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Improving Access to Existing

Public Transit, Walking and Food

Debra Sachs, Director

Net Zero Vermont, Inc.

Peggy O’Neill-Vivanco & Eliza Webber-Gebb

Vermont Clean Cities Director, UVM TRC

Thanks to Grant funding from:

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Today’s Remarks

FY23-24 highlights
Planning and community engagement
Working together to advance shared goals
Sneak Preview–Proposed Steps in FY25

Food & Transit–Gaps & Connections

Introduce ourselves, what attracted me to the Walk to Shop initiative? Committed to better transportation options for marginalized people and all residents in general to walk instead of choosing to drive short distances.

Walk to Shop is demonstrating how the shopping trolley is a practical tool that leads to greater mobility, independence and food security. Panelists will spotlight how working together on Walk to Shop has strengthened relationships across myriad organizations, established outreach strategies that attract and engage residents of all backgrounds, and identified some of the inefficiencies and structural injustices of our transportation and infrastructure systems. Walk to Shop outreach and engagement (with trolley owners and residents who walk or use transit) has elevated the voices of some who question which modes of transportation get priority funding and what it might take for Vermont to be more welcoming to transit users and walkers. The panel will frame the discussion on mobility and transit access for all Vermonters, and will share the perspectives of fellow Vermonters, including New Americans, on what our transportation decision-makers can do better to make it easier, more equitable and more dignified to walk and use transit.

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MISSION

….a 501c3 statewide non-profit, committed to sustaining economically vibrant, people-centered downtowns and villages; and low carbon transportation and energy systems.

netzerovt.org and walktoshop.org

a project of….

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Project Team

Phil, Deb and Stu

Eliza

Peggy

Sue

Maddie

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Together, we’re working for equity in transportation and to elevate walking and walkable communities since 2021.

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The trolley is an elegant solution to carrying bags of groceries!

Safe, easy, and fun!

This incentive-based program, offers tools & encouragement!!

Walk to Shop is a voluntary initiative encouraging more people to walk more often by providing a lightweight, shopping trolley.

Why don’t people walk more? Walk to Shop addresses the problem, raising awareness about the 15-minute neighborhood and enabling people to carry groceries and heavy items by using a lightweight shopping trolley.

The Trolley consolidates bags, improves safety for all, both on and off the bus.

The bus becomes a vital link to improving access to food for those who are transit dependent and those who choose to ride the bus.

Our mission is to encourage and empower walkers, demonstrate convenience, discourage the need to drive, become aware of how to save money, the climate, and increase social interaction resulting in happier, more resilient and attractive communities.

Net Zero Vermont, Inc. is partnering with Vermont Clean Cities and is recipient of CCRPC and VTrans Mobility in Transportation Innovation grant funds to promote a practical transportation solution to greater BTV’s diverse populations. We’ve recently been awarded additional ARPA funding from BTV and expect City of Winooski, too.

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Fighting Climate Change One Step at a Time

Fosters Social Connections
Encourages Active Transportation
Affordable
Efficient
Fun!

Saves Money
Promotes Health
Saves Energy
Helps the Environment

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Avg. EV State incentive/rebate(s) Invest equal $$ in trolleys…

$7.5K/car=1 household benefits

150 households benefit

Impact of State Incentives

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Addressing Gaps & Advancing Opportunities

Getting People to Food and Food to People
Trip Planner improvements
Ongoing two-way community engagement and support (i.e. Agency to end-user)
Promote TDM (inform Go! VT)

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Vermont Food Security Roadmap https://www.vsjf.org/2024/01/29/vermont-farm-to-plate-releases-food-security-in-vermont-roadmap-to-2035/

Addressing Transportation Barriers, a transportation analysis (done by UVM faculty) and p. 41: https://www.vtfarmtoplate.com/vermont-food-security-roadmap-documents

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Direct and Indirect Community Engagement

THROUGH PARTNERS

SASH Coordinators– Seniors

Transit agencies – Seniors

AALV–Case Managers – Refugees,

Vermont Food Bank – 40% are food insecure

Vital Communities – Connector to food shelves + more

DIRECT ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION–

Farmers Markets, Fairs, Market Demonstrations

Advancing Progress

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Amplifying Impact WITH Partners – 1059 Trolleys Dist.

Northwest

*NOTCH (Northern Tier Center for Health)

Richford

Enosburg

St. Albans*

Swanton*

Winooski

City of Winooski

Vermont Food Bank

Veggie VanGo

Winooski School District

Necessities Store*

Winooski Housing Authority

Winooski Farmers Market

Physician’s Computer Company

Greater Burlington

AALV*

Burlington Farmers Market

Champlain Housing Trust

Public Works

University of Vermont

King Street Laundry

Burlington Electric Dept.

