The Vermont House approved the $595 million transportation bill on Friday.
Of the three big money bills up for House review, the transportation bill was the least controversial. There was no debate on the floor Thursday night when the bill, H.784, was read for the second time (typically when issues are raised), and it passed in less than an hour.
That was possible because, unlike the General Fund, the transportation budget is flush, thanks to federal stimulus funds. The state will receive about $80 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In all, Vermont’s federal funds for transportation total $360.7 million. The state’s share of the cost is $217 million. In addition, the state uses the Transportation Infrastructure Bond, which enables the state to borrow money against gas and diesel revenues. This year, VTrans will have about $13.5 million available in that revenue bonding for infrastructure projects.
The T bill, as it’s called, even got an endorsement from Gov. Jim Douglas: In his press conference on Thursday, he deemed it his “favorite” over the capital and budget bills under consideration by lawmakers.
In fact, the House Transportation Committee budget mirrors the governor’s recommended expenditure list almost exactly. The only notable difference is a $27.2 million add-in for track improvements for a passenger rail spur from Burlington to Rutland, with an ultimate destination of Albany, N.Y.
Except for $500,000 for planning costs paid for through state and local funds, all of the money for the Amtrak Vermonter—New England Central Railroad comes from federal stimulus funds.
Twenty percent, or $112.5 million, of this year’s transportation budget will be spent on bridge maintenance, repair and replacement. Town bridges get $19 million of the pie; state bridges will receive the largest wedge, $60.7 million; and interstate bridges get a $32.9 million piece.
“This is sorely needed after years of deferred maintenance – 20 years of neglect,” said Rep. Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester, chair of the House Transportation Committee.
Rep. Diane Lanpher, D-Addison, said the state’s investment in bridges is critical. At this point, she said, 15 percent of the state’s bridges, 433 in all, are classified as structurally deficient, rated on a par (or worse) with the Lake Champlain bridge, which happens to be in her district.
Other items of note in the bill:
- A sixth of the transportation budget — $93 million — will be spent on paving alone.
- The budget for VTrans administration and the Department of Motor Vehicles is $46.5 million.
- The next highest expenditure on the list is $45 million for town highways, which is a $3.5 million boost over last year.
- Public transit will receive $24.7 million — $1.5 million less than last year.
- VTrans has $23.8 million slated for aviation investments.
- About $22 million will be set aside for the northern leg of the Bennington Bypass.
- The state contribution to Amtrak is $19.4 million this year.
- The Park and Ride budget is $8.8 million.
- Rest areas will receive $4.82 million, about $2 million of which is from a congressional earmark for a new rest area facility in Bennington. No rest areas that have been closed will be reopened.
- VTrans will make $30,000 available to fill gaps in public transit programs for Vermonters who need transportation for kidney dialysis.
- A bridge in Lyndonville on Route 114 will be named for Rep. Cola Hudson, R-Lyndon, who died in 2008.
- The bill will allow the Agency of Transportation to sell state-owned property valued at less than $100,000 without approval of the General Assembly.
- There is also new language in the bill that penalizes municipalities that renege on federal infrastructure agreements.
- Under ARRA requirements, the state must show “maintenance of effort,” that is, it must spend the same amount of money on projects this year as it did last year in order to avoid financial penalties, according to Brennan.
