Vermont Business Magazine The Rural Community Transportation has a new home in the St Johnsbury/Lyndon Industrial Park. The public transportation agency recently moved its offices from Portland Street in St Johnsbury to its new Industrial Parkway location. Executive Director Mary Grant and RCT representatives invited the community to tour its new digs at a recent open house and ribbon cutting, and about 50 community leaders and residents were welcomed to the open house, which also included a building dedication and barbecue.
Legislators and community leaders gathered at the new RCT building in the St. Johnsbury/Lyndon Industrial Park to tour the transportation agency’s new offices. From left are legislator Connie Quimby, legislator Chip Troiano, legislator Janssen Willhoit, state senator Joe Benning, Begin Realty’s Rosemary Gingue, Passumpsic Bank’s Denny Lane, legislator Scott Beck, Dennis Laferriere, legislator Kitty Toll, RCT Executive Director Mary Grant, Jenny Nelson, representing U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, and state senator Jane Kitchel.
According to Grant, RCT was established in 1991 by Ann Dennison with just one van and a handful of volunteer drivers. The organization now has an extensive transportation system throughout the Northeast Kingdom, including bus service between St. Johnsbury and Lyndonville, Newport and Derby and the U.S. 2 Commuter line between St. Johnsbury and Montpelier. Other RCT services include car-pool and van-pool matching and coordinated transportation for the elderly and disabled and those with medical transportation needs.
In remarks at the open house, Grant praised state and community partners for assisting her organization throughout its 24-year operation, thanking the Passumpsic Savings Bank, Begin Realty’s Rosemary Gingue, Attorney Clark Atwell, the Agency of Natural Resources/Act 250 staff, the Town of Lyndonville, Northeastern Vermont Development Association, the Industrial Park Association and the Northeast Kingdom Chamber for their assistance.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to meet the ever-changing needs and demands of transportation,” said Grant, “but together with our town officials, state partners, legislators and community members, we can continue to strive for a more efficient, sustainable transportation network.”
The highlight of the festivities was the dedication of the structure to the “Laferriere Building,” in honor of former building owners Pam and Dennis Laferriere, who provided RCT “with the ability to own a facility sufficient to meet our transportation needs,” said Grant.