Transportation coalition urges stable transit funding, VMT targets and refocus of TAP to walking and biking

Katie Gallagher, director of the Sustainable Communities Program at the Vermont Natural Resources Council, told the House Transportation Committee that the Transportation for Vermonters coalition is asking lawmakers to stabilize funding for walking, biking and transit, adopt measurable VMT reduction targets and ensure land-use planning under Act 181 supports transit and sidewalks.

"We have a goal of reducing the amount that we drive," Gallagher said, pressing the committee to ask the Agency of Transportation to work with ANR, DHCD, VAPTA and transit providers to develop statewide per-capita VMT reduction targets to guide investments.

The coalition framed transportation as central to housing affordability, public health and climate goals. Gallagher cited a stark figure—described in written testimony—that combining transportation and housing costs dramatically changes affordability comparisons between towns, and said aligning land use and transportation under Act 181 can reduce long-term costs for homeowners and municipalities.

Kelly Stoddard Ford, associate state director at AARP Vermont, told the panel Vermont’s aging population increases demand for transit and that public transportation is "a lifeline" for older adults, people with disabilities and residents without vehicle access. Ford reported that in fiscal 2025 Vermont transit provided more than 9,800 trips to adult day centers and noted statewide household spending on transportation in 2024 was $16,647 per year.

Ford warned that federal COVID-era dollars are waning and that structural state funding shortfalls are forcing service cuts. She said Vermont currently receives about $5.6 million annually in rural formula operating funds—roughly one-third of what advocates say is needed—and that FY26 requests for the older-adults-and-disability (O&D) program were about $6.1 million while funding levels settled near $5 million, leaving a roughly $1 million gap.

"Service cuts reduce ridership, which can jeopardize federal dollars," Ford said, urging the legislature to stabilize operating support, prioritize rural demand-response services and explore equitable revenue options such as registration fees, a rental car tax, retail delivery fees or mileage-based user fees.

Richard Amore, programs director at Local Motion, described local demonstration projects and the Better Connections planning process that let towns test temporary crosswalks and intersection improvements before committing capital. Amore also pressed for continued investment in the Downtown Transportation Fund and the Mobility and Transportation Innovation (MTI) program, noting last year’s one-time $5 million infusion broadened access but that the downtown fund will revert to approximately $550,000 this year while typical demand exceeds available dollars.

Amore criticized how Vermont has used the federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), saying a 2017 statutory change allowed up to 50% of TAP money to support environmental mitigation (culverts, salt sheds) and that over time TAP’s focus has drifted away from walking and biking. He proposed shifting the state’s allocation toward an 80/20 split—80% for active-transportation projects and Safe Routes to School work and 20% for environmental mitigation—while keeping planning and scoping eligible.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about that TAP proposal and whether it would eliminate other project types. Amore said the proposal would not eliminate planning or other federally-eligible projects but would prioritize projects that directly improve walking, biking and safe school routes.

Practitioners and local advocates added practical examples: a Newport senior’s quote read by Gallagher described how limited transit constrains independence; Jack Paul, who said he represents communities in the Upper Valley and has Safe Routes experience, said early-age education and targeted programs can reduce school car-line congestion.

No formal votes or motions were recorded in the transcript excerpt. Witnesses asked the committee to consider program-level stability for transit and active-transportation grants, clearer statewide targets for VMT reduction, and statutory or funding changes to prioritize Safe Routes to School and rural transit services.

Next steps indicated to the committee were continued budget deliberations and further testimony from additional witnesses later in the week.