Green Mountain Transit Explained

Green Mountain Transit
Founded: (as CCTA, )
Headquarters:101 Queen City Park Road44.4503°N -73.2203°W
Locale:Burlington, Vermont
Service Area:Chittenden County
The Capital District; Franklin and Grand Isle Counties; Stowe and Lamoille County; Mad River Valley
Service Type:Bus service, commuter bus service
Routes:16
Fleet:143 buses
Ridership:
Annual Ridership:
Website:ridegmt.com

Green Mountain Transit (GMT) is the regional public transit system based in Burlington, Vermont, which was formed in 2016 through the merger of two more localized transit systems: the Chittenden County Transportation Authority and the Green Mountain Transit Authority. In, the system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of .

Chittenden County area

See main article: Chittenden County, Vermont.

Transit center and routes

GMT's Downtown Transit Center, which generally serves local routes, is located in downtown Burlington on Saint Paul Street, between Pearl and Cherry Streets, with adjoining space along Pearl Street. All of the commuter and express routes (36, 46, 56, 86, 96) generally operate from Pearl Street in the vicinity of Saint Paul Street.

Local routes (NextGen)

In June 2019, pairs of local routes were combined, given color-coded route names and through-routed via the Downtown Transit Center (DTC) with new schedules; see "Former routes" below for more info. Most local routes operate seven days a week (certain holidays excluded) with 20-minute or 30-minute service patterns during the day between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM, with weekday evening service ending at about 10:30PM.

RouteTerminalsStreets traveledNotes
1WillistonBurlington
Downtown Transit Center
Williston
Walmart
Main Street, Williston Road (South Burlington, Williston), Marshall Avenue
  • Daily service.
  • Serves University Mall.
  • Formerly part of the Red Line.
2Essex JunctionEssex Junction
Amtrak Station
Colchester Avenue, East Allen Street (Winooski), College Parkway (Colchester), Pearl Street (Essex Junction)
  • Daily service.
  • Some rush trips serve GlobalFoundries in Essex Junction.
  • Formerly part of the Blue Line.
3Lakeside CommuterBurlington – Lakeside
Lakeside Avenue and Central Avenue
Burlington
Downtown Transit Center
Lakeside Avenue, Pine Street
  • Weekday AM rush periods, DTC-bound only.
5Pine StreetBurlington
Downtown Transit Center
Burlington
Green Mountain Transit Offices
Queen City Park Road and Home Avenue
Saint Paul Street, Pine Street
  • Daily service.
  • No DTC-bound service after 6:30PM, southbound buses may be marked as "TO GARAGE".
  • Formerly part of the Green Line.
6Shelburne RoadShelburne MuseumSouth Union Street, Shelburne Road
  • Daily service.
  • Some Shelburne-bound rush trips extended to Vermont Teddy Bear Company.
  • Sundays, Shelburne buses terminate at Home Avenue (Market 32) in Burlington.
  • Formerly part of the Blue Line.
7North AvenueBurlington – Northgate Apartments
Northgate Road and North Avenue
North Street, North Avenue
  • Daily service.
  • Heineburg Housing served by Northgate-bound buses hourly during daytime hours.
  • Formerly part of the Red Line.
8City LoopClockwise Loop
(See Notes)
North Avenue, North Street, Archibald Street, North Prospect Street, Maple Street, Battery Street
  • No evening service.
  • Alternate buses serve Fern Hill or McAuley Square (about the halfway point of the loop) and are signed as such.
  • Pre-June 2008, known as "Old North End Loop" with bi-directional service.[1]
  • Formerly the Gold Loop.
9Riverside/WinooskiWinooski
Champlain Mill
(See Notes)
Elmwood Avenue, Riverside Avenue, then:
Counter-clockwise Loop: Barlow Street, Main Street (Winooski), Weaver Street, Malletts Bay Avenue
  • No Sunday service.
  • Alternate Winooski-bound buses serve 83 Barlow Street or the Courtyard.
  • Formerly part of the Green Line.
10Williston/EssexWilliston
Walmart
Essex Town
Sand Hill Road and River Road
Marshall Avenue, Maple Tree Place, Essex Road, Park Street (Essex Junction), then:
Clockwise Loop: Main Street (Essex Junction), Essex Outlet Fair, Center Road, Sand Hill Road, River Road (Essex Town), Maple Street (Essex Junction)
  • No evening or Sunday service.
  • Serves Essex Junction Amtrak Station.
  • Sand Hill Road/River Road is at about the 2/3 point in the Essex loop.
  • Created from the former #10 (Williston-Essex) and #4 (Essex Center) routes.
  • Formerly the Orange Line.
11Airport Burlington
Downtown Transit Center
Burlington International AirportCollege Street, Colchester Avenue, UVM Medical Center, Dorset Street, Kennedy Drive, then:
Counter-clockwise Loop: Kennedy Drive, Airport Drive, White Street, Hinesburg Road
  • Daily service.
  • Service is fare-free between the DTC and the UVM Medical Center.
  • Serves Union Station.
  • Burlington Airport is about the midpoint of the loop.
  • Limited service to Country Park.
  • Created from the former #11 (College Street Shuttle) and #12 (South Burlington Circulator) routes.
  • Formerly the Purple Line.

