Armed with public money, nonprofits are trying to meet Vermont’s small-town transit needs

Rick Nowak used to be able to drive from Brandon to Middlebury to shop and attend medical appointments. Then, in early June, he had a car accident.

Nowak is a retired mechanic, and was deployed as a naval reservist during the Vietnam war. For the time being, while he figures out the purchase of a replacement car, he’s been riding the bus.

Without the services that local nonprofit Tri-Valley Transit provides, he would be forced to solely rely on favors from friends and neighbors, he said.

It would be a difficult situation. Nowak said he rides the bus into Middlebury three or four times a week. His diabetes and its complications limit his mobility, and necessitate involvement from doctors.

“I’m 77 years old,” he said matter-of-factly. “I have issues.”

Often, he’ll need rides between two or three locations, some of which are across town from each other. Nonetheless, “I do pretty much everything on the bus,” he said.

Tri-Valley Transit’s microtransit program, which has offered on-demand rides in its Middlebury service area since May, has the capability to meet Nowak’s needs. It’s one of a number of similar initiatives statewide, following a 2022 pilot program for such services, which saw VTrans award millions of dollars to local providers.

Two vehicles in Middlebury respond to ride requests in real time, combining cost-free trips on the small buses. It’s a new system, but one officials think may be a step toward filling the gaps in traditional bus lines.

Daniel Currier, a program manager in the public transit division of VTrans, is cautiously optimistic about the future of microtransit. “I think we’re still a little early to say it’s successful,” he said. “But it’s certainly revealing, you know, what to do and what not to do.”

Microtransit has proved difficult to implement in some communities, and has at times tested the patience of riders. Tri-Valley Transit experienced a software setback that delayed its program’s start, according to Currier. A replaced Barre bus line caused widespread controversy last year, with residents raising concerns about a decrease in access.

But Currier said some locations have seen rapid progress, and boosted efficiency.

Rural Community Transportation, a nonprofit serving Lamoille County and the Northeast Kingdom region, was one such case.

“Our microtransit is the most efficient model of transportation that we provide,” said Caleb Grant, the organization’s executive director. The company opened a service in Newport on Monday, which Grant said is just the first step in an ambitious plan of microtransit expansion.

“The entire Northeast Kingdom and Lamoille County would have access to these vehicles,” said Grant of the five-year proposal.

RCT’s plan to scale up services comes as Green Mountain Transit, the regional public transport service based in Burlington, faces major financial struggles that may see its service slashed later this year.

A 2023 study of Vermont’s transit system found the on-demand microtransit model was most often effective in rural and small-town settings. In several cases, the study recommended the implementation of microtransit where no substantial local transit had previously existed.

The report also forecast potential “cost per trip” goals for microtransit at each level of population density. In small towns, a “successful” overhead cost for a single ride would be roughly $10. For rural areas, that metric jumped to nearly $23, and $50.76 was deemed “acceptable,” according to the report.

Tri-Valley Transit’s current cost per passenger for microtransit (instead of fixed bus routes) is just shy of $25, according to community relations manager Mary-Claire Crogan. Ridership overlap with other subsidized transit programs helps that cost fall within state standards, she said, adding that the pilot has seen marked improvements in key areas. Passenger counts have more than tripled, and more drivers have been freed up to serve surrounding villages like Shoreham and Bridport — “where buses don’t go,” said Crogan.

Tri-Valley Transit’s microtransit program averages just shy of 50 people daily. RTC’s offerings have also seen significant ridership, with the Morrisville services averaging roughly 20 to 30 people per day, according to Grant.

“Transit rates can be higher than maybe what people might expect,” Grant acknowledged. But by “right-sizing” the fleet of vehicles, and sharing rides whenever possible, he believes microtransit can be expanded with relative efficiency.

Grant also pointed out that a widely accessible transit system has broad ripple effects, from sustaining the workforce and protecting public health to making more real estate viable for affordable housing and small businesses.

“I like to think of it not just like a social service investment, but a really sound business investment in the future of Vermont,” he said.

Dino Jandric, a driver for Tri-Valley Transit, emphasized the depth of some riders’ reliance on the company’s services. “I know 90% of the passengers,” he said.

There are people who are so regular in their use of the Middlebury buses that Jandric becomes concerned when he doesn’t see them. Drivers have sometimes even called in wellness checks on elderly passengers, he said.

Tri-Valley Transit also provides rides to the Charter House Coalition, a shelter, kitchen, and social service center in Middlebury. Mostly, Jandric said, he drives people from the shelter to the grocery store.

Shelters like Charter House are often unable to share demand among themselves efficiently, according to Alison Calderara, chief of programs and advancement at Capstone Community Action in Barre. The distance between available beds is sometimes prohibitive, or drastically expensive.

In general, Calderara said, a lack of adequate public transit is one of the most significant barriers in the state to overcoming poverty. “It’s not just people who are homeless, it’s people who are simply trying to get to work,” she said.

Capstone’s affiliated transit nonprofit, Gopher, has a subsidized “Mobility for All” program that offers free door-to-door transportation to qualifying low-income riders. On the path to sustainability, according to general manager Amanda Carlson, the company combines that model with contract work for local school districts, and a small market-rate taxi operation.

For Grant, this kind of flexible model seems crucial for small-town passengers with complex needs. “It gives agency back to the riders,” he said.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Armed with public money, nonprofits are trying to meet Vermont’s small-town transit needs .