Riding the Bus: Advance Transit

Reader, I rode the bus.

It’s been decades since my law student days in Boston where I (and my backpack sagging with the weight of Prosser on Torts and its brethren) crammed myself into the crowded cars of the Red Line and then into the even more crowded cars of the Green Line each and every day. Sometimes for fun and variation I avoided the T and instead took two buses to school. I miss it.

Last year my husband and I had the pleasure of hailing the pint-sized Bus #38 in front of our rented apartment in Nice, France each morning as we explored the city. Aside from the unfortunate incident in which we once forgot to stamp our ticket after boarding and thus faced the transit police (don’t ever do this), we loved each and every bus trip, even the one where the bus—with us inside—got stranded in the middle of one of France’s ubiquitous political demonstrations for over half an hour.

Which brings me to Advance Transit, our bus system in the Upper Valley. I’ve watched the buses pull in and out of the stop in front of Lebanon’s City Hall for years. A little while ago and out of curiosity, I decided to get on one. The Blue Bus to be exact, which executed a loop to DHMC, Hanover, and back to Lebanon. 5 or 6 other passengers shared this midday trip. The bus was on time (another would be due in 15 minutes), the experience was pleasant, and most of all, the transportation is free.

Free public transportation is rare but gaining in popularity. Riders love it, as otherwise a single ticket typically runs upwards of $2. And so do bus drivers, who have been relieved of policing the payment of fares. The Upper Valley is not alone. American cities where free public transportation is available include:

• Akron, Ohio

• Alexandria, Virginia

• Avon, Colorado

• Baltimore City, Maryland

• Boston, Massachusetts

• Breckenridge, Colorado

• Cache Valley, Utah

• Chapel Hill, North Carolina

• Clemson, South Carolina

• Commerce, California

• Corvallis, Oregon

• Emeryville, California

• Hoboken, New Jersey

• Island County, Washington

• Missoula, Montana

• North Central New Mexico, New Mexico

• Olympia, Washington

• Park City, Utah

• Raleigh, North Carolina

• Richmond, Virginia

• Savannah, Georgia

• Summit County, Colorado

• Tucson, Arizona

Boston? Yes, but only on certain bus routes, and recently renewed for an additional two years.

Returning to Advance Transit, its website gives all info needed: there are several routes each designated by color, maps, a trip planning app, descriptions of access for persons with disabilities, rules about bikes and service animals. Recently it expanded its service to include weekends. And a new schedule has just been announced. Advance Transit is supported by contributions from Upper Valley towns, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth Health, and community members. You can donate here.

And, while I—like many of you—am not sufficiently close to an Advance Transit stop to take full advantage of it, I’m supportive of what this service brings to our community. To get just a taste of what it is and how it works, I recommend you choose a route and take a ride.

34 million times each weekday, people board public transportation. Public transportation is a $79 billion industry that employs more than 430,000 people. Approximately 6,800 organizations provide public transportation in the United States. 45% of Americans have no access to public transportation. Sep 28, 2023

What is the number 1 public transportation in the world? Hong Kong “holds the top spot in the Urban Mobility Readiness Index for 2022 for having the world's best public transportation system. Sep 25, 2023”

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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.