Many students use Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) as an inexpensive means of public transportation, and a recent grant from the College will expand the benefits that accompany this resource. The $100,000 grant, awarded last June, is being applied to a new Community Transportation Center on Creek Road.
The College and ACTR have been partners for over a decade; together, they provide students with access to locations outside of the Middlebury campus.
"A large portion of the student population does not have access to cars that they need to get around. We want to serve the couple thousand students that need access," said Jim Moulton, executive director of ACTR.
Students can take advantage of regularly scheduled ACTR bus services that run throughout the Middlebury area, as well as semi-regular service to Burlington, Rutland, and the Snow Bowl. A Saturday route is also available. Moulton is excited about the changes the new center will bring. "Over time, we are looking to expand [regular] service to Burlington and Rutland, and eventually to the 125 corridor and upstate."
In addition to providing expanded bus routes for the community, the new center is more cost effective. According to Moulton, "We will be doing all of the bus maintenance ourselves thanks to a new maintenance center. Instead of sending the buses out to be serviced in other locations like Rutland, we can do all of the work in house." The center will also focus on green energy and sustainability to maximize cost effectiveness.
The center also features a park and ride, the first in Middlebury, as well as a bus wash service. "Right now we have no way to keep the vehicles clean, so having a facility keeps the vehicles on the road longer," Moulton states. All of these changes lead to a more efficient bus service for the community.
Members of the community are thrilled by this new opportunity to venture off campus. "I don't have a car," says John Louie '15, "and there are a lot of things you can't get in Middlebury. [Extended ACTR service lets you get food in Burlington, go to Lake Champlain, and shop downtown."
Construction on the center has begun, and an official groundbreaking ceremony is expected in mid to late September. The Community Transportation Center is expected to open to the public in April 2013. More information about the center, including a virtual tour, can be found at http://actr-vt.org/.
College Donates for Local Public Transit
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