Vermont DOT outlines shift to multimodal guidance and rolls out Complete Streets training for planners and engineers

The Agency of Transportation told the Senate Transportation Committee on April 17 that it is replacing the Vermont State Design Standards with a Vermont Multimodal Roadway Guide and will launch a Complete Streets training program for state and municipal planners and engineers.

The change moves Vermont from prescriptive standards to a guidance-based, context-sensitive framework designed to give engineers flexibility while encouraging consistent outcomes across rural, suburban and urban settings.

AOT Deputy Chief Engineer Erin Sisson said the project aims to provide a single “umbrella” document that points designers to state standard drawings, engineering instructions and national guidance such as AASHTO and NCHRP so practitioners can choose context-appropriate solutions instead of applying a one-size-fits-all standard. “We’re gonna do a little two-part update for you all about where we’re at with the Vermont multimodal roadway guide… and then the Complete Streets training,” Sisson said.

Why it matters: the state’s standards date to the 1990s and the update reflects a nationwide trend toward outcomes-based guidance that balances local land use, safety and multimodal access. Committee members and stakeholders said the new approach could better align transportation decisions with Act 181 land‑use maps and help preserve options for walking, biking and transit in older downtowns.

AOT said the…