Community Liaison Corner

After four years of extensive work and sustained engagement with the northern Addison County communities of Panton, Ferrisburgh, Waltham, Addison, Weybridge, New Haven, and Vergennes, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) is releasing a Final Report summarizing the results of the Vergennes Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Study.

Before we get to the PEL Study’s recommendation, let’s briefly revisit the need for this landmark transportation study.

Investing in a Transportation Solution

Building on three previous transportation studies—conducted in 1995, 2002, and 2019—the federally funded Vergennes PEL Study set out to address the impact of large trucks traveling VT 22A on downtown Vergennes and its neighboring communities.

The VT 22A corridor in northern Addison County was identified for study because it serves as a truck route transporting goods between New York City and Albany to the south, Chittenden County and the Port of Montreal to the north, and within Vermont.  An estimated 800 trucks daily pass through downtown Vergennes, triggering sustained quality-of-life concerns.

The AOT partnered in the Study with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission and the Federal Highway Administration.

Three Recommended Alternatives

The Study evaluated a range of transportation alternatives and ultimately recommended three for further consideration.

Two of the alternatives were new routes to the west of 22A, which demonstrated to stakeholders a willingness to consider investing in a new roadway—and a second bridge over Otter Creek west of Vergennes, a key issue for local citizens.

The third alternative—existing state highway VT 17—reflected a commonly voiced opinion among stakeholders to “improve what we already have.”

You can “drive” the three recommended routes in a simulated visualization by clicking on each of the following links:  the two western routes are dubbed the Pink and Blue routes, the VT 17 option the Purple route.

Your Involvement Made the Difference

Public outreach and engagement brought many diverse voices to the table from across Addison County.

Farmers, homeowners, and local housing advocates joined municipal officials and local business owners in a four-year dialogue that took place in living rooms, restaurants, and town offices in all seven communities participating in the Study.

In addition to conventional public meetings and open houses, the PEL Study team held nearly 100 small group and 1:1 meetings.  Voices were heard and concerns were documented.

More than 150 local residents attended our final Open House on April 2 to discuss the results of the Vergennes PEL Study.  This final gathering reflected the cooperative spirit and idea-sharing that had come to characterize the Study’s public process.

What’s Next

While it may be some time—given the many other investments that must be made in our state roads and bridges—before funding becomes available, the Vergennes PEL Study successfully accomplished its mission.  It set the stage for the results of the Study, once funding is identified, to move into NEPA (the federal environmental review that kicks off all state transportation projects) and eventually into design and construction.

You can read the Final Report on the Vergennes PEL Study website at the following link:  Study Documents | Vergennes PEL Study.

Thank you for welcoming me into your community!

Jim Gish

Vergennes PEL Study Community Liaison

jgish@vhb.com

(802) 989-0608 (my cell)