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Advocates warn Vermont transit faces fiscal cliff, urge lawmakers to find sustainable funding
Summary
Coalition speakers told the Senate Transportation Committee that Vermont's transportation funding sources are flat or declining, putting transit providers and local road maintenance at risk and prompting calls for new, growing revenue sources and targeted bridge funding.
Advocates representing a statewide transportation coalition told the Vermont Senate Transportation Committee on Feb. 25 that existing revenue streams for transportation are not sustainable and that transit providers across Vermont are beginning to cut service.
The coalition said the state’s transportation fund (the T Fund) depends heavily on revenue sources that do not grow with the economy, and that leave transit providers vulnerable. Katie Gallagher, who coordinates the Transportation for Vermonters coalition and is sustainable communities program director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council, said, “the status quo is not working for Vermonters or for our environment.” Gallagher and others urged the legislature to examine recent studies and to identify “sustainable dedicated sources of funding.”
Why it matters: Several presenters warned that shortfalls are already appearing. Gallagher said Green Mountain Transit, the state’s largest transit provider, has cut services and that rural…
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