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Committee reviews governor’s transportation budget; paving and safety programs see increases
Summary
A legislative committee heard presentation on the governor’s recommended transportation budget, which includes a $148.2 million paving appropriation and roughly $54 million each for roadway and traffic & safety programs; members pressed witnesses on project selection, federal matches and scheduling for major projects.
The legislative committee on Tuesday reviewed the governor’s recommended transportation budget, hearing a detailed presentation from Matt Rogacic, program manager for the Highway Safety Design Section in the project delivery bureau. Rogacic said the paving program appropriation for fiscal 2027 is $148,200,000, about $45 million higher than last year, and funds preliminary engineering, any limited right-of-way work and construction across dozens of projects.
Rogacic told members the paving appropriation funds construction on 36 projects in state fiscal 2027 and preliminary phases on 27 additional projects. He said the agency plans to pave about 152 miles in calendar year 2026, up from a planned 102 miles in 2025. When members requested a breakdown by roadway classification, Rogacic said the plan allocates about 92 miles to the interstate, 4 miles to the National Highway System (NHS, non‑interstate routes), 52 miles to state non‑NHS routes and about 4.3 miles to class 1 town highways.
Committee members pressed witnesses about federal matches and program rules. Rogacic said interstate projects typically carry a roughly 90/10 federal/state split and that most non‑interstate NHS and state system projects follow roughly an 80/20 split, though program-specific rules can vary. The agency representative also pointed lawmakers to project‑number prefixes in the white book and an NHS map to confirm designations.
On how projects are chosen, Jennifer ***** of the Vermont Agency of Transportation explained that the VAMUS asset‑management system generates candidate lists based on pavement condition and other inputs; districts and maintenance staff then collaborate with program staff to select and finalize projects within budget constraints. She said winter conditions can alter the second half of the year’s release of projects.
The committee heard summaries of 10G reports—lists the agency uses to flag new, expanded or completed projects. Rogacic said the paving program had few large expansion items this year but listed several added district‑level and sensor (weigh‑in‑motion) smoothing projects. For roadway and traffic programs, he noted emergency response projects, culvert replacements and several construction contracts now in or approaching the bid phase.
Lawmakers also asked about schedules and litigation risk for high‑profile jobs, including Champlain Parkway and major reconstructions; Rogacic said projects with construction funds showing in fiscal 2027 generally had low schedule‑slip risk but cautioned that right‑of‑way acquisition remains a source of uncertainty for many roadway projects.
The presentation concluded with highlights of the traffic and safety program—an appropriation of nearly $54 million for FY27, an increase of about $8 million—covering intersection reconstructions, signal projects, pavement markings and crash‑reporting systems. Rogacic described planned improvements to the advanced transportation management system that supports 511 traveler information and changeable message signage.
The committee identified several follow‑up items, including requests for more detailed project breakdowns by mile/classification and clarification about the advertisement schedules for specific projects. The chair recessed the session for a break and scheduled follow up as needed.
