BURLINGTON — Vermont’s largest public transit agency has proposed cutting at least a quarter of its local and regional bus service next year to save up to $3 million and close a projected gap in its operating budget.

The cuts, which Green Mountain Transit officials announced at a press conference in Burlington on Wednesday, are not final. The agency plans to hold five public hearings over the next two months to gather feedback on its plans.

But Clayton Clark, the agency’s director general, said the proposals reflected the reality of the agency’s finances, which have been bolstered in recent years by an influx of pandemic-era federal funds. But now, Clark said, the funds are expected to dry up sometime next year.

“This plan that we are putting in place is one that we have developed out of necessity – not because we want to increase our profits, nor because we are seeking anything other than to remain financially viable,” Clark told reporters.

The proposed cuts would come in three phases, ranging from reducing bus frequencies and limiting weekend service to completely closing three bus routes across Chittenden County by next summer. However, Clark said he hopes the final phase will not be necessary, saying it is a “worst-case scenario.”

The agency has tried, where possible, to propose discounts for bus journeys that have both relatively low passenger numbers and relatively high operating costs, the director general said.

The first phase, which would take effect in November and December of this year if the plan is approved, would reduce the frequency of weekend trips on routes to Burlington, Shelburne and Winooski and eliminate Saturday service on bus route 10 between Williston and Essex. A commuter route between Jeffersonville and Burlington would also be eliminated.

Then, in February and March 2025, the agency would eliminate a little-used commuter route from Essex Junction to Burlington and eliminate a midday commuter bus run between Milton and Burlington. It would also reroute an existing commuter route between Burlington and St. Albans through Milton to reduce the number of buses north of the Queen City.

The final phase in June 2025 will see the most drastic cuts — and, if necessary, save Green Mountain Transit the most money, Clark said. That includes the complete elimination of three local bus routes: the No. 8 City Loop, which serves Burlington’s downtown and Old North End; the No. 10 Williston-Essex route; and the No. 11 Airport route, which runs between Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport and downtown Burlington.

This phase would also see a complete shutdown of weekend service on Burlington’s No. 5 Pine Street route and reduced weekend service on Burlington’s No. 7 North Ave. route, as well as the No. 6 Shelburne, No. 2 Essex and No. 1 Williston routes.

Clark said he was particularly concerned about the prospect of eliminating the No. 10 line in Williston and Essex because it would leave many Essex Town residents without nearby public transportation. He said Green Mountain Transit plans to meet with Essex Town officials to discuss alternative transit options.

Clark is less concerned, he said, about the potential elimination of the route to Airport No. 11, noting that agency data shows “very few” people actually use that route to travel specifically to and from Burlington Airport. That’s likely because the route’s schedule doesn’t align well with some of the most popular times for departures and arrivals, he said, acknowledging that makes it “not a great option.”

More and more people, Clark added, are using the other stops on Route 11 on their way to and from downtown — and many, though not all, of those stops are within walking distance of stops on other Green Mountain Transit bus routes.

Combined, the three bus routes that could be eliminated in the third phase logged more than 200,000 trips in fiscal year 2023, which ran from July 2022 to June 2023, according to agency data. The agency’s most heavily used routes – the No. 1 Williston and No. 2 Essex Junction, which would have weekend service curtailed – totaled about 475,000 and 420,000 trips, respectively, during the same period.

Clark said the agency is eyeing the possibility of cutting less-used routes next year. It is aware of the impact that eliminating public transit at any level can have on people’s lives. The agency expects strong public opposition to some of its proposals, he said.

“They’re going to react emotionally because it means their lives are going to be more difficult – they may not be able to live where they currently live because they don’t have transportation,” Clark said, referring to bus drivers. “So we’re going to do everything we can to limit those cuts.”

Clark said the agency currently expects a budget shortfall of more like $2 million rather than $3 million, taking into account vacancies and additional federal funding beyond the pandemic relief funds secured with state aid.

But there are other sources of uncertainty — including some of the municipalities that pay for Green Mountain Transit’s service. Hinesburg recently decided to pull out of the transit system, he said. Meanwhile, Clark said two other municipalities — whose names he declined to disclose — have raised concerns about the amount of fees Green Mountain Transit is charging them.

The agency relies on a mix of local, state and federal funds to fund its service. Earlier this year, it also began collecting fares for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, though Clark told reporters that revenue will be far from enough to fill the gaps.

“We’re only going to make the cuts that are necessary given our financial situation,” he said. “So if our funding gap is $2 million, you know we’re not going to cut more than $2 million worth of services.”