Vermont H 488: An act relating to the fiscal year 2026 Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation

Bill Text

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2025

VT LEG #384128 v.1
No. 43. An act relating to the fiscal year 2026 Transportation Program
and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation.
(H.488)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
* * * Transportation Program Adopted as Amended; Definitions * * *
Sec. 1. TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM ADOPTED; DEFINITIONS
(a) Adoption. The Agency of Transportation’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2026
Transportation Program appended to the Agency of Transportation’s proposed
fiscal year 2026 budget, as amended by this act, is adopted to the extent
federal, State, and local funds are available.
(b) Definitions. As used in this act, unless otherwise indicated:
(1) “Agency” means the Agency of Transportation.
(2) “Candidate project” means a project approved by the General
Assembly that is not anticipated to have significant expenditures for
preliminary engineering or right-of-way expenditures, or both, during the
budget year and funding for construction is not anticipated within a predictable
time frame.
(3) “Development and evaluation (D&E) project” means a project
approved by the General Assembly that is anticipated to have preliminary
engineering expenditures or right-of-way expenditures, or both, during the
budget year and that the Agency is committed to delivering to construction on
a timeline driven by priority and available funding.

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(4) “Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)” and “electric vehicle
supply equipment available to the public” have the same meanings as in
30 V.S.A. § 201.
(5) “Front-of-book project” means a project approved by the General
Assembly that is anticipated to have construction expenditures during the
budget year or the following three years, or both, with expected expenditures
shown over four years.
(6) “Mileage-based user fee” or “MBUF” means a fee for vehicle use of
the public road system with distance, stated in miles, as the measure of use.
(7) “Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV),” “plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
(PHEV),” and “battery electric vehicle (BEV)” have the same meanings as in
23 V.S.A. § 4(85).
(8) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Transportation.
(9) “TIB funds” means monies deposited in the Transportation
Infrastructure Bond Fund in accordance with 19 V.S.A. § 11f.
(10) The table heading “As Proposed” means the Proposed
Transportation Program referenced in subsection (a) of this section; the table
heading “As Amended” means the amendments as made by this act; the table
heading “Change” means the difference obtained by subtracting the “As
Proposed” figure from the “As Amended” figure; the terms “change” or
“changes” in the text refer to the project- and program-specific amendments,
the aggregate sum of which equals the net “Change” in the applicable table

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heading; and “State” in any tables amending authorizations indicates that the
source of funds is State monies in the Transportation Fund, unless otherwise
specified.
* * * Summary of Transportation Investments * * *
Sec. 2. FISCAL YEAR 2026 TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS
INTENDED TO REDUCE TRANSPORTATION-RELATED
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL
USE, AND SAVE VERMONT HOUSEHOLDS MONEY
This act includes the State’s fiscal year 2026 transportation investments
intended to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, reduce
fossil fuel use, and save Vermont households money in furtherance of the
policies articulated in 19 V.S.A. § 10b and the goals of the Comprehensive
Energy Plan and the Vermont Climate Action Plan and to satisfy the Executive
and Legislative Branches’ commitments to the Paris Agreement climate goals.
In fiscal year 2026, these efforts will include the following:
(1) Park and Ride Program. This act provides for a fiscal year
expenditure of $2,435,740.00, which will fund two construction projects to
create new park-and-ride facilities, the construction of improvements to two
existing park-and-ride facilities, funding for a municipal park-and-ride grant
program, and paving projects for existing park-and-ride facilities. This year’s
Park and Ride Program will create 60 new State-owned spaces. Specific
additions and improvements include:

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(A) Manchester—construction of 50 new spaces; and
(B) Sharon—design and construction of 10 new spaces.
(2) Bike and Pedestrian Facilities Program. This act provides for a
fiscal year expenditure, including local match, of $21,879,965.00, which will
fund 33 bike and pedestrian construction projects; 17 bike and pedestrian
design, right-of-way, or design and right-of way projects for construction in
future fiscal years; and 10 scoping studies. The construction projects include
the creation, improvement, or rehabilitation of walkways, sidewalks, shared-
use paths, bike paths, and cycling lanes. Projects are funded in Arlington,
Bakersfield, Bennington, Bethel, Brattleboro, Bristol,