Rising fuel costs and limited ridership are forcing Greyhound Lines Inc. to halt bus service between Rutland and White River Junction, a route that allows patrons to connect to points across the state and New England.

The bus route, which until April had been operated by Greyhound's subsidiary, Vermont Transit Lines, operates a bus in each direction once a day.

"It just wasn't profitable because it was a once-a-day trip and there was very little ridership on it," said Abby Wambaugh, a Greyhound spokeswoman.

There has been no public announcement of the schedule change, set to go into effect after service Aug. 18.

However, before abandoning service entirely, Greyhound has approached the Vermont Agency of Transportation about the viability of subsidizing service on the Rutland to White River Junction corridor, Wambaugh said.

It is one of several bus subsidy proposals the AOT is considering for cost effectiveness, according to Charles Gallagher, the AOT's public transit administrator.

The AOT can use up to 15 percent of its federal funds to subsidize inter-city transportation, such as the Rutland to White River Junction connection, but it first needs to ensure that the line is cost-effective.

With 12 public transit providers across the state offering a variety of proposed bus routes, some of which could "pick up the slack," according to Gallagher, it's far from definite that the AOT would offer Greyhound the subsidy. If the agency does chose to fund the route, it is unlikely a decision would be made in time for service to continue uninterrupted, he said.

The decision to halt the bus route between Rutland and White River Junction has left some riders wondering how they'll adapt.

Rutland City resident Abby Kirk, who heard the rumor of the service change from a Marble Valley Regional Transit bus driver, used the line between four and eight times a year to catch a connecting bus from White River Junction to Burlington, where she visits her grandchildren. She has not owned a car since she moved to Vermont from rural Indiana five years ago. In fact, she chose to settle in Rutland City largely because of the "exceptional" public transit system that would allow her to manage a car-less lifestyle.

"It's a real question in my mind," Kirk said. "I suppose the alternative is going to be renting a car every time I need to go up there. That's something that, in my budgetary range, I take notice of."

Due to the limited Greyhound schedule, Kirk has rented a car for the trip before, and estimates the cost to be at least $60 — before she even fills the gas tank, she said.

"I do feel for the company," she said. "Sometimes I was one of only two passengers on this big bus. It's indefensible to run a bus that big, that emits that much pollution."

She wonders, however, why Greyhound couldn't use smaller buses for the less-trafficked routes that are still vital for some residents, she said.

In the past 20 years, the state has seen Greyhound's presence go from largely inter-city to almost exclusively inter-state, according to Gallagher.

In response, the state and Federal Transit Administration have responded on several occasions through the state's 12 public transit providers to replace a lost connection, such as one between Middlebury and Rutland that was discontinued several years ago.

The partnership between Marble Valley Regional Transit District and Addison County Transit Resource that formed the Middlebury to Rutland route was one of the first of its kind, but as budget crunches continue and rider demand grows, the state is beginning to see more, Gallagher said. Partnership is even one item that the AOT looks for when awarding subsidies, he said.

Rutland may even see a new transportation partnership of this kind within the next few months. Connecticut River Transit and Marble Valley Regional Transit District have a proposal before the AOT that would create an east-west connection between Rutland and Bellow Falls, which aims to serve commuters and make many of its stops at industrial parks, according to Gary Fox, CRT's executive director. The Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport and a park-and-ride in Ludlow would also be stops along the route.

"It's very competitive (to receive a subsidy) because in most regions of the state there is a demand for more transit," Fox said. "Ridership is going up pretty much everywhere and there's only so much funding to go around."

Fox expects to receive a decision from AOT in October. If funded, service could begin within a few weeks, he said. To get planning for the line's exact stops and times rolling, the two transit providers will sponsor a meeting at Ludlow Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17.

Spreading the word about public transit options seems to be one of the largest hurdles. In the past five years in particular, the type of demand has evolved significantly from being a large percentage of elderly and invalid users, whose needs could be met through volunteers and their private vehicles, to environmentalists or commuters who don't want to contend with $4 for a gallon of gas at the pump, Gallagher said. Yet with 12 public transit providers alone, some residents may not be aware of how to connect from one city to another.

"I think it is a problem," Fox said. "The public transportation in Vermont is still a pretty well kept secret."

To let Vermont residents know what transportation is available to them, from carpooling to mass transit, the AOT has created GoVermont.net. Within the next few months, Fox said GoVermont will link with similar efforts in New Hampshire and Maine to extend public awareness of inter-state connections as well.

Contact Stephanie M. Peters at stephanie.peters@rutlandherald.com.