Community Rides Vermont pilot expands seven‑day shared mobility in Washington County

Chris Cole, executive director of Community Rides Vermont, told the House Transportation Committee on March 13 that his nonprofit’s Mobility for All pilot provides on‑demand shared rides to people who lack regular access to public transit in Washington County and the towns of Orange, Washington and Williamstown.

Cole said the pilot launched in May 2023 to fill gaps not addressed by fixed‑route transit and Medicaid transport, and that the program moved to seven‑day service in September 2024 to “serve when transit doesn’t serve and where transit doesn’t serve in the county.”

The program combines several funding streams. Cole said VTrans awarded a $300,000 grant that the organization matches with $75,000, creating a $375,000 pool spent over the state fiscal year. He described the pilot as a three‑year demonstration that began in May 2023 and will wind down in May 2026 unless further funding is secured. “We get a $300,000 grant through VTrans, and we match it with $75,000. So it’s a $375,000 program, which we expend over the course of the state fiscal year,” Cole said.

Cole described how Community Rides Vermont operates alongside the region’s transit agency, noting a subrecipient agreement with GMT that designates Community Rides as a contracted…