South Burlington, UVM and GMT mark start of 15-minute bus service to Market Street

South Burlington officials, University of Vermont leaders and Green Mountain Transit partners held a ribbon-cutting to mark GMT’s extension of bus service to Market Street and the addition of stops providing roughly 15-minute frequency between downtown Burlington and South Burlington. The ceremony highlighted links between the new transit access, recently built housing, and local climate and access goals.

The change affects about a thousand feet of route through the city’s densest new housing and adds bus stops near the South Burlington Public Library, officials said. “It’s only about a thousand feet or so, but the story behind the change is indicative of the motivation South Burlington has to try to meet its city plans’ key points: climate resiliency, inclusiveness, people-oriented, and collaborative engagement,” said Tim Barrett, chair of the South Burlington City Council.

Why it matters: city and transit officials framed the service change as a last-mile connection for new housing built with tax increment financing, as well as a tool to reduce car trips and emissions. “Bringing bus service to Market Street is central to our city being people oriented,” Barrett said. Linda Scheidler, interim provost at the University of Vermont, said the housing developments that Market Street serves — Catamount Run and University Commons — will provide housing for UVM faculty, staff and “over 600 of our medical, graduate, and upper class students,” and that transit access is “critical…for us to be able to recruit people to come and live out here.”

GMT representatives at the event described the project as a multi-level funding and planning partnership. “One of the things that I love about working in public transit…is that it is one of the true partnerships between the federal government, the state government, and local government all work together to provide this vital service,” said Clayton, a staff member. Clayton also acknowledged that service changes can negatively affect some riders and said GMT will continue to “flex and to work, to meet the needs of the people who live all throughout our service area.”

Officials credited local development and financing tools for making the housing that the service now serves possible. Barrett named the TIF district and the developer team — Snyder and Braverman — as partners in the housing project. UVM’s Scheidler thanked developers Chris Snyder (Snyder Homes) and Ken Braverman (the Braverman Company) for Catamount Run and University Commons.

City staff and GMT participants noted ancillary community investments that the service is intended to complement: a pedestrian bridge from Goose Pond Park to City Center Park, a walkable downtown vision with retail and the South Burlington Public Library as a cultural anchor, and ongoing planning to improve intercity connectivity with adjacent corridors such as Shelburne Road and Kennedy Drive.

Event format and next steps: the ribbon-cutting was ceremonial; no municipal vote was reported. GMT representatives said they will monitor ridership and community feedback and make adjustments as needed. Clayton said he planned to meet with riders in Burlington who have concerns about service changes. City communications staff said they will promote the new stops and routes through regular community channels with the goal of increasing access to city services and local institutions.

The ceremony concluded with the ribbon-cutting and brief public remarks from the event’s participants. GMT, the city and UVM described the change as an operating service update aimed at increasing transit access to new housing and local destinations.