Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont recently signed a bill that would invest more than $615 million in the state’s transportation system and promote innovative, equitable transportation policies.
“The investments in this legislation will continue to improve our state’s infrastructure while making transportation safer and easier for all Vermonters,” the governor said in a release.
Gov. Scott signed the bill during a public ceremony at the site of the Bethel bridge project on Route 12, just south of Randolph. The existing bridge, built in 1928 and severely eroded during Tropical Storm Irene, will be replaced by a longer bridge, set for completion in October 2020.
For the third consecutive year, the Vermont Agency of Transportation presented the Legislature with a budget that does not rely on any new tax or fee increases while allocating $373 million for highway infrastructure investments, including:
- Nearly $100 million in bridge investments, including 41 projects under construction and 52 projects under development;
- More than $100 million for paving;
- Nearly $50 million in roadway investments for projects, including the Champlain Parkway in Burlington, Main Street in Waterbury, the Crescent Connector in Essex Junction, and continuation of key projects on Route 7 in Brandon and Pittsford; and
- $20 million in traffic and safety investments for a new roundabout in Burlington, the Exit 16 diverging diamond interchange in Colchester, and numerous highway safety programs.
The budget also contains $93 million for public transit, aviation, bike-ped, Park & Ride, and rail, including funding to extend Amtrak service to downtown Burlington.
The signed bill includes investments intended to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel use, and Vermonters’ household transportation costs.
A separate bill signed on the same day—dedicated to enhancements for the Department of Motor Vehicles—includes initiatives to make Vermont a more appealing location for research and development of autonomous vehicles, in order to create economic development opportunities.
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SOURCE: Office of Governor Phil Scott
