ADVOCACY

The Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition is your voice for better bicycling & walking in Vermont. We are active in seeking policies, funding, and programs that support bicycling & walking.

Current Initiatives:

1. Our top advocacy priority meets with success! The new Federal Transportation Bill brings over $29 million for bicycling & walking in Vermont! $5 million for Safe Routes to School, $5.8 million for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, $2 million for Island Line improvements in South Hero, $1.2 million for the Cross Vermont Trail, and $15 million or more for Transportation Enhancements local grant program. Wow! It all adds up to over $29 million in bicycle & pedestrian-related funding - for a mix of construction, education, and encouragement.

Thank you to all our members of Congress -- especially Senator Jeffords (a key Senate proponent of Safe Routes to School), and to Congressman Sanders (especially for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and the Cross Vermont Trail funding). Senator Leahy also deserves recognition in particular for his vote in favor of a national Complete Streets policy (which unfortunately did not pass).

2. Lamoille Valley Rail Trail --

One high-priority project for the Coalition is the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) , a proposed 96-mile rail trail from St. Johnsbury to Swanton. This project will be a four-season recreation & transportation trail, a gem for northern Vermont. Although the Vermont Association of Snow Travellers (VAST) will hold the lease for this trail, bicycling, walking and horseback riding will be the modes of choice in the summer months. ATVs will not be permitted.

Here is some background information about the proposed trail:

Map of the Proposed Trail - Color - B&W
Photo from the Corridor - Bridge
History of the Corridor (Word)
Railroad Economics of the Corridor (by Craig Della Penna) (PDF)

3. H. 334 - Ancient Roads legislation. This legislation proposed in early 2005 did not pass in the first session of the biennium. The Vermont trails community, including the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and the Vermont Bike Ped Coalition spoke up with concern about Ancient roads being extinguished without a second look:

Ancient Roads letter (MS Word), or Ancient Roads letter (PDF), or Ancient Roads letter (text, to email)

Find your legislators' contact info at: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/legdir2.htm

3. Minor Bicycle Law Revisions (PDF). We're interested in making it legal to signal a right turn with your right arm, and to provide common sense exceptions for when bicyclists must ride to the right.

Want to get more involved in setting the direction for our advocacy efforts? Join our Government Relations committee, email acting chair Becka Roolf - becka@vtbikeped.org

Primer: How Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding works - including federal, state & local funds

Following are some of the positions that the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition have taken on present issues:

Mandatory Bicycle Registration Fees

Sidepath Law - successfully repealed, June 2004.