[housing]

Making Sure Mass Transit is a Viable Option by kim j. gifford

s anyone who has driven on Route 12A in West Lebanon, Route 120 near DHMC, or across the Ledyard Bridge during rush hour can attest, traffic is no longer a foreign concept for the Upper Valley. In fact, traffic congestion can sometimes be so brutal that it takes more than half an hour to get from one end of the “strip” in West Lebanon to the other. It’s easy to see why more people in the Upper Valley are discovering the benefits of riding a bus, and why ridership has steadily increased over the past decade. However, currently, most bus stops are marked by nothing more than a post and sign to designate a waiting area, and with unpredictable New England weather and harsh seasons, commuters are left to the elements as they commute each day to work. For this reason, Trumbull-Nelson Construction Company and Vital Communities, a regional non-profit organization dedicated to engaging citizens in community life, are working together to build bus shelters on all major bus transit routes in the Upper Valley.

The benefits of improving public transportation in the Upper Valley are obvious. Not only does it save on the costs of commuting, but it also relieves congestion on our main roads. Dartmouth College even offers fringe benefits to its employees if they commute by public transportation rather than by car. Due to commuter fringe benefits, the price of fuel, and an easily navigable transit system, there has been an “incredible ridership increase,” explains Shawn Donovan, a board member of the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association.

Trumbull-Nelson recently offered to help the four public transit providers in the area—Advance Transit, Springfield’s Connecticut River Transit, the Stagecoach of Randolph, and CTS in Claremont—build bus shelters throughout the Upper Valley. These bus shelters come in the form of kits and, along with donating time and expertise, Trumbull-Nelson has offered to store the unassembled kits in their warehouse until they are ready to be erected.

Now is certainly the right time for such a project. The use of public transit has been growing by double digits over the last several years. The Stagecoach’s “89er” route, for example, has grown from 5,547 fixed-route transit bus boardings in 2005 to 11,523 in 2006. Advance Transit currently accounts for 700,000 annual passenger trips, up from 125,000 in 1992, said Donovan. “We have a thriving transit system in the Upper Valley, which is quite unusual for a rural area,” he says.

“Every place there’s a bus stop—and there are a lot of them out there on the edges of roads right now—there should be a bus shelter,” Donovan recommends. “We prefer people take buses year round and it’s not feasible if they are standing out there in the rain. We’re not in an urban area where people can easily duck into a building corner. That’s why we are grateful to Trumbull-Nelson, who has the capability and willingness to erect these shelters.”

After working together to design the shelters, Trumbull-Nelson and Vital Communities have decided to use standard kits with glass walls. This way, people will be protected from the elements, but since they are transparent, there will be no public-safety concerns. Although these kits can be pricey, Len Cadwallader, executive director of Vital Communities, finds them cost effective. “They are pennies compared to the cost of adding another lane that would quickly end up being filled with cars.”

“For Trumbull-Nelson to offer warehouse space is extremely important to this process,” explains Cadwallader. The process of acquiring easements and building permits is not only time consuming, but often the grants from the state necessary to acquire the kits can be sporadic. As a result, “one of the biggest obstacles has been where to store the kits,” Cadwallader continues.

Although storage is important, it is not the only aspect of Trumbull-Nelson’s offer that is appreciated. “They are strengthening their corporate citizenship and at the same time they are helping their employees serve their community. This is a good model for building a stronger workforce,” asserts Cadwallader.

Steve Usle, Director of Marketing for Trumbull-Nelson, approached Vital Communities when Trumbull-Nelson began looking for additional ways to give back to the community. “When we were putting together plans to celebrate our 90th anniversary, I began to realize how much influence our company has had on the locally built environment,” Usle explains. “As a larger employer and stakeholder, we understand the importance of smart growth, transportation, and affordable housing, all areas of focus for Vital Communities. Offering assistance to Vital Communities in the area of transportation by erecting bus shelters is a logical extension of our Company’s commitment to maintaining the area’s quality of life.”

With continued cooperation between communities and constant planning on the part of Vital Communities and other non-profit organizations in the Upper Valley, the region is able to better support its workforce and continues to be a desirable place to live.