Vermonters rely on public transit to get to work, school, healthcare, and community life. Cutting service isn’t just inconvenient — it threatens jobs, equity, the environment, and our collective future. These stories from riders across the region reveal just how vital transit is in our everyday lives.
At Green Mountain Transit, we understand how deeply service reductions impact our communities. Your voice is powerful — and we want to amplify it.
We are looking for volunteers to share their stories and help illustrate the real human cost of reducing service — and the undeniable need for a robust, equitable public transit system.
Help Us Amplify Your Voice!
I live in Williston and work in Burlington and Essex Junction, so I rely on being able to get to and from both jobs. It’s not just about people like me possibly losing our jobs — it’s about businesses, too. They already have a hard time hiring, and if people can’t get to work, it’s only going to get worse.”
Carrie, Green Mountain Transit Rider
My 22-year-old daughter goes to UVM and planned her entire semester around the Montpelier LINK bus. She lives at home in Montpelier, which makes it more affordable. If this route disappears, it will hurt so many — folks who can’t drive, people with disabilities, those with low incomes. It’s just not right.”
Josette, Concerned Parent of a UVM Student & Green Mountain Transit Rider
I’m really hoping we can keep the regional service, because the LINK to Montpelier is hugely important for those of us who live in Burlington and work in Montpelier. And I know it’s the same going the other way, too.”
Sophia, Green Mountain Transit & Community Partner
I started working at UVM recently, and honestly, I wouldn’t be able to make it there without GMT. Housing near the university is too expensive, so we live farther out. It also snows here half the year — cutting service would make it nearly impossible for a lot of people to get to work.”
Minaz, UVM Faculty & Green Mountain Transit Rider
I’m a med student and I take the Essex Junction bus to the hospital every single day. I picked my apartment based on this route. I see other students on it constantly — we all depend on it.”
Madi, UVM Medical Student & Green Mountain Transit Rider
I supervise many student employees at UVM, and I hear again and again that one of the major factors that makes students move to another state after graduation is how car-dependent Burlington is. This new generation doesn’t want to spend their lives stuck in traffic or paying for a car. If we want young people to stay in Vermont, transit is a clear way to make that possible.”
Skye, UVM Employee & Community Partner
I use the local service, and yeah, as somebody who doesn’t have a car, living in Burlington would be pretty unsustainable for me if I didn’t have a lot of these services, like the #11 bus.”
Jared, Green Mountain Transit Rider
I’m worried that these service cuts coming now will kind of create a timing problem. Burlington just eliminated the parking minimums, and that’s a good thing. But now you’re cutting bus service — how are people supposed to get around?”
Dale, Concerned Parent of Green Mountain Transit Riders
Our family often depends on the Montpelier LINK bus. We only have one car, and my wife works in Montpelier two days a week. Without the bus, we’d have to buy another car — and we just can’t afford that.”
Ben, Concerned Partner of a Green Mountain Transit Rider
This bus is the only way I can get to all my doctors and UVM hospital appointments. Without it, I’d have to walk a long way just to reach the first stop — and I’m 63. Even one bus a day would help. Please don’t cut us off.”
Janice, Senior Green Mountain Transit Rider
A year ago, I lost my job when the trucking company I worked for went under. GMT treated me well, and I got a job. But now I’m looking at possibly losing that job again because of service cuts. I hope it doesn’t happen — but I know it could.”
Tracy, Driver for Green Mountain Transit
I use the Airport route to get to work — I can’t drive to campus, so the #11 is the only way. Also, it’s how I balance my budget. With everything so expensive in Chittenden County, I count on that savings.”
Dana, Green Mountain Transit Rider
I made the decision to start riding the LINK over a year ago. It helped my family cut down to one car, and it’s better for the environment. The bus is usually full — clearly, a lot of people need it. Cutting it just doesn’t make sense.”
Kelton, Green Mountain Transit Rider
I’ve already had to spend more on Ubers since some routes got cut. I can’t take on as many jobs now, and I can’t go as far. The service cuts have directly impacted my income.”
