Green Mountain Transit plans more bus service reductions

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Another round of service cuts was approved this week for Vermont's largest public transit agency.

Green Mountain Transit 's board of commissioners says the newest reductions will start in March.

That means fewer trips for the Montpelier LINK and the consolidation of other routes from places like St. Albans and Milton.

It comes as the agency fights a $3 million budget deficit.

The board also approved reductions set to begin next month, but GMT says some changes won't be as widespread as originally planned.

"We think that the savings that we're generating from these initial two rounds of cuts are going to save us more than we originally expected, and so our hope then is that our June reductions will therefore be less. Even though we have a $3 million potential list of reductions, we know that for the next fiscal year, it's only about $2 million that we need to save," said Clayton Clark of Green Mountain Transit.

Starting Dec. 2, the commuter bus between Jeffersonville and Burlington will shut down, and weekend service in Chittenden County will change.

GMT says if there is still a shortfall of up to $2 million by fiscal year 2026, they may have to lay off employees.