SEVT ANNOUNCES WINDSOR MICROTRANSIT PILOT
Release Date August 26, 2022
WINDSOR: Southeast Vermont Transit (SEVT aka the MOOver) announces it has been awarded a grant by the Vermont Agency of Transportation to operate a microtransit pilot in the Town of Windsor.
Microtransit is an Uber-like system of real-time hailed, dynamically routed, public transit service open to all members of the public with service provided by a small bus or van. A ride will be available to the public on a reservation-basis weekdays free of charge, subject to limitations to be determined in the design stage.
Riders will request a ride via an app, online, or by calling SEVT. Rides will be delivered in a lift-equipped van within the Town of Windsor boundaries. It will work in conjunction with existing transportation options already available in town. Hours and other operations will evolve over the next few months.
A Core Team will steer the project’s public outreach, marketing, design, and implementation phases. Team members will include Jill Lord and Amanda Jordan Smith from Mt. Ascutney Hospital, as well representatives from SEVT, VTrans, and several other key players in Windsor.
The first phase of the pilot is to introduce the microtransit concept to the Town’s residents, followed by a multi-layered public input process on unmet transportation needs in Windsor and what the new system should look like. Stakeholders will also work with the Core Team to make their constituent’s voices heard. Successive stages will be a draft design of the system, followed by its presentation to the public again for input; and a marketing plan to kick off the program. Two initial public meetings are scheduled for 6:00 pm September 14th and 11:00 am September 17th, both at the Town of Windsor Welcome Center.
The operation phase is hoped to begin in January 2023. Information is available at https://www.moover.com/windsor-microtransit/ or by calling SEVT at 802-463-2474. There will be postings of project-related information around Windsor, in newspapers, social media, and other formats.
Windsor is one of only five Vermont towns that has been funded for this three-year pilot program. Other towns include Barre, Manchester, Middlebury, and Morrisville.