Local Motion and CATMA push active-transportation steps: safe passing law, TDM expansion, and school bike education

Local bicycle and pedestrian advocates and the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA) told the Senate Transportation Committee on Feb. 25 that a mix of low-cost policy changes, employer-focused demand-management programs and restored program funding would increase safe walking and biking and reduce reliance on cars.

“Transportation is a really significant part of that work,” Katie Gallagher of the Transportation for Vermonters coalition told senators, introducing presenters from CATMA and Local Motion. Jonathan Weber, programs director at Local Motion, highlighted recent statutory changes to “vulnerable user” rules and the safe-passing requirement, noting that the legislature had struck the word “recommended” from the prior language and that the revised statute now enables posting signage and permits enforcement. Weber said the change supports education and enforcement efforts and can improve safety for both residents and visiting cyclists.

CATMA’s Sandy Thiebaud described employer-focused transportation demand management programs (TDM) and said many employers will invest if reliable services exist. Thiebaud cited CATMA’s annual institution and employer survey and related TDM impacts: CATMA surveyed roughly 12,000 employees this year (about a 25% employee response rate and a 16% student response rate) and reported a 7 percentage-point drop in drive-alone rates among off-campus students. Thiebaud said employers that participate in unlimited transit-access programs contribute substantial sums — “they contribute over $400,000 a year” at institutions such as UVM and Champlain College — demonstrating employer willingness to fund alternatives when services are available.

Local Motion said safer, connected infrastructure is critical and available grants are underfunded. Jonathan Weber pointed to projects such as a shared-use path on Route 15 in Colchester as the kind of work the state should expand; he also recommended low-cost regulatory fixes at intersections and signage to align traffic laws with how people actually move on bikes. Christina Erickson, Local Motion executive director, and Weber emphasized inclusive language (“rolling”) to include wheelchairs and assistive mobility devices in safety planning.

On education and programs: Local Motion described BikeSmart, a school-based cycling education program that uses three trailers stocked with bikes and curriculum; the program reaches a portion of schools each year but is constrained by funding. Weber said the statewide Safe Routes to School program was underfunded this year and requested additional support so Local Motion can deliver a more comprehensive program to more districts. Advocates also asked the committee to sustain the statewide e-bike incentive program targeted to low-income Vermonters and to consider restoring bridge funding after the loss of an expected federal grant.

Ending: Advocates asked the committee for modest, practical measures — better signage and enforcement, support for employer TDM where transit exists, and restored funding for school-based bike education and e-bike incentives — as near-term ways to improve safety, equity and access across Vermont’s transportation network.