Commuter and express routes

Commuter and express routes operate weekday rush periods only unless otherwise noted and are limited stop.

RouteTerminalsServesNotes
36Jeffersonville
Commuter
Burlington
Downtown Transit Center
Jeffersonville
Post Office
Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Essex Junction, Essex Outlet Fair, Jericho, Underhill, Cambridge, JeffersonvilleTravels via VT 15.
46Route 116 CommuterHinesburg
Town Hall Park & Ride
All trips: Burlington, South Burlington, Hinesburg
Middlebury trips: Starksboro, Bristol, Middlebury
Middlebury
Merchants Row
56Milton CommuterMilton
Town Office Park & Ride
Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Milton
  • Travels via US 7.
  • Additional midday service.
86Montpelier LINK ExpressMontpelier
Main Street and State Street
Burlington, South Burlington, Richmond, Waterbury, Montpelier
  • Travels via I-89.
  • Additional midday service.
  • Short-turn Waterbury express labeled "286".
96St. Albans LINK ExpressSt. Albans
Highgate Commons
Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, Georgia, St. AlbansTravels via US 7 and I-89.
97Barre LINK ExpressBarre
255 N.Main Street (Barre District Court)
Burlington, Richmond, Waterbury, BarreTravels via I-89 and VT 62. Route has been suspended since March 2020.

Shopping specials

These are shuttle buses that each operate one day per week, in the morning, to/from senior housing centers. The general public is welcome on these routes.

RouteTerminalsServesNotes
Hannaford Shopping SpecialSouth Burlington
See "Serves"
University Mall
Hannaford
Pillsbury Manor, The Pines, Country ParkTuesday service only.
Price Chopper Shopping SpecialWinooski
See "Serves"
South Burlington
Price Chopper
The Courtyard, 83 Barlow Street, Spring Garden,
Fern Hill*, McAuley Square*, Downtown Transit Center*
Wednesday service only.
Burlington
See "Serves"
South Burlington
Price Chopper
10 North Champlain Street, 3 Cathedral Square, Decker Towers,
Heineberg Housing, McKenzie House, 101 College Street
Thursday service only.
(*) denotes Burlington destinations

Former routes

On June 17, 2019, GMT converted all the previously-numbered routes to colored through-routed (via the DTC) services. A short time thereafter, due to passenger feedback, GMT added the route numbers back in with the color scheme. The Red Line was composed of the 7 and 1 routes, the Blue Line with the 6 and 2, the Green Line with the 5 and 9 and the Orange Line with the 10 (and the later addition of the 4, which was originally the Silver Loop after conversion). The 8 became the Gold Loop. On June 14, 2021, due to more customer feedback, the GMT eliminated the color designations in favor of the previous numerical ones.[2]