Champlain College

Farmers Markets: Richmond, Winooski, BTV, ARLO

Jakes, Old Spokes,

Mawuhi African Market

Randolph & Upper Valley

Randolph Area Food Shelf

Gifford Health Center

Randolph Area Com. Dev. Corp

Tri-Valley Transit

Vital Communities

Upper Valley Haven

South Burlington

Cathedral Sq. –

Allard House*

City of South Burlington*

Healthy Living*

Essex/Williston/Shelburne

Cathedral Square

Town Meadows

Wright House

Williston Food Shelf*

AARP-VT

234 Bennington

His Pantry*

Sunrise Family Center

GMCN-Shopper Express

5 Rutland

Rutland RPC

Come Alive Outside

BROC Community Action

Middlebury

Tri-Valley Transit

Hope VT

Group Home Day Station

Brandon

Middlebury College

50 Leominster, MA

153

78

252

110

47

6

33

91

Visitors & Residents

BTV/ARLO Farmers

Markets*

Winooski*

Retail markets–

Individual and organizational capacity. Goal is to engage residents regardless of With seed funding from CCRPC and VTrans (MTI), we’re underway coordinating with expanding capacity by coordinating with partners. We’re in dialogues, scoping approaches to raise awareness, coach volunteers, and combine food security programs with the shopping trolley. This will enable more people to walk and ride the bus to obtain food, go to the laundromat and do other errands. The seed funding and corporate donations is enabling partners to identify with transit dependent residents, leverage limited funds and put local funding to work (ie., ARPA funds).

These partners play a critical roll at informing Walk to Shop coordinators about programmatic needs and how the trolley and transit information might help address food security and improve access to transit.

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Progress in Chittenden County

Trolley Distribution (2022-24)

144 % of FY23 Trolley Goal

50% discounted price or free

50% placed in Chittenden County

42% to most vulnerable residents

20% Local Match thru Partners purchased trolleys/volunteer time

d

Trolleys Distributed by Town

Burlington (252)

Winooski (153)

South Burlington (47)

Williston (24)

Shelburne/Essex (18)

Colchester ( 7)

Milton ( 3)

Chittenden County

Partners: Winooski, Burlington, Essex, So. Burl, Shelburne, Williston

86% Trolley Units Distributed – [345 Trolleys]

50% Free or significantly discounted

61% Expended of CCRPC Fund $$

Sales by Geographic Area

58% Chittenden County = 199 trolleys

23% Outside Chittenden County = 78

18% Outside VT = 68

$38/trolley Average Discounted Price

$40 - $50, medium and large, respectively

$10 - $25 (further discounted rate by partner)

Free to the most vulnerable residents

Education, Events & Engaged Partners

26 Events (Type of Event, Equity Partner & Trolley Units Distributed)

3—Referral, Community Interest & Word of Mouth —58

5—Farmers Markets —50

2—Affordable Housing (Winooski & Burlington) — 44

2—Health Center & Social Grocery—44

2—College Staff & Student Led Project (UVM) — 29

2—TDM & Resilient Community Partners –24

2—Immigrant/Refugee Partners —23

1—VT Foodbank / Winooski H.S. Necessities Store —22

2—Burlington Energy Fair—20

3—Senior Living Facilities, SASH (Essex, So Burlington, Shelburne)—16 trolleys

1—King Street Laundry—10

1—Coop Natural Foods Market—3

Shared Project Achievements Amplified Through Partners & Sponsors

The Walk to Shop program achieved the participation of at least 17 entities and representatives.

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TARGET – Achieved Metrics

FY23 targets As of January 2024 (Status)

400 Trolleys 1,059 Trolleys placed/distributed

3 Project Partners 40+ Advocacy & Community Partners

10 Events, plus partners 36 Demonstrations–Senior Facilities, Fairs, Farmers Markets

3 Regions 11 Regions & Counties: Northwest, Upper Valley, Chittenden

Chittenden, Addison/Tri-Valley, Bennington, NEK, NVDA

1 Trolley User Survey 2 Trolley Intake and Survey developed (inc Intake Form)

Partners: Winooski, Burlington, Essex, So. Burl, Shelburne, Williston

86% Trolley Units Distributed – [345 Trolleys]

50% Free or significantly discounted

61% Expended of CCRPC Fund $$

Sales by Geographic Area

58% Chittenden County = 199 trolleys

23% Outside Chittenden County = 78

18% Outside VT = 68

$38/trolley Average Discounted Price

$40 - $50, medium and large, respectively

$10 - $25 (further discounted rate by partner)

