From the Secretary: Transition
I'm very humbled to have been appointed Secretary, and by the Governor's confidence in me to lead this Agency. We are known as an Agency that gets things done and the public very much appreciates the work we do as stewards of the State transportation system. I intend to maintain that reputation and enhance it where possible by working more efficiently as an organization and paying attention to the needs of our external partners.
Fall is always a busy time here at VTrans, with construction projects wrapping up and preparation for winter road safety ramping up. However, roads are just one part of what keeps us busy. In this issue you'll read about improvements to the Rutland State Airport, how things are going for inter-city bus service, and some internal changes at VTrans intended to improve safety initiatives across the state.
I hope you enjoy one of our most spectacular seasons, and please keep your eyes peeled for our road crews along with the foliage! And above all, when behind the wheel, please Focus on Safety, the lives of those in our community depend upon it.
Regards,
Chris Cole
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| City-to-City Bus Reaches 1-year Milestone |
Vermont's new City-to-City bus routes celebrated their first birthday in June. VTrans partner companies Greyhound Lines and Premier Coach of Milton, VT operate new full-size coach vehicles under the Vermont Translines moniker, which has provided more than 7,500 rides in the past 12 months. 
Two new routes funded by VTrans include service from Burlington to Albany, NY via Bennington and Rutland as well as service between Rutland and White River Junction and on to Hanover, NH. Existing services operated by Greyhound between White River Junction and Springfield, MA were also improved, enabling better connections to their Boston-Montreal route.
The new routes, in particular the Route 7 connection to Albany, has proven popular with Burlington area riders. Once in Albany, NY, passengers can make convenient connections to more than 3,800 destinations across the United States and Canada via the national inter-city bus network.
To read more click here.
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| Governor's Highway Safety Program Becomes Part of VTrans |
The Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP), which was previously an independent organization, has become a part of VTrans' newly formed Office of Highway Safety (OHS). The mission of the OHS is to combine behavioral and infrastructure considerations to reduce crashes in Vermont. The new department brings together the Highway Safety Unit, Highway Research  Unit, Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP), Traffic Operations HSIP Unit and the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance under one grou p.
The Governor's Highway Safety Program, led by Scott Davidson, is responsible for tackling the behavioral issues of highway safety. Partnering with state and local police departments and state and private educational non-profit organizations, GHSP conducts and supports programs addressing highway safety behavioral concerns. "Click it or Ticket", "Drive Hammered Get Nailed" and "Phones Down Heads Up" are all examples of media campaigns intended to change motorist behavior and keep roadways safe.
Highway Infrastructure Safety Unit is run by Mario Dupigny-Giroux. This group seeks to improve physical aspects of highways to develop a system that improves the drivability for road users and survivability of highway crashes.
To read more click here.
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Rutland Airport Increases Safety with Runway Improvements
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The Rutland State Airport is undergoing a multi-phase project that improves safety for aviators and for cars approaching the airport. As a result of multiple accidents across the country involving aircraft  overrunning or undershooting runways with injuries and deaths resulting, Congress mandated that all Part 139 airports (including Rutland) enhance passenger safety by addressing Runway Safety Areas (RSAs) by 2015. The project, which is nearing completion, started back in 2011 by moving the access road to the airport. This created more space between the road and runway, increasing safety for users of both. This phase also paved the way for additional runway and Taxiway improvements.
Phase 2 added a runway safety area at the north end of the primary runway and was completed in the fall of 2014. It included approximately 250,000 cubic yards of fill and a 230 by 30 foot retaining wall. In the event that a plane runs off the runway end, this addition increases safety by building out the RSA to meet the new standards.
To read more click here.
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| VTrans Maps Ancient Roads |
Over the last 11 years, staff from the VTrans Mapping Section has worked diligently on crafting legislation, providing guidance to municipalities on Act 178 and Act 158, answering questions, transcribing surveys from the 1700 and 1800's, running the traverses to add highways and trails to the master road centerline data layer, and generating the Town Highway Maps to reflect changes. This has been no small feat and one that has been a team effort.
On July 1, 2015, the VTrans Mapping Section recognized the sunset of Act 178 of 2006 and Act 158 of 2008, which represent the "Ancient Road Laws". These two Acts have prompted municipalities to map all the class 1, 2, 3, and 4 town highways and legal trails within their boundaries. The Acts have also created a new category of highway, carved out of the class 4 town highway classification known as "unidentified corridors", which were not clearly observable laid out highways on the landscape that had not been discontinued. As of July 1, 2015, if an "unidentified corridor" had not been reclassified to class 4 town highway or trail, they were discontinued by statute and revert to the adjoining landowners.
To read more click here.
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Don't let September's summery weather fool you - leaves are already beginning to change, which means it's time to start thinking about swapping over to your winter snow tires.
| Not sure you need snow tires? Check out this quick Q&A on why they're a good idea.
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Did you know that each year roughly a dozen Vermont plows are rear-ended? Please, for your safety and the safety of our drivers, don't crowd the plow!
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