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.

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Communities

We work with towns, schools, and community organizations to lower residents’ transportation costs.

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Workplaces

Smart Commute helps Upper Valley employers lower the costs of commuting to work.

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VTEN

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.

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Toolkit
For Town
Volunteers

Toolkit

In Vermont and New Hampshire, transportation is the largest single source of greenhouse gases.

This toolkit is for community volunteers who would like to locally tackle the climate impacts of our car-centered transportation system.

What's Happening

2nd Annual Curb The Car Day – Friday, May 17!

On May 17, 2019 the rest of the country is celebrating National Bike to Work Day, but here in the Upper Valley we’ll be taking it a step further [...]

Dazzlingly Reflective, 80’s Style

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!

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 [...]

Donuts & Hogwarts: A Transit Travel Training Case Study

One thing a group of Millennial cartoonists doesn’t need is help using a smartphone app – especially an intuitive one that shows the real-time loc [...]

Buses are FREE Thursday for Dump the Pump Day!

Join people around the Upper Valley and nationwide and take the bus Thursday, June 21 for the 13th annual Dump the Pump Day. Stagecoach and Connectic [...]

Y’all Curbed the Car!

On Friday, May 18, the Upper Valley celebrated its newest holiday: Curb the Car Day. Riffing off National Bike to Work Day, Curb the Car Day embra [...]

Featuring Your Friends & Neighbors!

Recognize anyone? Thanks to some dedicated bus riders with bright smiles and great stories, we've put together this poster series promoting Advance Tr [...]

About the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (UVTMA)

The Vital Communities Transportation Program convenes the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (UVTMA), a membership-ba [...]

Remembering Shawn Donovan

With great sadness we announce that Lebanon resident Shawn M. Donovan, one of the co-founders of the Upper Valley Transportation Management Associ [...]

Need Transportation in the Upper Valley?

This fall, Vital Communities' Transportation Program collaborated with Go! Vermont to develop a one-page guide to transportation in the Upper Valley, [...]

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 Energy Committee: Susan Hardy
Lebanon: Rebecca Owens
Hartford: Matt Osborn
Dartmouth College: Patrick O’Neill
Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce: vacant

Lyme: Daniel Brand
New England Transportation Institute: Matthew Coogan
Plainfield: Betsy Rybeck Lynd
Hanover Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee: Scot Drysdale
Co-op Food Stores: Allan Reetz
City of Lebanon Planning Board: Sarah Welsch

Advance Transit: Van Chestnut
Resource Systems Group: Ben Swanson
At Large: Patricia Higgins
Hypertherm: John Rooney
vBike, Hartland Energy Committee & Upper Valley Sierra Club: Karl Kemnitzer

UVLSRPC: Meghan Butts, Chair
TRORC: Rita Seto
SWCRPC: Jason Rasmussen
Southwestern Community Services: vacant
Stagecoach: Mike Reiderer
Vital Communities: Bethany Fleishman

