Vermont H 460: An act relating to the development and construction of a bicycle path that runs adjacent U.S. Route 5

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.460
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VT LEG #380678 v.3
H.460 1
SHORT FORM 2
Introduced by Representatives Bartholomew of Hartland, Burke of 3
Brattleboro, Chapin of East Montpelier, Dodge of Essex, Lalley 4
of Shelburne, Masland of Thetford, Morris of Springfield, 5
Pouech of Hinesburg, Satcowitz of Randolph, and Torre of 6
Moretown 7
Referred to Committee on 8
Date: 9
Subject: Transportation; bicycle paths; infrastructure; tourism; U.S. Route 5; 10
Connecticut River; active transportation; vulnerable user safety; 11
emissions reduction 12
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to designate 13
U.S. Route 5 for the approximately 190 miles from the State border with 14
Massachusetts to the State border with Quebec, Canada as a bicycle corridor. 15
This bill also proposes to require the Agency of Transportation to convene a 16
steering committee to guide the development and construction of a bicycle 17
route—consisting of one or more segments of bicycle lanes or bicycle paths, or 18
both—to provide a safe and comfortable means of bicycle travel along the 19
designated bicycle corridor. This bill also proposes to require the steering 20
committee to: (1) develop a plan to address, at a minimum, the facilitation and 21

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.460
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VT LEG #380678 v.3
coordination of individual municipal projects to build active transportation 1
infrastructure needed to support the scenic, historic, and tourism goals of the 2
Connecticut River Byways Program, as well as the fiscal costs of construction 3
and maintenance of those projects and the U.S. Route 5 bicycle route; (2) 4
identify possible funding sources, logistical considerations, and the estimated 5
time frame for construction and completion of the projects and bicycle route; 6
(3) examine the possibility of a segmented or phased approach to construction 7
of the bicycle route; (4) evaluate the benefits of the projects to the tourism 8
industry in Vermont in general and to the municipalities along U.S. Route 5 in 9
particular; (5) coordinate the development of the bicycle route and municipal 10
projects with existing walking and bicycling facilities and rail trails; and (6) 11
develop the bicycle route and municipal projects in coordination with adjacent 12
municipalities in New Hampshire and the New Hampshire regional planning 13
commissions for those communities. The steering committee membership 14
shall include representatives from the tourism industry along U.S. Route 5; 15
managers of recreational facilities and rail trails along U.S. Route 5; 16
conservation organizations along the Connecticut River; organizations 17
dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation; historic 18
preservation organizations from communities along U.S. Route 5; the Vermont 19
Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation’s Recreational Trails Program; 20

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VT LEG #380678 v.3
the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council; and the Vermont Department of 1
Health. 2
An act relating to the development and construction of a bicycle path that 3
runs adjacent U.S. Route 5 4
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 5
(TEXT OMITTED IN SHORT-FORM BILLS) 6