SVTC

    Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative (SVTC)

The Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative (SVTC) is a grassroots organization of area citizens concerned about transportation options in the Souhegan Valley. Community representatives to SVTC are appointed and/or supported by their Boards of Selectmen. SVTC board members represent their hometowns and together oversee the Souhegan Valley Rides bus service. All participating communities are guaranteed representation on the SVTC Board of Directors and a voice in guiding the development of this regional transportation service. SVTC’s efforts represent proactive planning to provide community transit services that meet a current need and help our hometowns establish the groundwork to meet future needs.

Mission

The Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative (SVTC) shall guide, promote, develop funding sources, and govern a transportation system that provides affordable, wheelchair accessible rides to non-emergency medical appointments and to fulfill fundamental needs such as grocery shopping and essential personal appointments. This transportation service shall be provided to any person in need residing in any of the communities participating in the funding of the transportation system.

History 

 Building on work initiated in 2005 by the Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP), SVTC and Souhegan Valley Rides have flourished. In January 2008, GSOP engaged a broad spectrum of Souhegan Valley community members and leaders to work in addressing the need for affordable wheelchair-accessible non-emergency medical transportation in our region. This need had been clearly identified both in the research done by GSOP and as documented in the “Locally Coordinated Transportation Plan for the Greater Nashua and Milford Region” (Dec 2006, as amended) prepared by the Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC). The “Greater Nashua Measures Up” community assessment, which includes many Souhegan Valley towns, also identified public transportation as a community concern.

From the original working group, the Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative evolved becoming a New Hampshire registered non-profit in 2009. SVTC raised awareness of the need and raised the funds required to implement the Souhegan Valley Rides bus service on October 1, 2008.

Since then SVTC volunteers have donated thousands of volunteer hours as they continue to champion the cause for local and regional multi-modal community transportation resources in the Souhegan Valley and State of NH. 

A hallmark of this endeavor has been community support and collaboration including financial investments from many individuals , local businesses and charitable organizations.  For more information about our contributors and how you can support the bus service, please click here.

 

Partners & Outreach

SVTC works closely with many community service agencies and transportation planning organizations including the following:

Many thanks to all of the passengers who use the service, to the staff at Nashua Transit System and the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, and to all of our community partners! Together we continue to reach new milestones and make Souhegan Valley Rides a success!