VTrans outlines rail-trails program, flood repairs and local projects as user counts rise

Jackie Casino, VTrans Railtrails program manager, told a February agency briefing that VTrans now oversees roughly 144 miles of state-owned rail‑banked trails and performs coordination, maintenance, permitting and outreach for those corridors.

The program, created in 2022, manages four state rail‑trail corridors including the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT), the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail (MVRT), the Delaware & Hudson (DNH) and a short BB Spur. "We have around 158 total [rail‑banked] miles. So of those, VTrans manages 144," Casino said, noting the trails are four‑season facilities used by a range of non‑motorized users and, in winter, by authorized snowmobile use in some segments.

Why it matters: the trails are regional recreation and tourism assets and support local economies; VTrans is positioning the rail‑trails program to combine maintenance, standard design practices and local partnerships while tracking user demand to better schedule upkeep and support towns that depend on trail visitors.

Casino said the program maintains 79 bridges across its trails, manages seasonal mowing (about 290 miles annually), and relies on partnerships with regional planning commissions, towns, tourism and volunteer trail groups to deliver both maintenance and capital projects. The agency is standardizing trail design elements — from surface specifications to signage and branding — and follows Federal Highway Administration guidance on ADA accessibility for trail gradients and surface firmness.

Project pipeline and town support VTrans funds smaller town projects through a one‑time state appropriation and a rail‑trail town grant program that helps communities build trailheads, kiosks and short connector segments. Casino said the agency has been supporting scoping, design and local grant linking so towns such as St. Albans, Greensboro Bend and Swanton can better connect trails into downtowns.

Data collection Casino described a user survey pilot on the LVRT that produced 444 completed responses and the gradual deployment of permanent trail counters across the network. "We have 2 of the 4 trails with permanent trail counters and this summer we'll have the additional 2 trails have the permanent counters as well," she said. VTrans intends to publish a public dashboard of counts and use the data to estimate economic impact and schedule maintenance.

Flood damage and recovery Flood response has dominated program work: Casino reported the July 2023 and July 2024 flood events produced concentrated damage on the LVRT and elsewhere. For July 2024 the agency documented 74 damaged sites on the LVRT, including about 20 culverts, six bridges (most structurally stable), 15 embankment failures and 38 locations where surface or subsurface trail material was significantly damaged. "All work for the 2024 flood is complete with the exception of one culvert in West Danville and one culvert and adjacent slough repair in St. Johnsbury," Casino said; detours are in place where needed.

For the July 2023 event VTrans inventoried 138 damaged sites. Casino and project staff described one major LVRT repair — replacement of Bridge (Bridal) 38 in East Hardwick — where debris undermined an abutment and caused span failure. That structure was replaced with a 205‑foot single‑span pedestrian bridge; Casino said the replacement was FEMA‑eligible and paid approximately 90% by FEMA with 10% state match.

Resiliency measures At sites prone to repeat inundation VTrans has been raising trail profiles, upsizing culverts and installing riprap or lighter fill where right‑of‑way and hydraulics permit. Casino said these mitigation measures have reduced repeat damages in areas where they have been implemented, though some historic stone culverts remain vulnerable and will need future programming outside emergency repairs.

Economic context and town impacts Casino noted Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates over $2 billion annually (about 5% of the state’s GDP) and cited preliminary local estimates that the LVRT could support several million dollars in annual sales activity for northern Vermont counties. She said high single‑day counter values — an outlier of 5,000 trips at Greensboro Bend during a town event — show how community events drive usage spikes.

Next steps and obligations VTrans is advancing multiple capital and congressionally directed spending projects on the LVRT and MVRT (trailheads, resurfacing and extensions) and is working to obligate federal funds by required deadlines. Casino said program staff are continuing damage inventories, stabilizations, design work and construction scheduling to complete outstanding repairs this upcoming construction season.

Ending: Casino asked stakeholders to use the program’s trail councils and upcoming management plans as a venue to help prioritize town connections, improved signage and potential cross‑border coordination on the D&H gap into New York.