Perhaps the advent of self-driving cars could open up a new business model for rural communities.
An autonomous taxi service offered or subsidized by the Agency of Transportation could provide a stopgap for elderly and isolated members of the rural community.
The car itself could service multiple towns in a wide radius, and community ownership could roll the cost of ownership into the town or county budget - much like existing bus routes, but much more flexible, and on an ad-hoc basis, allowing for unprecedented flexibility without the costs associated with cab services.
As far as cycling infrastructure is concerned, southern Vermont in particular has a few hurdles: topography, infrastructure, and climate.