Wiley, Green Mountain Transit Rider
We already face so many challenges with rising costs of, well, everything, and the limited service and resources. Not only can I not get an appointment with a healthcare provider in my hometown and have to travel to Burlington, but now cutting transportation options to get to that appointment? People are struggling and this will only make things worse.”
Becky, Green Mountain Transit Rider
I don’t have a car because I don’t want the added extra cost of maintenance and insurance. It just costs a lot of money to operate a car. I can walk most places near me, and for everything else — I rely on the bus. I think of it like a box of Band-Aids. You don’t need it every day, but when you do — it better be there.”
Kim, Senior Green Mountain Transit Rider
As someone with a disability who has relied on public transit for a long time, I know how devastating it would be to lose routes. We need to come together to prevent that from happening — it affects our whole community.”
Helena, Disabled Green Mountain Transit Rider
I have very poor vision and, growing up, knew Chittenden County had to be my home if I were going to stay in Vermont. I work six days a week to afford living here. The bus is more than transportation — it’s a lifeline.”
Brett, Disabled Green Mountain Transit Rider
I have many, many friends who take the #11 bus to their doctor’s appointments. Their health will be jeopardized without this transportation.”
Martha, Concerned Friend of Green Mountain Transit Riders
I work at the Chittenden Clinic on Dorset Street, and that’s where people with opiate addictions go for treatment. A lot of them can’t walk far — the Airport bus is their only way.”
Deborah, Community Partner & Green Mountain Transit Rider
Working at the bus station has opened my eyes to what people are going through — substance use, mental health crises, people trying to access treatment. Losing critical transit routes would be a tough blow to those who need it most.”
Romeo, Former Employee for Green Mountain Transit
I am a Montpelier resident writing to ask that you please not cut the bus that links Montpelier and Burlington. My family relies on it, and so do many others who are vulnerable — whether because of health issues, low income, or disability. Cutting that bus makes life harder for the people already struggling the most.”
Josette, Concerned Parent of a Green Mountain Transit Rider
Cutting essential services is not the answer to your problem. This will disproportionately harm disabled and poor people, as well as anyone who cares about the environment or doesn’t own a car or know how to drive. I beg you — please don’t do this.”
Talyn, UVM Student & Green Mountain Transit Rider
Public transportation is vital to those who can’t drive. Work, doctor’s appointments, shopping — it’s how people live their lives. Please find a way to maintain access to those in Essex who have no other means of travel.”
Catherine, Concerned Community Member
Vermont aims to be an eco-friendly, green state — so we absolutely cannot give up on our bus service lines. Cutting them is a huge step backward.”
Nicole, Concerned Child of a Green Mountain Transit Rider
The Jeffersonville bus service was a huge part of my decision to buy a home in the Riverside section of Jericho 18 months ago. My wife and I are trying to go from two cars to just one as we near retirement, and this daily bus service was enormously important to that.”
Brad, Former Green Mountain Transit Rider
I bike from my Old North End home to work downtown. But my dentist and doctor are in South Burlington — the bus lets me get there and back on work days. That’s what makes biking to work possible for me.”
Brian, Green Mountain Transit Rider
We moved to Montpelier recently, and one of the reasons I felt okay about the commute to Burlington was because of the bus. I liked knowing I was reducing my carbon footprint. If the only alternative is driving every day, it feels like a step in the wrong direction.”
Kelly, Green Mountain Transit Rider
I made the choice to ride the bus because it was the right thing to do — for my family financially, and for the environment. It just made sense. And I’m not the only one — the LINK buses are full.”
Kelton, Green Mountain Transit Rider
I gave up my car for, you know, carbon reasons, seven years ago. Not everyone can do that — I recognize that privilege — but if we’re serious about decarbonization and climate goals, transit has to be part of the solution.”
Connor, Green Mountain Transit Rider & Former JEDI Committee Member
If we’re a community that prides itself on being sort of eco-friendly, then we need ways to get to places like the airport without a private vehicle. Even if it’s not perfect, transit should be an option.”