Calendar

	January 2020
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 Vital Communities Holiday Vital Communities Holiday Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 1, 2020 - 11:59 pm More details... •	2	3	4
5	6	7 Energy Savings Outreach Training (Springfield) Energy Savings Outreach Training (Springfield) Starts: 10:30 pm Ends: January 8, 2020 - 1:00 am Location: Springfield Town Hall, 96 Main St, Springfield, VT 05156, USA Description: All are welcome! Training will help volunteers understand existing energy assistance programs (weatherization, fuel & electric assistance) to inform our outreach efforts at mobile home parks to promote these programs. FREE DINNER PROVIDED questions contact ana@vitalcommunities.org More details... •	8 Leadership Upper Valley - Economic Development Day Leadership Upper Valley - Economic Development Day Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 8, 2020 - 11:59 pm Description: This is a Vital Communities Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2020 event. If you'd like to learn more or apply for next year's LUV Class, please contact Rob Schultz at rob@vitalcommunities.org or visit vitalcommunities.org/leadershipuppervalley. LUV alumni are welcome at current year classes with advanced notice. Please contact Rob for details. More details... •	9	10	11
12	13 Winter Warrior Bike Workshop Winter Warrior Bike Workshop Starts: 11:00 pm Ends: January 14, 2020 - 12:30 am Location: Norwich Public Library, 368 Main St, Norwich, VT 05055, USA Description: Learn Winter Bike Skills! In this free workshop, get tips and tricks about winter biking from an experienced, year-round bike commuter! We’ll cover how to plan and dress for a winter commute, provide info about snow and ice safety, and teach you how to keep your bike clean. This workshop is held indoors in the library’s community room (no need to bring your bike!). Workshop taught by Vital Communities and sponsored by Local Motion. Light refreshments will be served. Please register by emailing uvtma@vitalcommunities.org. More details... •	14	15 Weatherize Hanover Info Night Weatherize Hanover Info Night Starts: 11:30 pm Ends: January 16, 2020 - 1:00 am Location: Black Community Center, Hanover Description: Meet and chat with the qualified contractors on the Weatherize Hanover contact list. Vital Communities will also give a presentation on the basics of home energy efficiency and weatherization, including the costs and benefits of investing in air sealing and insulation upgrades. Light refreshments provided. Snow date (if needed) Wed. Jan. 22, 6:30-8 pm at Howe Library (Mayer Room) https://www.hanovernh.org/weatherize More details... •	16	17	18 Energy Savings Outreach Training - CANCELLED Energy Savings Outreach Training - CANCELLED Starts: 3:00 pm Ends: January 18, 2020 - 5:30 pm Location: Community Room, Upper Valley Food Co-op, 195 N Main St. WRJ Description: This training has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date to be determine. If you'd like to know when the training will be offered again, please send an email to ana@vitalcommunities.org All are welcome! Training will help volunteers understand existing energy assistance programs (weatherization, fuel & electric assistance) to inform our outreach efforts at mobile home parks to promote these programs. FREE DINNER PROVIDED https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexcZqD0VTDowch-JcskIF51r-j59PDBukzraOdbmXoHMNKQQ/viewform Questions? contact ana@vitalcommunities.org More details... •
19	20 Vital Communities Holiday Vital Communities Holiday Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 20, 2020 - 11:59 pm More details... •	21	22	23 Weatherize Plainfield Cornish Info Night Weatherize Plainfield Cornish Info Night Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 23, 2020 - 1:30 am Location: Plainfield Elementary School, 91 Bonner Rd, Meriden, NH 03770, USA Description: Come to the Weatherize Plainfield Cornish 2020 kick-off presentation and learn how you can save money and be more comfortable! Light Refreshments and Door Prizes https://www.plainfieldnh.org/energy/index.html More details... UVTMA Monthly Meeting UVTMA Monthly Meeting Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: January 23, 2020 - 10:30 pm Location: Lebanon City Hall, North Park Street, Lebanon, NH (unless otherwise noted) Description: We meet in the West Meeting Room, by the City Council Chambers. We typically NO NOT meet in August and December. More details... Local First Marketing Workshop Local First Marketing Workshop Starts: 10:00 pm Ends: January 24, 2020 - 12:00 am Location: The Space On Main, 174 Main St, Bradford, VT 05033, USA Description: Could your local business use advice on how to make the most of digital marketing? Join us for digital marketing workshops AND an opportunity for reduced-rate one-on-one professional consultation to help local businesses and farms improve their digital marketing. Register today for a workshop in Bradford (1/23), Bethel (1/27), or West Lebanon (1/28). https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/improve-your-small-business-digital-marketing-presence/ More details... • • •	24	25 Weatherize Kearsarge Info Session Weatherize Kearsarge Info Session Starts: 7:00 pm Ends: January 25, 2020 - 8:30 pm Location: Kearsarge Regional High School, 457 N Rd, North Sutton, NH 03260, USA Description: Hosted by Kearsarge Climate Action for residents throughout the broader Kearsarge / Lake Sunapee region. https://vitalcommunities.org/energy/weatherize/ More details... •
26	27 Local First Marketing Workshop Local First Marketing Workshop Starts: 8:00 pm Ends: January 27, 2020 - 10:00 pm Location: Arnold Block, 245 Main St, Bethel, VT 05032, USA Description: Could your local business use advice on how to make the most of digital marketing? Join us for digital marketing workshops AND an opportunity for reduced-rate one-on-one professional consultation to help local businesses and farms improve their digital marketing. Register today for a workshop in Bradford (1/23), Bethel (1/27), or West Lebanon (1/28). https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/improve-your-small-business-digital-marketing-presence/ More details... •	28 Local First Marketing Workshop Local First Marketing Workshop Starts: 3:00 pm Ends: January 28, 2020 - 5:00 pm Location: Kilton Public Library, 80 Main St, West Lebanon, NH 03784, USA Description: Could your local business use advice on how to make the most of digital marketing? Join us for digital marketing workshops AND an opportunity for reduced-rate one-on-one professional consultation to help local businesses and farms improve their digital marketing. Register today for a workshop in Bradford (1/23), Bethel (1/27), or West Lebanon (1/28). https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/improve-your-small-business-digital-marketing-presence/ More details... •	29	30	31

Vital Communities News

Renewable Energy Funding for Farms and Small Businesses

Join Vital Communities, Hanover Co-op Food Stores, and USDA Rural Development for a webinar and workshop series to learn about opportunities to fund renewable energy systems and energy efficiency projects with the REAP (Renewable Energy ...more

Make Your Pitch to The Local Crowd UV!

