Green Mountain Transit announced on Tuesday that it will reduce the frequency of some bus routes as part of its ongoing plan to close a gap in its operating budget. The decision comes almost exactly a year since the financially troubled agency announced it was in the red and would need to ma ke major service cuts to stay afloat. [content-1] “This is not the direction we want to be moving in, but this is the direction that we have to be moving in,” said Clayton Clark, GMT's general manager. A number of factors have contributed to the agency’s financial decline: the sunsetting of COVID-19 relief funds; the reinstatement of fares for Chittenden County rides after a years-long pandemic hiatus; and dependency on federal funds that are at risk of being cut.  Starting June 16, GMT will reduce the frequency of some routes in Burlington. Williston, Essex and Shelburne.   The agency will also end its Let Them Ride policy, which allows riders unable to pay the $2 fare to take the bus anyway. Clark said that drivers will enforce the new policy, and bring in law enforcement when necessary. Clark said that bus drivers have complained of a sense of "lawlessness" on their vehicles, especially in downtown Burlington. He hopes that by enforcing the fare, drivers will feel more safe. Green Mountain Transit is also considering transferring its rural lines in Franklin and Washington County to TriValley Transit and Rural Community Transportation, although the earliest this change might take place is July 2026. The move could potentially save the agency thousands of dollars. The agency initially announced it would have to cut $3 million worth of services. GMT detailed $700,000 in service cuts last fall. The cuts announced Tuesday would trim another $500,000. The rest of its budget gap was filled in by additional aid from Vermont's legislature. Clark warns that next fiscal year will present similar challenges. He predicts another $3 million budget gap — and further cuts. [content-2] Clark also announced on Tuesday that the agency has scrapped their Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and replaced it with a “rider experience” committee. That's in response to President Donald Trump's executive order targeting DEI programs . The agency will also likely have to pause electric bus purchases, which have been sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration. About 70 percent of GMT's funding comes from the Federal Government, making the agency especially… ...read more read less