Free to the most vulnerable residents

Education, Events & Engaged Partners

26 Events (Type of Event, Equity Partner & Trolley Units Distributed)

3—Referral, Community Interest & Word of Mouth —58

5—Farmers Markets —50

2—Affordable Housing (Winooski & Burlington) — 44

2—Health Center & Social Grocery—44

2—College Staff & Student Led Project (UVM) — 29

2—TDM & Resilient Community Partners –24

2—Immigrant/Refugee Partners —23

1—VT Foodbank / Winooski H.S. Necessities Store —22

2—Burlington Energy Fair—20

3—Senior Living Facilities, SASH (Essex, So Burlington, Shelburne)—16 trolleys

1—King Street Laundry—10

1—Coop Natural Foods Market—3

Shared Project Achievements Amplified Through Partners & Sponsors

The Walk to Shop program achieved the participation of at least 17 entities and representatives.

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Trolley Users –16% of Total (n=150)

n = 148

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n = 148

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In response to partners, initial results of food and transit access and gaps presented here:

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Walk to Shop and Vermont Clean Cities

Continued collaboration on grants & projects
Clean Cities National Program, 30th Anniversary - Recognized: Shopping Trolleys Improve Access to Vital Services for Underserved Communities (30th Anniversary Story Map)

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Additional Walk to Shop projects:

DOE Grant: Community-Driven Transportation Plans for the Northeast

CVOEO - identify gaps in community members’ food access program
Vital Communities (Upper Valley) - develop actionable implementation plans for community-identified clean transportation projects

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Bennington Partners use Trolleys

to Improve Access to Food and Transit

Green Mountain Express & Vermont Food Bank–Veggie Van Go improve access for Bennington residents

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Developed SSTA rack cards!!

Assist drivers to inform clients how to get a trolley for non-medical trips

on SSTA

Special Services Transportation Authority

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Richford, VT–Main Street Market, a social grocery store operated by NOTCH, Northern Tier Center for Health, 2022.

Northern Tier Center for Health

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“The trolley really changed my life for the better”, a shopper at the Main Street Market, Richford, VT

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AALV, Burlington Striving to make it more equitable and dignified to walk and use transit

AALV women, social networking, share and learn, AALV offices, Burlington, VT

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Cathedral Square,

Wright House, Shelburne

Local Farmers Markets

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SASH Coordinators–encouraging seniors to walk for purpose and for health

“Walking Wednesdays” at Town Meadows Senior Housing

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15-minute Neighborhood – What We're Learning

Leave car at home
Engage ALL residents–access to food & basic necessities
Highlight food justice communities
Gaps in food & transit access
Underscores and characterizes equity
Mobility independence

This map depicts the 15-minute neighborhood, in Winooski. Note that it is a food desert.

Circles identify 1500 steps from market

Red dots are markets, circles are 1500 steps (about a 15 minute walk).

Food justice – rejects food desert as an empty place, focusing on what's missing (supermarkets). Food Justice Movement works to ensure universal access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food for all, while advocating for the well-being and safety of those involved in the food production process. The movement aims to address disparities in food access, particularly for communities of color and low-income communities, by examining the structural roots of our food system. Residents in areas without supermarket still have access to food – smaller local markets, community gardens, informal exchanges. Still need to get food home.

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Every lost shopping cart is a trolley opportunity!!

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Who Uses a Trolley?

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Equity Principles to Outreach and Engagement

Direct engagement
Communities are not monolithic
Orient/involve case managers
Engage users about their needs
Compensate meeting participants
Relationship building is a continual process

Graphic, print info about the WTS project.

Invite input and feedback via email, conversations and survey

Aim for collaborative process – to see how/if residents/communities are interested in the trollies.

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FY25 funding will support these task areas:

Bring TRANSIT, EQUITY, HEALTH, and FOOD partners and end users to the table;

Integrate user feedback to make improvements to data, tools and resources to share with communities;

Support and strengthen partnerships –through shared community engagement; and

Ongoing community education (direct & through partners).

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Helping the regions, towns and partners–uplift mobility equity beyond the meeting room table.

Investments in mobility to benefit all:

– transportation options for all people

– strong partnerships

– clean air, water, health and the resources

– fair & just connectivity to people & places

– community empowerment & resiliency

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For more information

http://WalktoShop.org

deb@walktoshop.org

poneillv@uvm.edu

First year findings in link below MTI 2021 Final Report

FY23-24 UPWP Report