Green Mountain Transit warns of ‘fiscal cliff,’ cites service cuts, fare changes and safety concerns

Clayton Clark, representing Green Mountain Transit (GMT), told the Senate Transportation Committee on Oct. 12 that GMT faces a multi-year funding shortfall that has already forced service reductions and could produce steeper cuts if no new, sustained funding is secured.

Clark told senators the agency estimated an initial fiscal-year-26 funding gap near $3 million, which the Legislature and BTV-area partners reduced through one-time support and reallocations to about $1.1–$1.2 million. He said GMT had already cut roughly $700,000 in service in fiscal year 25 and that projected gaps in FY27 could reach $3–$4 million, which would require significantly deeper service reductions.

Why it matters: GMT provides Chittenden County’s fixed-route urban transit and links to surrounding rural areas; steep cuts would reduce route frequency and eliminate some connections that riders rely on for work, school and other trips.

Clark described consequences already implemented: the Jeffersonville commuter connection to Burlington was ended in December (about 12–20 rides per day affected), and Saturday evening service was reduced because low ridership and overtime labor costs made late-night service unsustainable. He said link and commuter services were being adjusted and that the MyRide pilot and Amtrak connections face uncertainty when federal grant funding ends.

On fares, Clark said GMT moved from a pre‑COVID regular cash fare of $1.50 (discount $0.75) to $2 (discount $1). He described a new electronic payment system with daily and monthly caps — $4 per day and $50 per 30‑day period for full-price riders, with proportionately lower caps for discounted riders — and said the system’s fare-capping is designed to protect frequent riders. He also said ADA/paratransit one-way fares recently increased from $3 to $4 (effective Jan. 2) and that Medicaid nonemergency medical transport (NEMT) remains billed to Medicaid for eligible riders.

Clark warned of a feedback loop tied to performance-based funding. He told the committee GMT now receives multiple performance-based “small transit‑intensive city” (STIC) factors and that deep service cuts could cause the agency to lose several of those awards; each factor, Clark said, is roughly on the order of $500,000 and losing several would increase the budget gap and force further cuts.

Safety and workforce issues surfaced in the discussion. Clark said GMT has documented three assaults on staff in 2025 and anticipated legislation to add transit workers to a list of protected categories for assault while on duty. He described management turnover and a prior leadership crisis that prompted an organizational assessment and the addition of a management position to stabilize operations.

Clark also described revenue and development efforts: GMT recently reestablished fares after a fare-free COVID period and stood up an affiliated nonprofit to pursue grants available only to nonprofit entities. He said municipalities and local partners — including ski resorts that provide much of the local match for some rural routes — already contribute significant local funding and that a Chittenden-County‑specific revenue package (options include car-rental fees, registration increases, utility fees or package-delivery fees) could be a politically feasible funding path.

Senators pressed for detail about rider impacts; Clark said services that were trimmed have produced discrete hardships for some riders (for example, musicians and service industry employees who relied on Saturday-night runs). He framed the board’s goal of reaching 15% of revenue from fares over time while noting GMT is near a five-month average fare revenue target of 10% (GMT at 9.7% for the most recent five months). Clark said customer feedback favored returning to fares, and he reported a decline in no-trespass incidents from two to four per week down to about two per month since fares returned.

The committee did not take action; Clark and committee members discussed next steps and possible county-level funding measures and legislative options to address assaults on transit workers.