VTrans and lawmakers discuss obstacles to automated speed-enforcement pilot; agency seeks statutory fix

Lawmakers and Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) staff on April 8 examined implementation problems with a legislatively mandated automated speed-enforcement pilot for work zones, with witnesses saying the pilot cannot be run under current statutory procedures and proposing an administrative-penalty alternative.

The pilot, as passed last session, authorized automated law-enforcement (ATLE) in up to three work zones at a time on interstate limited-access highways beginning July 1, 2025, with an 18-month pilot period through the 2026 construction season. Under the enacted language, cameras operated by a third-party vendor would capture license plates; the law required a civil-vehicle citation (VCVC) be issued so the first recorded event could be recorded as a $0 VCVC warning and subsequent violations trigger monetary penalties.

Jeremy Reed, chief engineer at VTrans, told the committee the law’s design created practical and legal obstacles. ‘‘We…