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RPCs press for bike‑ped investments and rail‑trail support as economic and safety tools

House Transportation Committee · February 11, 2026

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Summary

Northwest and Central Vermont regional planners told the House Transportation Committee they are pursuing bike‑ped corridors and rail‑trail investments to support commuting, recreation and local businesses, and asked for clearer VTrans guidance on demonstration projects and design standards.

Catherine Dimitrick, executive director of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, and Kyle Bringer, transportation planner, told the House Transportation Committee that rail trails and active‑transportation projects are key economic and safety assets for their region.

Dimitrick said the commission served as fiscal agent on a recent Route 100 corridor scoping study and that a Trail Friendly Business program is being expanded to connect trail users with local services. "We were the fiscal agent for that," she said, describing the commission’s role in coordinating routing studies and compatibility reviews with regional goals.

Bringer outlined several recent road‑erosion and culvert inventories conducted in Franklin and Grand Isle counties and described how RPCs leveraged other funding sources to support trail work. He said inventories and technical assistance help towns plan smaller, low‑cost traffic solutions and prepare larger applications for VTrans and federal programs.

Committee members discussed available funding streams; presenters noted that most bike‑ped and trail applications route through VTrans’ bike and pedestrian program or the Transportation Alternatives set‑aside, and that RPCs frequently assist with grant writing and project management.

Presenters also urged clearer, flexible VTrans design guidance for temporary demonstration projects (movable bollards, short trials) so towns can test changes before permanent construction. The committee did not take formal action during the hearing; presenters said they will continue coordinating with VTrans and local municipalities to advance projects.