Advocacy groups in Vermont are discussing transportation challenges facing the mostly rural state.
Transit Equality Day is held annually to honor Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks. Sierra Club Vermont Chapter transportation team member Mark Klinedinst said decades later transit challenges persist.
“The transit equity group was started by the Labor Network for Sustainability with the idea that transit is a civil right. Everyone, workers, riders and everyday residents, should have access to reliable affordable transit,” explained Klinedinst. “Rosa Parks’ historic protest was against the unequal access of African Americans to public transit. And yet to this day unequal access to public transit based on race, income and disability have persisted and have, to a degree, become worse with cuts in public funding for transit and fare increases.”
Green Mountain Transit Director of Marketing and Planning Jamie Smith reported that the bus company is in an “unsteady fiscal situation” and they have started a campaign to tell riders’ stories about the impact of the public transit system.
“Our Chittenden County service is struggling. Across the state our other rural providers are also in a similar position,” Smith said. “We’ve struggled with workforce shortages. Our staff has seen a 38-ish percent reduction over the last ten years. Cost of service has increased. We’re looking at another significant service reduction likely in June and then we have about one fiscal year buffer but our FY27 finances are looking a little more dire than they are now.”
On the recent webinar, people shared their stories about transportation challenges in Vermont. Helena Kehne has a disability that prevents her from driving. She says her public transit options are so limited she must coordinate rides with friends.
“I just believe having greater access would be very helpful. And I know it’s probably a lot easier said than done. And also it puts pressure on many of us,” Kehne relayed. “I already feel bad enough that I have to ask people for rides. If our legislature put more of their time and energy into finding more funding to better support public transit and help to sustain the services we have, just really improve it, put more funding money towards the public transit system, I think we could see more of a positive impact on the greater community.”
Vermont Natural Resources Council Sustainable Communities Program Director Kati Gallagher coordinates the Transportation for Vermonters Coalition and lobbies the state legislature for funding and improvement of public transit. But she says an overarching narrative that she hears is that Vermont is rural and don’t need public transit because people drive.
“It seems to be forgotten or pushed aside or phrased as if we have extra money we’ll get to that. But this isn’t meeting people’s basic needs. And in addition, it provides so many other economic, social and environmental benefits,” Gallagher said.
The advocates say one of the biggest questions is how to move public transit initiatives forward innovatively to meet the needs of Vermonters given the state’s current financial constraints.
