Bus to WRJ could resume
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STAFF REPORT - Published: August 4, 2009
Bus service linking Rutland and White River Junction could resume in the fall if two public transportation entities are successful in obtaining public financing.
Marble Valley Regional Transit District and Stagecoach Transportation Services Inc. of Randolph announced plans Monday to fill the void created when Vermont Transit abandoned the Rutland to White River Junction route last year.
The service, which would begin in November, hinges on funding from the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
Local bus officials could not be reached Monday evening on the amount of the grant being sought.
Named the Route 4 East Connection, the bus would stop in Killington, Bridgewater, Quechee, Woodstock and White River Junction with connections to Lebanon and West Lebanon, N.H.
The bus would also offer connecting service to:
Amtrak's Vermonter service in White River Junction.
Stagecoach Transportation Services between Randolph and Dartmouth College, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Hospital.
Vermont Transit service between Burlington and Brattleboro with a stop in White River Junction.
Dartmouth Coach routes stopping in White River Junction with service to Boston and New York City through Stamford, Conn.
The Route 4 East Connection will operate four times daily, midweek, with additional weekend service during the ski season. The estimated one-way fare is a $3 donation.
In a press release, MVRTD said the three-year grant would comprise 80 percent state/federal money with a 20 percent local match from businesses and communities that benefit from the service.
During an average week, MVRTD, known as The Bus, travels 13,736 miles and transports 10,431 riders in Rutland City, Proctor, Middlebury, West Rutland, Castleton, Fair Haven, Poultney, Killington, Manchester, Ludlow and towns in between.
Marble Valley Regional Transit District has a fleet of 62 vehicles with a staff of 69.
Stagecoach Transportation Services serves the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and the general public across a 30-town area of northern Windsor and Orange counties.
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