Rural Community Transportation outlines fare‑free microtransit, role in Franklin and Grand Isle counties

Caleb Grant, chief executive officer of Rural Community Transportation, told the Northwest Regional Planning Commission that RCT assumed responsibility for transit in Franklin and Grand Isle counties on Jan. 1 and plans a mix of fixed‑route, on‑demand and microtransit services to expand access.

Grant said RCT is a private nonprofit that already serves several northern Vermont counties and that its mission is “to connect and enhance the rural community through innovative transportation solutions.” He described microtransit — an app‑ and call‑center‑based, fare‑free, Uber‑style service RCT calls RCT Rides — as a low‑barrier option that requires no rider preapproval and can operate anywhere within a bounded service area when vehicles are available. “So all of our services are fare free,” Grant said.

Why it matters: RCT’s model emphasizes flexibility for low‑density rural areas, combining smaller right‑sized vehicles and volunteer drivers to reduce costs while trying to reach residents who fall outside traditional fixed‑route corridors.

Grant highlighted recent pilot results: converting one Morrisville fixed route to microtransit increased regular weekly riders from about 42 to roughly 500–700, he said. He also described a six‑week Johnson pilot that revealed tradeoffs when expanding the service area: the trial produced a 26% decrease in number of trips and a roughly 23% increase in miles traveled per trip, with longer in‑vehicle times — outcomes RCT intends to offset by deploying an additional vehicle where needed.

On staffing and local partnerships, Grant said RCT offered positions to 20 of 21 Green Mountain Transit employees during the transition and that all eligible staff accepted offers; RCT has recognized the union and is negotiating with Franklin drivers’ Teamsters representatives. He also told the board that while RCT is the grant recipient for public transportation funding in Grand Isle County, it has subcontracted the county’s primary provider (CIDER) to deliver many local trips. “The only reason you haven't seen our vehicles is because CIDER is the primary transportation provider for Grand Isle,” Grant said.

Funding and risks: Grant said RCT is the largest Medicaid transportation provider in Vermont and that Medicaid funding and federal/state grants (including traditional 5311 rural transit and CMAC congestion‑mitigation funds) make up a large portion of the budget. He acknowledged uncertainty over possible Medicaid eligibility or funding changes and said RCT is tracking state Medicaid procurement and exploring expansion of on‑demand programs to mitigate risk.

Board members who asked questions praised the presentation and pressed on local outreach, Medicaid exposure, and coordination with existing providers. Chip Sawyer (City of Saint Albans) asked whether microtransit was feasible in greater St. Albans; Grant said previous GMT feasibility work warrants a renewed look and that RCT’s transit development plan sets a five‑year goal to expand microtransit across its service area. Nicholas (Nick Abreso) asked about fares and Medicaid cuts; Grant reiterated that services are fare‑free and that RCT is monitoring potential changes in Medicaid eligibility and procurement.

Next steps: Grant said staff will share his slide deck by email and RCT will work with local planning and transit advisory committees on surveys and the transit development plan. He encouraged board members and towns to complete forthcoming surveys that will inform service design and potential microtransit pilots.

Ending: The board thanked Grant for the presentation and invited follow‑up engagement; Catherine Dimitrick agreed to distribute the presentation to members who could not attend.