Vermont Receives Federal Transportation Grants for Safety and Innovation

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) announced the award of several new grants for Vermont from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). These new federal investments will support safety improvements to railroad crossings, innovative paving techniques, transportation demand management in Chittenden County and three Vermont Byways.
‘I’m proud of the work VTrans staff did to develop very competitive applications for important safety programs,’ stated VTrans Secretary, Brian Searles. ‘At a time of diminishing federal and state funds for transportation, I’m very pleased that VTrans and Vermont communities have secured additional federal funds to assist in the rebuilding of our infrastructure,’ he said.
VTrans received $2.2 million to improve the safety at railway-highway crossings on Vermont’s designated high speed rail corridor. Work will be done along the New England Central Rail (NECR) line where Amtrak’s ‘Vermonter’ operates, and will include fifteen highway crossing projects south of St. Albans in Chittenden, Franklin, Orange, Washington and Windsor counties. Vermont fared very well on this award, receiving approximately 15% of the funding available from this competitive national grant program.
VTrans also received a $1 million grant from the USDOT for the Highways for LIFE program. This pilot program seeks to advance longer-lasting highways using innovative technologies and practices to accomplish the construction of efficient and safe highways and bridges. Under this pilot program, the USDOT promotes state-of-the-art technologies, elevated performance standards, and new business practices in the highway construction process. VTrans identified two paving projects on US 4A and VT 30 for this innovative program. The use of Warm Mix Asphalt, intelligent compaction and a safety wedge were part of VTrans innovative grant award. The project will also include head-to- head testing of Hot Mix Asphalt to Warm Mix asphalt.
Several Vermont communities also received USDOT grant funds. The Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization received $300,000 for an innovative pilot program on Transportation Demand Management which seeks to reduce automobile use and vehicles miles traveled by increasing mobility options. This grant will fund innovative programs by the Chittenden County Transportation Authority, Car Share Vermont, Local Motion and the Campus Area Transportation Management Association.
The City of St. Johnsbury received $300,000 for a wayfinding project, the Lake Champlain Byways program received $52,000 to construct four bicycle rest areas and the Green Mountain Byway received $41,000 for interpretive panels along that scenic corridor.