by Timothy Page
Green Mountain Transit (GMT) has announced that fare collection will resume on March 6, 2024, for its Chittenden County, Commuter, and LINK Express routes. The start date had initially been scheduled for January, but due to a delay in the availability of crucial components of the fare system, the implementation had to be postponed.
Once fare collection resumes, GMT will introduce a new, modern fare system aimed at providing more payment options for non-cash transactions, streamlining the payment process, and limiting the daily and monthly costs for individual riders through a capping system. The proposed fare structure will create a seamless travel experience by standardizing fares across both local and commuter services.
Clayton Clark, the General Manager of GMT, expressed the importance of the delayed components in making the service affordable for riders who rely on cash payments. “Our new fare system is almost ready, but these delayed components are essential to ensuring accessibility for cash-based riders,” Clark explained.
Under the new fare structure, rides on all Chittenden County routes, including Commuter routes, will cost $2. GMT will no longer provide free transfers but will implement a cap on the daily cost of transit rides, setting it at $4 for regular riders and $2 for discounted fare riders. Discounted fares are available to riders aged 6-17, individuals over 60, and those with disabilities. Additionally, GMT will introduce a monthly fare cap. Once a rider reaches a total of $50 ($25 for discounted fare riders) within a 31-day period, any remaining rides during that period will be free.
GMT will soon release an outreach plan detailing opportunities for in-person assistance. The staff will be available to assist riders in setting up new accounts, and there will be fare media buy-back events in January and February. However, GMT will not offer cashback for previously purchased fare media; instead, the value will be provided as account credit.
For any inquiries or feedback regarding the resumption of fares, Jamie Smith, the Director of Planning and Marketing, can be contacted at jamie@ridegmt.com.
Clayton Clark, the General Manager, is also available for interviews. To schedule an interview, please send an email to cclark@ridegmt.com.
Written based on information from GMT release.
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Categories: Transportation
This sounds like some Neanderthal screwed up in a supposedly hi-tech state. Again.
But, y’know, since moving here from the South, a place the Yankees deem backwards, I have found that Vermont is a box of rocks with eyeballs painted on them.
Strange, but after reading this article by Tim Page, I haven’t been able to get the song “Charlie on the MTA,” by the Kingston Trio, out of my mind. Great song from a better era. Thank you, Tim.
Another example of a government subsidized program that does not address a central issue: exactly how much does it cost the transporter to provide its services. Only then can you determine how much to charge the customer. Like the Post Office, the taxpayer will continue in perpetuity to subsidize a service that does not charge enough to stay in business on its own.