Transportation

The emphasis on highway development from the 1950s through the 1980s encouraged scattered and widely dispersed housing.  Also, businesses found it easier to locate in remote office parks, far from traditional downtowns.  Thus, our roads have served as the backbone for encouraging sprawl.  People have relied on cars as the primary means of getting around, and traffic has increased dramatically, bringing with it congestion and frustration.

Collaborative Activities

The Collaborative encourages a variety of transportation options for Vermonters, including cars, buses and trains, bicycles and walking.  We promote appropriate use of taxpayer transportation funds, encouraging a "Fix It First" approach to the state's crumbling roads and bridges, rather than construction of new large highways.

The Collaborative is now promoting its alternative to Chittenden County's Circumferential Highway (the "Circ").  In 2005 U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions, III issued an order enjoining construction of the Circ, a day before Segments A and B were to begin. The judge directed the Vermont Department of Transportation (VTrans) to update its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed highway. Click here for the latest news on this process and how to get involved. The Collaborative's alternative is one of three currently under review by VTrans.

The alternative:

• Saves taxpayers $10 -25 million

• Cuts wait times over 50 % at key intersections

• Protects working family farms, critical wildlife habitat and open space for all to use

• Invests in the future of Williston and Essex Junction by building resources for our businesses and community.

Click here to see the Collaborative's alternative to the Circ.

Transportation Resources