Explore taking the bus to work or school

The Upper Valley enjoys one of the best rural transit systems in the country. With several companies offering service to major workplaces in the area, it’s easier than you might think to find a bus to take to work. If you live and work in the central towns of the Upper Valley (Hartford, Lebanon, etc.), give Advance Transit a try – it’s free! Real-time bus tracking system and trip planner available at AdvanceTransit.com!

Commuting from further away? Stagecoach and Connecticut River Transit offer pick-ups as far away as Springfield, Bradford, Montpelier, and Wells River. Southwestern Community Services offers community bus service in Claremont, Newport, and Charlestown.

Find your route on Google Transit or the new Go! Vermont Trip Planner (in pilot phase so submit your feedback!)

Advance Transit (Canaan, Enfield, Hanover, Hartford, Lebanon, Norwich)
Stagecoach (I-89 and I-91 north of Advance Transit in Vermont)
Connecticut River Transit (I-91 south of Advance Transit in Vermont)
Southwestern Community Services (serving Claremont, Charlestown, and Newport)
Vermont Translines (daily trip between Rutland and Upper Valley)
Dartmouth Coach (service from Hanover, Lebanon, and New London to Boston and New York City)
Greyhound (national intercity bus service)
Amtrak (national intercity train service)
Google Transit (a handy tool to map out trips)

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Get Around the Upper Valley

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 [...]

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, [...]

Your Bus in Real-Time.

Not sure when and where to catch Advance Transit or if the bus is on time? Download the Advance Transit Real Time App or check the Where’s My Bus? f [...]

Attention, Vermont Schools: It’s WAY TO GO! Time

This year's statewide Way to Go! School Challenge is September 25 - October 6. It’s a great way for schools to battle carbon pollution head-on! [...]

Bike to Work Day at Dartmouth College

Bethany and I arrived bright and early at the Hop at Dartmouth College Friday, May 19, to greet employees and students who arrived that morning on two [...]

Dirty Hands, Clean Bikes

I had a lot of fun teaching a Basic Bike Maintenance workshop at the Upper Valley Haven on April 29, ably assisted by Lisa from the Haven! A doze [...]

Spring Into Bike Riding Season…

...with practical skills training to get you riding more! What is Everyday Bicycling? It’s using your bike for those everyday trips that we all ma [...]

Survey Says: Parking and Transportation in White River Junction Are…

Thank you to the more than 500 downtown White River Junction residents, employees, business owners, and visitors who took our survey about parkin [...]

Start a Vanpool in Woodstock!

Looking for a better way to get to work? If you have at least 5 people who share a similar commute and schedule, you can create a vanpool! Va [...]

Everyday Bicycling Workshop is a Success

Last month, we led two successful Everyday Bicycling workshops at the Windsor Public Library in collaboration with Burlington-based Local Motion. [...]

