Community Network, Inc. (GMCNI) and Rural Community Transportation (RCT).
‘Each of these service additions will produce a positive ripple effect regionally,’ said VTrans Public Transit Administrator, Barbara Donovan. ‘In some cases, it’s the critical link between two systems, while in others it raises the level of frequency or capacity to make public transit the first choice for commuters. These grants also serve to move us toward meeting some of the important transportation goals in the Comprehensive Energy Plan.’
CCTA and ACTR were given a joint award of $140,165 for a new route that will primarily serve the heavily travelled Rt. 116 corridor between Hinesburg and the core of Chittenden County, but will also provide additional service to Bristol and Starksboro with morning and evening runs.
DVTA and GMCNI received a joint award of $78,000 to provide connecting service from Wilmington to Bennington along Route 9. This will allow connecting service from Brattleboro to Bennington which will open a number of intercity travel options throughout the region including access to the Rensselaer Amtrak Station and Albany International airport.
RCT received $37,974 for service enhancements on the Rt. 5 shuttle from St. Johnsbury to Lyndonville. The additional runs on this line will allow it to better coordinate with the Rt. 2 commuter, making it a more viable commuting option for workers in the region.
CCTA also received $28,833 for additional Link Express service from Burlington to Waterbury. This new afternoon run will provide better service for Waterbury and save up to 15 minutes of travel time on the popular and often crowded 4PM Burlington to Montpelier run.
VTrans 2.2.2012