Accessible Transportation for All
Keep NH Moving
The Monadnock Regional Coordinating Council for Community Transportation (MRCC) is a coalition of public and private transportation providers and users, and interested citizens that collaborate to create an affordable community transportation network that provides all community members access to services and opportunities while improving the community’s health and social cohesion.
Our mission is to actively lead and engage the region in building an innovative, coordinated, and resilient transportation network.
Cheshire County has served as Lead Agency on behalf of the Monadnock Regional Coordinating Council for Community Transportation (MRCC) since 2010. In this role, Cheshire County provides contractual and fiscal oversight of Section 5310 funds, while Southwest Regional Planning Commission provides staff support and MRCC maintains programmatic oversight. The Cheshire County Grants Department is well equipped to manage the Section 5310 contract and manages a number of grants. In addition to the service it provides for MRCC, the county also provides fiscal oversight and manages grant contracts for a regional public health network, a regional substance misuse prevention network, the Greater Monadnock Medical Reserve Corps, and multiple Community Development Block Grant projects.
Southwest Region Planning Commission
37 Ashuelot Street
Keene, NH 03431
Phone: (603) 283-5232
Email: lsteadman@swrpc.org
A Two-Pronged Approach to Expanding Public Transit Services in the Monadnock Region
A December 2022 Microtransit Feasibility and Fixed Route Transit Service Plan Design Assistance Study conducted by Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC) on behalf of MRCC produced a roadmap to expand much needed public transit services to more areas and people in th
e Monadnock Region through a phased, incremental approach. Efforts would begin with a pilot project to bring “microtransit” services in the Greater Keene area to supplement its fixed-route service and to augment existing services in the greater region with expanded critical medical care ride service.
Overall, the “Next Generation” system is projected to:
Greater Keene Service (GKS)
The 2022 Transit Study examined the feasibility of enhancing existing fixed bus routes and/or creating new ones, as well as launching new microtransit services in various parts of the Region. It presents a regional transit framework consisting of zones and corridors where transit is most likely to succeed. A second study, the Monadnock Region Next Generation Transit Project Implementation Guide (Jun 2025) identified a transit operating and governance model to support expanded transit services in the Region.
In comparison to existing transit services, the microtransit-focused GKS is designed to be more convenient, practical and reliable to all types of users. An expanded service area including key population centers and destinations, expanded operating hours, and shorter wait and trip times promise to make transit a viable option for travel to work, retail and grocery shopping, medical appointments, educational institutions, entertainment, and to visit family and friends.
The long-term plan is to demonstrate and build upon the success of the GKS to further expand transit to high need/high demand areas, and to address other gaps as needed in the region.
Crucial Appointment Ride Service (CARS)
While Volunteer Driver Programs (VDPs) like Community Volunteer Transportation Company (CVTC) and Keene Senior Center’s Cheshire Village at Home (CV@H) are already providing many rides that would fall into the Crucial Appointment Ride Service categories, they are not able to fulfill all requests. In 2023, a study entitled Opportunities For Expanding Volunteer Driver Program Categories and Addressing Unmet Need explored the state of the region’s VDPs and highlighted opportunities to support said programs.
The CARS portion of the NextGen project is designed to act as a backup or overflow for rides that are not filled by a VDP. Guaranteeing rides to certain medical appointments like dialysis, cancer care, and respiratory therapy promises to increase confidence in the existing programs and help more people access the life-sustaining treatments they require.
In 2022, MRCC received $390,000 in funding from the NH Department of Health and Human Services to support community transportation projects. MRCC-affiliated transportation providers have successfully leveraged the funding to establish new and expand existing services for Monadnock Region residents.
The following charts describe the projects and the impact on expanding access to vital transportation services in the Region.
| Project | Description |
| HCS Shopping Shuttles | Decrease food insecurity through increasing food and transportation access among older adults, people with disabilities and low-income residents of Keene, Swanzey and Winchester. |
| Keene Housing Kids Collaborative Youth Transportation | Decrease the opportunity gap for 600 children and youth, 0-17 years old, from low-income households through providing transportation to youth programs offered by more than 40 community partners. |
| Community Volunteer Transportation Company Driver Recruitment Assistant | Increase access to healthcare and other essential services through a rider and volunteer driver recruitment campaign prioritizing towns where CVTC does not have a registered driver. |
| Supplemental Funding | Offset increased costs of delivering existing transportation services. |
The MRCC meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday each month at 9:00 a.m. Meeting notices are posted on the Southwest Region Planning Commission website.
August 25th, 2026 9:00 AM Southwest Region Planning Commission Zoom; Meeting ID: 893 4540 8967; Passcode: 694908
2026
June 23- Pending Approval
6/23/26 Meeting Packet:
May 26
April 28
March 24
February 24
January 27
2025
December 23
November 25
September 16
August 19
June, 16
May 20
April 15
March 18
February 18
January 16
2024
December 17
November 19
October 15
September 17
July 16
June 18
May 21
April 16
March 19
February 20
January 16
2023
2023 Consolidated Meeting Minutes
Frank Dobisky
Thomas Transportation, Chair
Charlie Pratt
Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services, Vice Chair
Jamilla Puciarello
Cheshire County, Treasurer
Erika Alusic-Bingham
Community Action Partners Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, Secretary
Alice Cable
SAU 60
Melissa Callender
Monadnock Peer Support
Christy Sterbenz Filby
Keene Family YMCA
Allan Gillis
Community Volunteer Transportation Company
Sally Malay
Keene Housing Kids Collaborative
David Meader
Citizen Member
Jolymn Paulsen
Monadnock Family Services
Kimberly Rumrill
Keene Senior Center, Secretary
Scott Symonds
SMART Ride LLC
Charles Weed
Citizen Member
Alison Welsh
Cheshire County
Jim Yannizze
Cedarcrest Center
Contact Allan Gillis: 603-821-0569
Serve on the Monadnock Regional Coordinating Council
Contact Lisa Steadman
Lisa Steadman joined Southwest Region Planning Commission as Regional Mobility Manager in October of 2025. Lisa has served on the MRCC since 2021, representing various entities but, most recently ABLE NH (Advocates Building Lasting Equality in New Hampshire) for whom she has been the President of the Board of Directors for the past 3 years. Lisa also leads ABLE NH’s statewide Transportation Equity Task Force.
Terry Johnson retired September 5, 2025 after a distinguished career spanning philanthropy, healthcare, planning and as our first Region 5 Mobility Manager. Terry will be missed, but he will still be active with Healthy Monadnock!
