Community Liaison Corner

Here’s a question we’re frequently asked:  When will the Vergennes PEL Study finish? 

The implied question is probably this:  When will we know if the PEL Study team will recommend moving forward with one of the alternatives proposed to reduce the impact of truck traffic in downtown Vergennes?  And which of the five alternatives being studied will it be? 

To answer the first question, we can expect a recommendation to go to the PEL Study’s Policy Committee for consideration this Fall and for a final report to be presented to the Vermont Agency of Transportation in early 2025. 

We’ve covered the PEL process in some detail in our previous blogs but let’s take a step back and look at how the final months are anticipated to unfold.  And in doing that, we’ll answer that second question.

Where We Are in Summer 2024 

Since getting underway in 2021, the PEL Study team has been methodically working through the PEL process laid out by the Federal Highway Administration, adapting it for the specific needs of this transportation study. 

Currently, as we discussed in our last blog post, the PEL Study team’s highway engineers, environmental specialists, and planning experts are conducting an evaluation of the potential impacts of each of the five alternatives, compared with the “no-build” option. 

The evaluation (referred to as Task 6: Alternatives Evaluation and Recommendations) is based on a set of criteria developed from the Purpose and Need Statement, including traffic flow and traffic safety, impacts on environmental and cultural resources, impacts on farmland and private property, and estimated cost, among others.  The purpose of this evaluation is to objectively compare the alternatives. 

(If you need a refresher on the five alternatives being studied, you can watch a simulated drive of each alternative here.) 

Community Decision-Makers 

Two committees whose members represent local community, Addison County, and statewide stakeholders are at the center of the decision-making process.  In a meeting earlier this summer, for example, the Technical Committee reviewed and endorsed a draft of the evaluation criteria. The eighteen members of the Policy Committee will also review the criteria.  Both committees will provide feedback on the PEL team’s evaluation and recommendation. 

What is that recommendation likely to be?  It’s too early to say but from discussions to date it seems likely that, balancing impacts with benefits, the PEL team will recommend more than one alternative to advance for further study by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The recommended alternative(s) will then move forward to preliminary engineering and environmental review, pending funding availability.

Next Opportunity for Public Engagement 

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.  Back to the timeline, this Fall the PEL Study will enter Task 7: Implementation Plan.  The public will have an opportunity to review and comment on the results and recommendations of the PEL Study, likely this November or December.  Both the Technical and Policy Committees will be asked to endorse the Final PEL Report in early 2025. 

No question, this is a complex and time-consuming process.  Having had a front row seat, I would add that it’s also a very thorough process.  I’ll have more updates later this summer as the evaluation process progresses. 

You can reach me with questions or concerns on email at jgish@vhb.com or on my cell at 989-0608. 

Best, 

Jim Gish 

Vergennes PEL Study Community Liaison