PETERBOROUGH — The Contoocook Valley Transportation Company recently received more than $140,000 in federal grants to expand its volunteer driver and carpool networks.

In the two years since it was incorporated as a nonprofit, CVTC has more than doubled in size and the number of participants and, according to Director Rebecca Harris, the company plans to double yet again by the end of the year.

“We’re building a community of carpoolers and getting them excited to be a part of it,” said Harris on Tuesday. “We’re actually a lot further along than we thought.”

The CVTC’s service area was certified as a Regional Coordinating Council under the N.H. Department of Transportation’s State Coordinating Council on April 1, said Harris. Of the 10 regions in the state, the eastern Monadnock region is the sixth to be certified. Talks are already under way in the Cheshire County region to become certified and link into a growing network of alternative transportation services, she said.

Harris said 29 rides were provided through the volunteer driver network in March 2009. In March 2010, 102 rides were provided. There are currently 51 drivers in the volunteer driver program who help Monadnock region residents get to appointments, run errands, and travel the region on a ride-to-ride basis. Harris said she hopes to have 100 drivers by the end of the year.

Yesterday, Harris connected with volunteer driver Kathy Marx to get around town while her car was in the shop. Sirkka Holm of Francestown also got a lift from Marx, who has been involved with the program since its inception. Harris cited Holm as an early inspiration for her work with the CVTC. Years ago, both had been involved in discussions in Francestown about how to help the elderly stay in their homes longer. Transportation came up again and again as a common stumbling block to elderly independence.

“I wanted to have this ready for Sirkka so that when she needed it, it would be there,” said Harris.

“It’s wonderful,” said Holm of the program. “You can depend on them and they’re so friendly. It’s such a relief.”

Having helped establish the CVTC, Harris said her goal is to promote a significant change in the mindset of the community.

“We need to start thinking about transportation in terms of moving people, not moving cars. That’s a huge change in perspective,” said Harris, who said state and local funding and planning decisions are too often based on the movement of vehicles. “Getting cars where they need to go isn’t the same as getting people where they need to go. When we start thinking differently, then you’ll see some change.”

The CVTC is halfway to its first goal of 200 rides posted on the online Rideboard, a service that connects driver and passengers for commutes, events and schools. After 200, said Harris, similar programs elsewhere hit a “critical mass” and become self-sustaining services. More than 180 area residents, including large groups at several area employers, already use the service to coordinate carpools.

The recent grant, awarded through Federal Transit Administration program, will be paid in the next fiscal year on a reimbursement basis, said Harris. The $140,000 represents about two thirds of the company’s annual budget, she said.

“These funds will enable CVTC to continue its mission of creating, coordinating and delivering transportation solutions for the Monadnock Region,” said Harris, who said the money would go toward essentials such as rent, staff salaries and mileage reimbursement for volunteer drivers.

To support the CVTC Rideshare Program, which includes the online Rideboard, the Department of Transportation awarded $79,530 through the FTA Job Access/Reverse Commute Program, which focuses on transportation for people with low incomes.

The company also received $60,556 to support the volunteer driver program as part of the FTA New Freedom Program, which helps fund transportation for people with disabilities.

“But you don’t have to be disabled to get a ride with us,” said Harris. “A big part of our mission is social inclusion. We help people mix.”

Federal transportation funds require a local match of 20 percent for the Job Access program and about 50 percent for the New Freedom program. For instance, for the $79,530 grant, the company will have to raise $20,000. To help raise the funds, CVTC has created a sustainability plan after being selected for an Endowment for Health Sustainability Workshop. Additional funds are being sought from foundation grants, town support, employer fees and individual donations, said Harris.

The CVTC is seeking more volunteer drivers who, once registered, can choose which trips will match their schedules. Any resident of the 13 towns in the Eastern Monadnock Region may call 1-877-428-2882, ext. 2, to request a ride. Five business days notice is preferred. Monadnock region residents are also welcome to post or find rides on the Rideboard at www.cvtc-nh.org.

For more information about CVTC, contact Harris at 1-877-428-2882 extension 3 or e-mail rlharris@cvtc-nh.org.