What changes to Green Mountain Transit service can Chittenden County commuters expect

Joel Banner Baird
Burlington Free Press
The College Street Shuttle bus operated by Green Mountain Transit travels east (uphill) on Friday, June 14, 2019.

Riding a bus in Chittenden County is becoming more predictable, convenient — and slightly more expensive, according to Green Mountain Transit.

Simplicity is at the heart of the changes that will take effect Monday, June 17, said transit spokesperson Jamie Smith.

Among the changes:

  • Streamlined routes will no longer serve little-used side roads.
  • More accurate, real-time tracking of buses in real-time with a new Transit app, which riders can download and eventually use in sync with a statewide network.
  • Smart-phone ticketing — no more scrambling for exact change.
  • Travelers from downtown Burlington to the airport will have a direct bus.
  • More evening and weekend service.
  • Buses, boarding areas and routes will be identified by color, rather than numbers and letters.

The switch to a rainbow of bus lines was in response to ongoing confusion with highway route numbers, Smith said: "This should take some of that confusion away."

Easy does it to Burlington International Airport and Walmart

Previously, bus riders in Burlington have had to transfer at University Mall to catch another bus to the airport — a nail-biting transfer with a five-minute margin of error.

The new Purple Line will run every 30 to 45 minutes from the Burlington waterfront, up College Street to the University of Vermont Medical Center —  and on to the airport.

The new "Purple Line" bus route will travel from Burlington's waterfront to the UVM Medical Center and on to Burlington International Airport, beginning June 17, 2019.

Gene Richards, the airports director of aviation, said he didn't lobby for the expedited service, "but we hope it's successful and we hope it gets more people here."

In many cases, GMT adjusted routes in response to data from transfer requests, Smith said: A large flow of riders between North Avenue in Burlington to Walmart, for instance, resulted in the creation of the Red Line, which also passes through downtown and University Mall.

Fare thee well?

The standard $1.25 adult fare has held steady since Chittenden County Transportation Authority set the rate in 2005.

A 10-ride ticket on Green Mountain Transit cost will cost $15 after July 17, 2017 (up from $12). There is no savings in cost per ride — but the pass is more convenient than cash. Photographed Dec. 14, 2018.

With the mid-June updates, most , but not all, of the fares will bump up:

  • The new single-ride fare will set passengers back another quarter.
  • Ten-ride passes will cost $15 (up from $12) for adults.
  • The bargain: A 31-day pass drops from $50 to $40.
  • Discounted fares apply to folks 6 - 17, and to seniors 60 and over.
  • Current, paid-up bus passes will continue to work.
  • Commuter-route fares will remain as they are — for now.

EARLIER: Why some Burlington commuters prefer taking the bus

Contact Joel Banner Baird at 802-660-1843 or joelbaird@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @VTgoingUp.