Calendar

	November 2019
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1 Fall 2019 Business Leaders Housing Breakfast Fall 2019 Business Leaders Housing Breakfast Starts: 11:30 am Ends: November 1, 2019 - 1:00 pm Location: Fireside Inn & Suites West Lebanon, 25 Airport Rd, West Lebanon, NH 03784, USA Description: Please join us for the Fall Business Leaders Housing Breakfast, co-hosted by Vital Communities and Twin Pines Housing. This year’s breakfast is on Friday, November 1, at the Fireside Inn in West Lebanon, NH. Registration and a full breakfast buffet will begin at 7:30 am, followed by presentations from 8-9 am. A very special thank you to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and Vermont Housing Finance Agency for sponsoring this important event! RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhAOoO2wQYz32wRFaY3ZNakQ2gXGMR_8Y9D_IfNvXx7R66wA/viewform. Our topic this Fall will be employer support for the creation of homes. We will hear the results of the housing demand study conducted by Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth College. Our three regional planning commissions will discuss the regional implications of additional homes and introduce the Keys to the Valley framework for a combined Upper Valley housing strategy. You will also hear the latest on the home purchase and rental markets from Buff McLaughry of Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty and Lynne LaBombard of LaBombard Peterson Real Estate LLC. Come join us for the informative presentations and great networking opportunities that you have come to expect from this event! More details... •	2
3	4 TLC Upper Valley Campaigns! TLC Upper Valley Campaigns! Starts: 12:00 am Ends: December 8, 2019 - 11:59 pm Description: https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/exciting-tlc-projects-to-fund/ More details... •	5 Local First Mixer at Trail Break tap+tacos Local First Mixer at Trail Break tap+tacos Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: November 5, 2019 - 11:00 pm More details... VC Board Retreat - Not open to public VC Board Retreat - Not open to public Starts: 10:00 pm Ends: November 6, 2019 - 2:00 am More details... • •	6 VC Board Retreat - not open to public VC Board Retreat - not open to public Starts: 1:00 pm Ends: November 6, 2019 - 7:00 pm More details... Edgewater Farm Climate Adaptation tour Edgewater Farm Climate Adaptation tour Starts: 8:00 pm Ends: November 6, 2019 - 10:00 pm More details... • •	7	8	9
10	11	12	13 Leadership Upper Valley - Arts & the Creative Economy Day Leadership Upper Valley - Arts & the Creative Economy Day Starts: 1:00 pm Ends: November 13, 2019 - 10:00 pm Location: TBD Description: This is a Vital Communities Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2019 event. If you'd like to apply for next year's LUV Class, please contact Rob Schultz at rob@vitalcommunities.org. LUV alumni are welcome at current year classes with advanced notice. Please contact Rob for details. More details... •	14 UVTMA Monthly Meeting-rescheduled! UVTMA Monthly Meeting-rescheduled! Starts: 9:00 pm Ends: November 14, 2019 - 10:30 pm Location: Lebanon City Hall, North Park Street, Lebanon, NH (unless otherwise noted) Description: This is the monthly meeting of the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association (UVTMA). We meet in the West Meeting Room, by the City Council Chambers. We typically DO NOT meet in August and December. More details... •	15	16
17	18	19 Upper Valley Local Food Matchmaker Upper Valley Local Food Matchmaker Starts: 2:00 pm Ends: November 19, 2019 - 6:00 pm Location: Wilder, Hartford, VT, USA Description: A Business to Business event for farms and local business owners. Join area farms, restaurateurs, grocers, and specialty food producers for an Upper Valley matchmaker. WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Farms looking to increase high-quality wholesale accounts. Food-based businesses looking to increase or diversify local food sourcing and build new sales relationships with local farms that share your values and your customers’ values. Grocers, co-ops, institutions, specialty food producers, distributors, and more are encouraged to attend. ABOUT THE EVENT The event includes speakers, formal matchmaking, and open networking time. Attendees will build sales relationships, make professional connections, meet service providers, learn, and enjoy coffee, tea, and lunch. Are you a farmer new to wholesale? Are you a business new to working with small farms? Not sure how to prepare for a matchmaking event? All attendees will be connected to assistance and resources pre-event and post-event. This event is FREE thanks to support from Vermont Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Farm Credit East, and NH Charitable Foundation. Details at https://vitalcommunities.org/valleyfoodfarm/matchmaker/. Contact becka@vitalcommunities.org for more information. More details... Green Real Estate Crash Course Green Real Estate Crash Course Starts: 2:00 pm Ends: November 19, 2019 - 5:15 pm Location: Service Credit Union, 225 Mechanic Street, Lebanon, NH Description: REGISTER: https://vitalcommunities.org/donations/grecrashcourse-2019-11/ Approved for 3 Elective Credits in NH and VT ✔ Why “Green” matters in real estate \| ✔ Home energy efficiency 101 ✔ Working with green buyers \| ✔ Listing green homes \| ✔ MLS green fields ✔ Appraisal Institute Green Addendum \| ✔ Hands-on examples This is NOT your average CE course for Realtors. Designed with input from Upper Valley Realtors, Vital Communities, and Efficiency Vermont, this course is fun, practical, and hands-on. The Green Real Estate Crash Course and its accompanying resources expertly boil down the topic of energy efficiency to give you exactly what you NEED to know to help your clients, and no more! Instructors: Lynne LaBombard, Green Designated Realtor® and licensed instructor Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager at Vital Communities 8:30 am \| Coffee, tea, and light buffet breakfast 8:55 am \| All participants must be in their seats 9:00 am \| Course begins 10:30 am \| 15-minute break 12:15 pm \| Course ends Thanks to our host and sponsor, Service Credit Union, your $50 course fee goes to Vital Communities’ Green Real Estate program, which provides free online resources and direct support for you and your clients year-round. More details... • •	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28 Vital Communities Holiday Vital Communities Holiday Starts: 12:00 am Ends: November 28, 2019 - 11:59 pm More details... •	29 Vital Communities Holiday Vital Communities Holiday Starts: 12:00 am Ends: November 29, 2019 - 11:59 pm More details... •	30

Vital Communities Program News

Support TLC Campaigns Now!

Invest in your community and contribute to campaigns today! Visit the TLC Upper Valley campaign page The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a community-based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to support the businesses, organizations, and initiatives ...more

Join Us: Open House December 6!

Our annual Open House is one of our favorite events of the year—a chance to catch up with old friends of Vital Communities, make welcome new connections, and celebrate positive change in the Upper Valley ...more

Exciting TLC Projects to Fund!

Invest in your community and contribute to these exciting campaigns! Whaleback Base Lodge Energy Efficiency Updates, Enfield You might not know this, but Whaleback is run by The Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation (UVSSF), a nonprofit entity, ...more

Shop Indie Local this Season!

Every dollar spent at a local, independent business returns 2-4 times more to be re-spent in the community than a dollar spent at a non-local business. With consumers reporting that they will spend an average ...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

Nov. 19 Green Real Estate Crash Course

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

From the State House to the Farm House

Calling all Vermont Farmers! You're invited to the second annual From the State House to the Farmhouse event on Sunday September 22nd from 1-4 pm and talk one-on-one with your legislators and influence policy. Across the state ...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

Welcome Norwich Solar Technologies!

We are proud to welcome Norwich Solar Technologies as a Local First Promoter Sponsor! The White River Junction-based renewable energy company provides end-to-end solar solutions to businesses in Vermont, New Hampshire, and throughout New England. ...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

April Meet-Up Series for Beginning Farmers

We have an exciting project for new farmers in the White River valley portion of our region! The High Meadows Fund is supporting a series of free peer-to-peer gatherings for beginning farmers to build community and learn. ...more

Seeking Bids from Solar Installers by Nov. 30

Vital Communities is teaming up with Kearsarge Climate Action to launch a Solarize Kearsarge campaign in spring 2019, following on the tails of the upcoming Weatherize Kearsarge campaign launching in January 2019. We are seeking proposals ...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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Staff

Ana Mejia

Climate Projects Coordinator

Transportation, Energy

802-291-9100 x114

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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

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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.

Explore taking the bus to work or school

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November 2019

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Staff

Ana Mejia

Transportation, Energy

— Ana Mejia, Climate Projects Coordinator

Bethany Fleishman

Transportation

— Bethany Fleishman, Transportation Program Manager

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