Advance Transit (AT), the free public transit service in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont, will be expanding service hours to include later weekday evening and Saturday bus service, starting Monday, September 11, 2023.
AT’s current hours of service are Monday through Friday, with buses operating as early as 5:15 a.m. to as late as 7:10 p.m. The expanded weekday evening service will extend service for four bus routes by two additional hours:
- Blue Route will operate until 9:03 p.m.
- Red Route will operate until 8:50 p.m.
- Green Route will operate until 8:32 p.m.
- Orange Route will operate until 8:35 p.m.
The first day of Saturday service will be on September 16. The Saturday bus routes and schedules will offer modified service to most areas usually covered by the Blue, Red, Orange, and Green lines during the weekdays. The new schedules will be available on Friday, September 1, 2023 on the Advance Transit website (www.advancetransit.com). Bus service information can also be accessed on Transit, a free mobile app that provides real-time arrival information for AT buses. Detailed information about this app is available on the AT website.
Additionally, on weekdays, the Yellow Route will include new mid-day service, with trips every hour from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The route will now service downtown White River Junction, Sykes Mountain Avenue, and Gilman Complex on Holiday Drive in Hartford, Vermont, as well as Hanover, New Hampshire. It will continue to service the Upper Valley Aquatic Center and will no longer operate on Bugbee Street.
These service enhancements are in response to feedback collected in the fall of 2022 as part of AT’s process of updating its five-year transit plan. Developing this plan is a multi-phased approach that includes a review of existing services, a survey of riders and community members, and an analysis of travel patterns, which considers planned construction and development projects that may affect public transportation in the future.
A crucial part of this process is community feedback, which is critical in identifying rider preferences and learning how AT services can better meet transportation needs.
“We recognize that expanded service is something that our community has been requesting for a long time,” said Adams Carroll, Executive Director of Advance Transit. “We know that many of our riders rely on public transportation to access key resources, and we hope that these changes will have a positive impact on our riders and the community as a whole.”
AT has a long history of careful system planning, including coordination with local and regional planning efforts. To update its current transit plan, AT has been working with Steadman Hill Consulting, a consulting firm with extensive experience in public transportation planning. AT worked with Steadman Hill Consulting to produce its 2018 plan, which resulted in increased frequency on the Blue route (operating between downtown Lebanon and downtown Hanover), now offering 15-minute service.
AT’s upcoming service expansion has been made possible through the generous support of federal, state, and local contributions, as well as donations from major employers, foundations, and individuals. AT is grateful for the community’s support, which is crucial in helping the organization fulfill its mission of providing fare-free transit in Vermont and New Hampshire and offering a service that increases access, expands mobility, operates sustainably, and strengthens communities.
To stay informed of new schedules, routes, and details on the service expansion, visit advancetransit.com/service-expansion.