We're accepting proposals for the next round of The Local Crowd Upper Valley crowdfunding campaigns! Do you have an incredible project just waiting to happen—one that would strengthen your business, our community, and the local economy—if ...more

Improve Your Small Business Digital Marketing Presence!

Calling all Upper Valley farms and small businesses! Could your business benefit from professional consulting services to improve your marketing? With Rural Development funding, Local First is hosting free marketing workshops AND providing an opportunity ...more

TLC Upper Valley Success!

Local Investing Success with TLC Upper Valley! The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to invest in the businesses, organizations and initiatives that support vital communities in our ...more

Flavors of the Valley Vendor Registration is Open!

Registration is open for the 19th annual Flavors of the Valley, the Upper Valley's premier local food tasting expo. With 50+ vendors and more than 800 attendees, Flavors is a valuable marketing opportunity for farms and ...more

Canaan Keeps FarmRaisers Alive

Kale. Carrots. Beets. Potatoes. Powerkraut®! These are just a few of the delightful local foods I've received from Root 5 Farm over the past few months as part of my fall FarmRaiser—a community-supported agriculture (CSA) fundraiser ...more

Canaan Keeps FarmRaisers Alive

Rooted in Community = Giving Back All Year

Locally owned businesses are rooted in the Upper Valley and donate time and money every month of the year as they support nonprofits, schools, and communities. Keep your dollars where your heart is and support the ...more

Efficient Heating in Vermont

Check out this newly produced, six-minute YouTube video on Efficient Heating in Vermont, created by Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission. The video describes the types and benefits of home heating options and describes the current rebates ...more

Nov. 19 Green Real Estate Crash Course

Vital Communities is offering its popular Green Real Estate Crash Course again on Tuesday, November 19, at Service Credit Union, just off I-89 in Lebanon, NH. Earn 3 elective credits in VT and NH. Register online at vitalcommunities.org/greenrealestate This is NOT your average CE ...more

Fall Guided Quest: Trees of Dartmouth Quest

Join Vital Communities' Valley Quest Coordinator Beth Roy on a guided treasure hunt of the trees of Dartmouth. Celebrate fall as we discover many exotic trees around the Dartmouth College Campus and learn about their ...more

A New Quest to Celebrate the Mascoma River Greenway!

Have you been on the Mascoma River Greenway yet? If not, it is time to check it out. I had a fantastic time follwing the new Quest of the Mascoma River Greenway. I took my ...more

Celebrate Farm to School Month With Our Fall Farm to School Forum

Meet Your Local Farm to School Network! The Upper Valley Farm to School Network invites you to gather in your region to build local connections with peers and Farm to School practitioners, and access resources. Find ...more

A New Quest in Pomfret, Vermont

Earlier this summer I had the fortune of working with the amazing staff of the Artistree Community Arts Center in Pomfret, Vermont on offering a Questing Camp. Over the week the campers learned about the ...more

Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead

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

Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley

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

12th Annual Roundtable - May 7

You're Invited! The 12th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Tuesday, May 7, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an energy committee, wish to ...more

A Lot Lighter with More Hands: Leadership Upper Valley

On the bright, sunny morning of June 13, Cobb Hill was waking up, and the soon-to-be graduating 2018 Leadership Upper Valley class was just arriving for their final meeting. Before the ceremony at Harpoon Brewery, ...more

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Ana Mejia

Climate Projects Coordinator

Transportation, Energy

802-291-9100 x114

email
phone phone

Transportation, Energy

— Ana Mejia, Climate Projects Coordinator

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

Transportation

802-291-9100 x111

email
phone phone

Transportation

— 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.

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.

Commuter Calculator

In Vermont and New Hampshire, transportation is the largest single source of greenhouse gases.

This toolkit is for community volunteers who would like to locally tackle the climate impacts of our car-centered transportation system.

What's Happening

Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (UVTMA)

UVTMA Steering Committee

UVTMA Members

Greatest Hits

Calendar

January 2020

Photo Gallery

Vital Communities News

Want more information?

Ana Mejia

Transportation, Energy

— Ana Mejia, Climate Projects Coordinator

Bethany Fleishman

Transportation

— Bethany Fleishman, Transportation Program Manager

Commuter
Calculator