RouteTerminalsStreets traveledNotes
1VWilliston VillageBurlington
Downtown Transit Center
Williston Village
Williston Town Hall
Main Street, Williston Road (South Burlington, Williston), then:
Clockwise Loop: Industrial Avenue, Mountain View Road, North Williston Road
(see Notes)
  • Weekday rush periods only along with one mid-day trip.
  • AM trips clockwise loop through Williston Village, PM trips counter-clockwise.
  • Only serves University Mall AM/mid-day Williston-bound trips.
  • Discontinued June 17, 2019.
4Essex CenterEssex Junction
Amtrak Station
Clockwise Loop: Main Street (Essex Junction), Essex Outlet Fair, Center Road, Sand Hill Road, River Road (Essex Center), Maple Street (Essex Junction)
  • Weekdays only, no late morning service.
  • Rush trips serve IBM by on-board request.
  • Became Silver Loop on June 17, 2019, and subsequently added to the Orange Line (route 10).
12UMall/AirportSouth Burlington
University Mall
(See Notes)
Burlington International Airport
(See Notes)
Dorset Street, Kennedy Drive, then:
Counter-clockwise Loop: Kennedy Drive, Airport Drive, White Street, Hinesburg Road
  • Daily service.
  • Burlington Airport is about the midpoint of the loop.
  • The last three PM trips Monday–Saturday and all Sunday trips are extended from University Mall to the Downtown Transit Center via Main Street. This is similar to the service pattern of the original Airport (1) route.
  • Folded into the Purple Line (extended route 11) on June 17, 2019.
18Sunday ServiceBurlington
Downtown Transit Center
Counter-clockwise Loop: Pine Street (SB), Shelburne and South Union streets (NB), Pearl Street, Mansfield Avenue, Riverside Avenue, North Avenue (NB then SB), North Street
  • Sunday only, alternate trips serve Lakeside; covers Burlington neighborhoods served by routes 5, 6, 8 and 7 (in that order).
  • The first morning trip serves public housing and churches only.
  • Discontinued June 17, 2019.
(NB): Northbound; (SB): Southbound

Fares

As of June 18, 2021, GMT will be fare-free for all local routes until May 20, 2024.

As of May 20, 2024, fares will be two dollars, with a four dollar daily cap, and a fifty dollar monthly cap. Discounted fares for people under 17, over 60, or who are disabled are one dollar, with a two dollar daily cap and a twenty five dollar monthly cap. Fares can be paid using the Ride Ready app, a smart card, contactless payment, or cash. However, the fare cap does not apply to cash fares.[3] Fares will not apply on rural services.[4]

Fleet

Most of the GMT fleet is made up of Gillig low-floor transit buses, although a number of New Flyer and Proterra buses are used. MCI long-distance buses and various shuttle buses built on Ford E-350 chassis have been purchased for intercity routes and transit service in outlying towns, respectively.
Note that this list is incomplete.

Fleet Number(s)YearManufacturerModelNotes
2xx
4xx
unknownChevrolet3500full fleet number range unknown.
FordE-350
910-9162007GilligLow Floor 35'All except 913 have been retired
920-925BRT 40'921, 923, and 925 have been retired
926-9282009927 has been retired
930-9362012MCID4500CT
940-9412008GilligLow Floor 40'941 has been retired
942-9492009948 has been retired
950-9622010
963-9712017
972-9732019
4211-42132021
4221-42232022
5221-52232022Low Floor 35'
990-9912020ProterraCatalyst BE40First electric buses in the state of Vermont. More buses expected to be bought in 2021–2022
4231-42364241-424520232024New FlyerXcelsior XD402024 Buses are electric
[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

The Capital District, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Stowe and Lamoille County, Mad River Valley areas

Route list

Fare schedule

50% discount fares are available to children ages 6 through 17, seniors at and over the age of 60, and disabled passengers. LINK Express riders are not eligible for any discounts when riding such buses. Bus-to-bus transfers are also available, and are valid one hour after receipt and are not valid for round trips.[11]

Capital District local routes fares

This list includes the City Commuter route.

Mad River Valley and Stowe/Lamoille

Franklin/Grand Isle

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20070802040425/http://www.cctaride.org/resources/flash/cctamap10.swf CCTA System Map via the Internet Archive
  2. https://ridegmt.com/urban-system-name-change-effective-june-14th/ GMT System Name Changes
  3. Web site: Fares: Effective March 6, 2024 . 2024-01-28 . ridegmt.com.
  4. Web site: Fares: Effective March 6, 2024 . 2024-01-28 . ridegmt.com.
  5. Web site: 2020-01-28. Green Mountain Transit, BED unveil first two electric buses. 2020-09-21. Vermont Business Magazine. en.
  6. Web site: Syed. Maleeha. VTrans survey to address transportation access in rural Vermont. 2020-09-21. The Burlington Free Press. en-US.
  7. https://ridegmt.com/wp-content/uploads/link-express-bus-bike-storage.jpg
  8. Web site: green mountain transit express buses – Google Search. 2020-09-21. www.google.com.
  9. Web site: Chittenden County Transportation Authority – CPTDB Wiki. 2020-09-21. cptdb.ca.
  10. Web site: Green Mountain Transit Board of Commissioners Meeting January 2024 Packet . 9.
  11. http://ridegmt.com/schedules-and-fares/fares-and-passes/ Fares and passes