Vermont transportation chief outlines budget pressures, DMV upgrade and new central garage plan

Secretary Joe Flynn, head of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, told the Senate Transportation Committee that federal funding increases and inflation have together left the agency balancing expanded capital dollars against rising costs and workforce shortages.

"The mission of the agency is as you would expect. We are continued to be focused on infrastructure condition," Flynn said, summarizing the agency's priorities as he previewed the department's budget and programs during the committee's hearing.

Flynn said the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) raised Vermont's five-year highway allocation from about $1.2 billion to $1.7 billion, an increase he credited with helping avoid a deterioration of the state's roads and bridges amid high inflation and material-price spikes. He added that federal reauthorization conversations are already underway in Congress and that the national landscape for future highway funding is uncertain.

On revenue trends, Flynn told senators the state faces a predictable decline in gas-tax receipts as vehicle fleets shift to more efficient and electric vehicles. He said the administration has proposed and the legislature has supported a mileage-based user fee to recover…