This commentary is by Barbara Huibregtse, who moved to Danville in 2017 after retiring from the medical device industry. She is a member of the Vermont Sierra Club.
The Vermont House has officially passed, with near-unanimous tripartisan support, H.433, an act relating to the transportation program and miscellaneous changes in laws related to transportation, and the Senate is now taking up testimony.
This year, with forward-thinking measures introduced by House transportation leaders in the Transportation Modernization Act, those ideas were incorporated into the yearly Transportation Bill. H.433 makes great strides in limiting the emission profile of Vermont’s transportation sector, which accounts for nearly half of our state’s carbon footprint.
As we aim to build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic, Vermont legislators should look first to our state’s transportation sector as a way to create jobs in a green industry that will support and rebuild our rural economy.
Transportation presents a unique opportunity to create a more resilient, equitable and vibrant home for all Vermonters. A coalition of 15 Vermont organizations has made the case for sustainable transportation by strongly supporting the passage of the Transportation Modernization package included within H.433. The Vermont Sierra Club Vermont designated this issue as a top priority.
Despite our state’s best efforts, Vermont is not on pace to meet goals set by the Legislature of halving our carbon emissions by 2028. Vermont’s Legislature has taken important steps to modernize our transportation fleet but much more progress is needed, as 97% of our vehicles are still gasoline- or diesel-powered, and too many Vermonters spend over 15% of their incomes on transportation costs.
In addition, this year’s Transportation Bill holds several transformative benefits worth recognizing.
This bill includes continued support of the Mileage Smart program and the new Replace Your Ride Program to ensure that those who can’t afford to transition to electric vehicles can now, and reap the benefits of clean transportation.
The bill further appropriates funding for the New Electric Vehicle Incentive program and establishes e-bike incentives, as well as funding for charging stations at multifamily dwellings.
Vermonters will continue to receive fare-free transit through at least July 1, 2022, thanks to a continued contribution of federal dollars. Another way that H.433 takes an important step towards carbon emission reductions and equitable accessibility is to develop a plan on how Vermont can electrify all buses across the state.
Although it’s impossible in this article to list all of the benefits included in the legislation, one thing is clear: Vermonters will be better off with this forward-thinking package. The infusion of additional federal funds to the transportation bill provides Vermonters a vehicle to drive future recovery dollars that can help those who most need it, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the Vermont economy.
I look forward to seeing the Vermont Senate pass the Transportation Bill that includes the Transportation Modernization package. As we emerge from a pandemic and an economic crisis, efforts such as the Transportation Modernization Act are critical to ensuring Vermont’s leadership in addressing climate change, while improving lives for Vermonters now.