The Vital Communities Transportation Program works with employers, municipalities, school districts, and regional planning commissions to improve transportation options and reduce reliance on driving alone.
Getting Around
The Upper Valley offers great commuting opportunities with transit, carpools, biking, walking, and telecommuting.
The Vermont Transportation Efficiency Network (VTEN) is a group of providers, planners, and advocates who gather to reduce the costs and environmental impacts of our transportation system.
Just in time for fall and back-to-school, there are some exciting transit updates from both sides of the river!
Tri-Valley Transit (formerly Stagec [...]
Even with the need for physical distancing and many people working from home, transit and carpooling are available for those who need them. Here is so [...]
School reopening is the big topic right now: how to do it safely, effectively, and efficiently. New requirements for health checks, physical distancin [...]
Are you a Vermonter who would like to see better bike and pedestrian infrastructure in your town? Funding for this is available through the VTrans Bic [...]
Do you wish biking was part of your life? E-bikes can greatly increase that possibility. E-bikes (electric bikes) are like regular bikes but with [...]
The commutes of many Upper Valley residents have changed significantly due to COVID-19, with many shifting to telecommuting. Now that workplaces are s [...]
Work from home and help raise $500 for Vermont Foodbank. Simply record your telecommute trips in your Go! Vermont account every day that you work from [...]
We love pairing style with nighttime visibility, so we've ordered REFLECTIVE SLAP BRACELETS to reward people who bike or walk to Flavors of the Valley [...]
Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready! From our friends at Local Motion comes the Winter Edition of Vermont's Bike-Walk Challenge, February 1 to 8! Sim [...]
Find Open Local Businesses and Farms. Search the Vital Communities Guide.
Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (UVTMA)
We convene the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (UVTMA), a membership-based group of workplaces, transportation providers, municipalities, and planners. Dues-paying members are eligible for customized programs and services for their town or workplace.
Join us to help solve the transportation challenges affecting the Upper Valley. E-mail Bethany to learn more about becoming a UVTMA member.
UVTMA Steering Committee
Dartmouth-Hitchcock: Tom Carlson
Norwich: Susan Hardy
Lebanon: Rebecca Owens
Hartford: Matt Osborn
Dartmouth College: Patrick O’Neill
Upper Valley Business Alliance: Jay Simms
Lyme: Daniel Brand
New England Transportation Institute: Matthew Coogan
This is the meeting of the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association. For spring 2020 and until further notice, meetings will be held remotely.
A study commissioned by Vital Communities finds that, for every dollar they earn, local retailers (like CourierWar of Randolph, above) and restaurants return a share to the local community that’s up to four times as ...more
Do you need to press the reset/refresh button? Have you spent too much time behind a screen these days? We have a solution! Take our challenge – Quest to Refresh! Complete five or more Quests ...more
A community conversation about increasing resilience through local food production and working lands
Join Vital Communities, Land for Good, and other partners to talk about the working lands that feed and sustain our community in a ...more
We are launching Upper Valley Everyone Eats! Between September 8 and December 18, approximately 2,500 meals from local restaurants will be available weekly across the Upper Valley’s Vermont community meal programs and food pantries. These ...more
Do you hope to do a longer hike before the good weather ends? Do you enjoy a challenge? We have a way for you to attain these goals! Two of our Quests incorporate sections of ...more
Weatherize Webinar with NHSaves
Monday, August 17 at Noon
Did Covid-19 stop your 2020 weatherization plans in their tracks? NOW is the right time to jump back on the weatherize band wagon. Lower energy bills and cozy ...more
Calling All Locally Owned and Independent UV Retail Stores and Restaurants!
Vital Communities has commissioned an Independent Economic Impact Study that will give us data on the impact of locally owned retail and restaurant businesses on ...more
Yes...Local as Usual, Safer than Ever.
Pick Your Own strawberry farms opened this past weekend. Get out there and pick the delish! There is nothing like ripe berries. So good. Each berry that comes into season ...more
The Upper Valley berry season typically ranges from late June to early October. In our short, but fruitful season, we can enjoy raspberries and strawberries (although neither are technically real berries), then move into summer ...more
Vital Communities celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2020 on Wednesday, June 10. This event marked the program’s 14th graduating class, as 31 local leaders completed the 10-month program with a ...more
Over these past few weeks I have experienced waves of anxiety and sadness, and at the same time such gratitude. I can’t imagine going through this crisis in any other part of the world. The ...more
Do you own an Upper Valley business that is suffering due to the effects of the pandemic and could use a little help from your friends? TLC 4WARD Upper Valley is here for you.
The Local ...more
I hope this note finds you all healthy and adjusting to the routines of remote learning and teaching. I know my family and I are starting to feel a rhythm in our days and finding ourselves to be ...more
Do you own an Upper Valley business that is impacted by Covid-19 and could use a little help from your friends? TLC/4WARD is here to help.
Vital Communities launched The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley in ...more
On March 18, Vital Communities held a webinar featuring five inspiring stories from energy committees across the Upper Valley. Stories included:
Electric charging stations in Bethel
An Upper Valley eBike lending library
Energy saving window ...more
You're Invited!
The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable will be held Tuesday, September 15, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an ...more
Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more
Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more
Ana Mejia is the Climate Projects Coordinator at Vital Communities. She is a Southern California native and first arrived to the Upper Valley in 2018. Ana received her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Master’s in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she wrote her thesis on solar home affordability and energy efficiency programs for low income families. When she is not actively working towards creating sustainable communities, Ana enjoys swimming, cross-country skiing, birding, and trying out new dessert recipes with her KitchenAid mixer.
— Bethany Fleishman, Transportation Program Manager
Bethany Fleishman was born at the old Mary Hitchcock hospital in Hanover, N.H., grew up in West Hartford, Vt., and now lives in Hartford Village, where she can see the White River and the trains from her window. She has a biology degree from St. Lawrence University and has worked in public health outreach, as a line cook in San Francisco, a pastry chef in Hanover, and as a member of the Town of Hartford Selectboard. She serves on the board of directors for both Advance Transit and Upper Valley CarShare and is a lifelong bike commuter.
VITAL COMMUNITIES
