BRATTLEBORO — In the face of a service cut that is set to begin June 20, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has reached an agreement with Greyhound to maintain Interstate 91 corridor service between White River Junction and Springfield, Mass., including stops in Bellows Falls and Brattleboro.
The agreement would ensure that existing Greyhound runs to New York City through Springfield, Mass., would be maintained in Vermont through the end of 2012, while the AOT continues an intensive study of inter-city bus service and potential ridership statewide.
Right now, only two buses a day stop in Brattleboro - a bus to Springfield, Mass., that connects to separate buses to Boston and New York City, and a northbound bus to Burlington. The southbound bus leaves at 10:20 a.m.; the northbound one leaves at 11:05 a.m.
“We have been working to develop a comprehensive, statewide plan to address inter-city bus travel, and feeder routes,” said Transportation Secretary Brian Searles. “We are committed to improving public transportation in Vermont and do not want to see the disruption that would be caused by the sudden interruption in this service. Many people depend on Greyhound as their link to points north and south and maintaining that ridership is an important component of developing a fiscally sound approach to delivering services in the future.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the Vermont Agency of Transportation in working with us to keep this route in place,” said Greyhound Lines, Inc., Director of Schedules Tim Therrian. “We look forward to further efforts to find a more permanent and economical solution for service to these communities.”
The Vermont Intercity Bus Network Plan is expected to be delivered in September. This study will determine the statewide priorities for intercity connectivity and the scope of the investment required to develop a more robust public transportation network.
Last month, Greyhound announced it would eliminate interstate bus service for Brattleboro and Bellows Falls in Vermont, Northampton and Greenfield in Massachusetts, and Keene, N.H., and no replacement interstate bus company offered to step in to replace Greyhound in the Interstate 91 corridor.