Marty, Green Mountain Transit Rider
We moved a couple years ago — we were living near Maple Street Park, and we moved to the other side of Essex, specifically looking for a place that was on the bus route. It’s in a really convenient spot, and while expenses are high, it’d be more expensive not to have the bus. I’d rather change my schedule or pay more than not have a bus at all.”
Bryan, Vermont State University Student & Green Mountain Transit Rider
When I bought my house, one of the things I looked for was whether it was on the bus line. I found a house that was, but that was 10 to 12 years ago. Now, it’s barely on the line — and you’re telling me it might not be anymore.”
Jeff, Green Mountain Transit Rider
My parents live in the Northeast Kingdom, and Vermont’s transit system lets me get from Winooski to downtown Lyndon in a matter of hours. It’s more than public transportation — it’s a resource for connection.”
Connor, Green Mountain Transit & Rural Community Transit Rider
As a Central Vermont resident, I rely on the Montpelier LINK to get to medical appointments, meetings, social visits, and long-distance travel connections in Burlington. My household only has one car — the bus is a key part of our life and our values.”
Jonathan, Green Mountain Transit & Rural Community Transit Rider
Just two years have passed since the last round of LINK cuts. It’s still a well-used, essential service. It connects people to the state capitol, to healthcare in Burlington, to work and school. Cutting it would be a step backward.”
Graham, Green Mountain Transit Rider
We moved to Essex Center, near CVS — not because it’s ideal for where I work, but because it meant my son could get everywhere by bus. If the route goes away, so does that option for him.”
Chris, Concerned Parent of a Green Mountain Transit Rider
I’m a senior leader at Howard Center. A number of our clients rely on the bus system to get to life-saving appointments. Hundreds of people take route 11 to get to the Chittenden Clinic for medication. If it’s gone, many of them won’t be able to get care.”
Charlotte, Howard Center Employee & Community Partner
I am bewildered and angered at the unwillingness of VTrans and the Vermont Legislature to invest in public transit. GMT allows elderly residents to access medical care, gives employers a wider range of qualified workers, and helps reduce emissions and traffic. Cutting it undermines everything we say we care about.”
Michelle, Green Mountain Transit Rider & Concerned Partner of a Green Mountain Transit Driver
I know sometimes people assume LINK riders are ‘choice riders,’ like we’re just choosing the bus instead of our cars. But that’s not the reality. A lot of people on that bus don’t have another option — due to income, health, or other circumstances.”
Jenny, Green Mountain Transit Rider
Cutting service doesn’t save money — it just pushes costs onto working people, students, disabled folks, and anyone without a car. It doesn’t solve the problem, it just hides it.”
Richard, Concerned Parent of a Green Mountain Transit Rider
I would like to express support for the Montpelier LINK Bus that I use almost exclusively to travel from my residence in Central Vermont to the UVM campus. The benefits are multiple: lower carbon footprint, less traffic, and a restful commute.”
Fredrick, UVM Faculty & Green Mountain Transit Rider
I think this public bus system is amazing. The drivers are on time and friendly. I’ve never had a problem with other riders. I hope GMT gets the funding it needs to keep this going for people who rely on it every day.”
Meagan, Green Mountain Transit Rider
We should be adding more routes — not cutting them. Transit is one of the best ways to make Vermont more equitable, resilient, and connected.”
Jenna, Concerned Community Member
I don’t think that any of these cuts are acceptable. All of them critically risk the future of the city and the region GMT operates in. This has to be solved at the Statehouse. Our representatives need to know that this is non-negotiable.”
Jack, Concerned Community Member
Some people in this community say buses should be cut if ridership doesn’t cover the cost. But that’s not how infrastructure works. Buses are just like roads or parks — they’re services we all depend on, whether we realize it or not.
Nobody expects Dorset Street to cover its costs, right? But a bus route on that street — suddenly we expect it to pay for itself. That’s not how a well-run community works.”
Pallas, UVM Graduate Student & Green Mountain Transit Rider