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State roadside markers program active but lacks capital bill line item; 28 applications await funding
Summary
The Division for Historic Preservation reported the roadside markers program has produced hundreds of markers since 1947 but has no dedicated funding in the current capital bill; officials said 28 new applications are pending and about 10 markers are at the foundry awaiting production.
Division for Historic Preservation staff told the Senate Institutions Committee on Feb. 11 that Vermont’s roadside markers program — in operation since 1947 — remains active, with 332 markers currently in production and about 28 pending applications, but the program was not funded in this year’s capital bill.
State Historic Preservation Officer Laura Trisham said the program originally installed 75 large markers statewide and has since produced many smaller markers; staff have replaced damaged or vandalized signs, and the division works with VTrans and local garages to reinstall markers after incidents in which poles are struck by vehicles. Trisham said about 10 markers are currently at the foundry and several others require minor repairs such as repainting or text corrections.
Trisham told the committee that some markers require safety accommodations — two‑sided text and safe pull‑off locations — and that the division uses its Historic Site Special Fund and other sources to cover shortfalls when markers are produced outside the capital bill. She said the foundry used for casting markers has been the same vendor since 1947 and is located in Ohio.
On funding, Trisham said half the cost for a batch of markers in the foundry is encumbered, but the division would need to draw on the Historic Site Special Fund to complete payment for the remainder. She said she had about 28 applications on her desk and asked that the legislature consider reinstating capital support for the program in future budgets.
Ending Trisham said communities sometimes fundraise to pay for markers and the division will continue to support applicants and coordinate installations where safe roadside pull‑offs exist.
