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Vermont

The Rural Context For Transportation Consultations

Vermont is the 8th smallest state in the U.S. in land area, 2nd smallest in population, and 30th most densely populated. Approximately 84 percent of Vermont's population and jobs, and 98 percent of the land, is non-urban. About 93 percent of its roads are rural. Federally owned lands amount to roughly 7 percent of the state's land area.

Vermont is a slowly growing state, as measured by population, with a significantly growing rate of employment. The portion of the state's jobs that are in the uniquely rural agriculture and mining sectors is small (4.8 and 0.3 percent, respectively). Most jobs in Vermont's rural areas are in sectors also common in urban areas: construction, transportation & utilities (14 percent); manufacturing (16 percent); business & trade (26 percent); and services & government (39 percent).

Demographically, Vermont's non-urban population is predominately white (99 percent). The proportion of Vermont's non-urban adult population who did not graduate from high school is in the bottom quarter (12th lowest), and the proportion that did graduate from college is near the middle (19th highest). The 9 percent of Vermont's non-urban population who are poor is less than in most other states. About 40 percent of the state's non-urban population is in non-working age groups (28 percent 18 years or younger, and 12 percent 65 years or older).

Governmentally, Vermont has 14 counties, a fairly manageable number compared to many other states. The state also has 49 municipalities and 237 towns or townships, for a total of 286 sub-county divisions. It ranks about in the middle in terms of the number of sub-county governments compared to other states. Vermont does not have any federally recognized Indian tribes.

In addition, the 1997 U.S. Census of Governments has identified 2 independent, special-purpose governments in Vermont that have transportation (transit) responsibilities. This number is significantly lower than in most other states. Vermont also has 12 other public transit providers serving rural areas and an additional 18 organizations that provide specialized transit services to elderly and disabled populations in those same areas.

Vermont has 13 regional councils that cover approximately 100 percent of the state, and one MPO. These regional units help to coordinate the other local governments and play a direct role in rural transportation programs as described below.

Of Vermont's 14,145 miles of roads, approximately 20 percent are state-controlled, while less than one percent are federal. Of the total miles of non-federal rural roads, 19 percent are state, none are county, 78 percent are township, and 3 percent are municipal and other.

Processes For Consultation And Cooperation With Local Officials In Non-Metropolitan Areas

In 1992, the state developed a consultative planning process, the Vermont Transportation Planning Initiative, for its non-metropolitan areas-there is only one county designated as a metropolitan planning area. One goal of the initiative was to provide a direct connection for local officials to transportation planning. The process centers on the state's 11 regional planning commissions, which receive annual grants of state planning and research funds from the Vermont Agency of Transportation (Vtrans).

Regional commission responsibilities include organizing regional transportation advisory committees (TACs), composed of community officials, public transportation providers, interest groups, and individual citizens. The commissions conduct special transportation studies, prepare regional long-range plans, and identify and prioritize proposed projects. They also facilitate (1) communication between the state and communities, and (2) public participation in planning.

Local elected officials participate in transportation planning through participation in the regional TACs. Involvement by local officials is voluntary; regional commission input to VTrans is advisory. VTrans also depends upon local elected officials to make the STIP available for review and comment at publicly held meetings, where local officials can represent community interests directly related to the STIP. (Rural officials in the developing portions of the MPO area have membership in the MPO.)

Because the regional planning commissions-originally established for economic development and land use planning--are central to the process, transportation planning is closely tied to other issues, including land use planning and economic development. Federal land management agencies are also included.

Rural transportation is supported primarily by federaland state funds, with some local funds.

Vermont uses these practices:

State Processes to Compile Transportation Needs: Regional planning commissions develop plans that are advisory to VTrans.
Roles of RPOs: Regional planning commissions serve some of the functions of RPOs.
Other Practices: Local elected officials make the STIP available for review and comment at publicly held meetings.

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