VTrans outlines priorities in 2025 Vermont Rail Plan update, flags bike parking limits on Amtrak

Zoe Neaderland, VTrans, presented the 2025 Vermont Rail Plan update and preliminary recommendations to the Chittenden County Transportation Advisory Committee on March 5, 2025. She said the statewide plan is required for some grant programs and that the draft will be shared publicly and discussed in a hybrid meeting in Brattleboro.

Neaderland outlined three tiers of proposed initiatives mapped to goals including state of good repair, expanding rail capacity and use, funding, economic development, intermodal connectivity, and safety and resilience. She said the initiatives are preliminary and will be revised after public comment and further analysis.

Neaderland also reminded regional planners that VTrans provides access to a commercial big-data tool, Inrix, and that VTrans staff are available as resources to RPCs and municipalities. In response to questions about accommodations for bicycles on passenger trains, Neaderland said, “bicycles are allowed on Amtrak, one bike per car which equals four bikes per train,” and noted that increasing bike capacity would require removing passenger seats and could affect revenue generation. She said long-term secure bike parking at stations is included in station-upgrade recommendations.

Jonathan Slason of RSG noted from the meeting chat that similar issues arose for Caltrain, where surveys showed bike storage and loading were major constraints. Committee members discussed loading challenges for larger bikes and e-bikes and whether paid ticketing should guarantee bike space.

Neaderland said the plan is slated for acceptance by July 2025 and that VTrans will update the initiatives based on feedback gathered during the public outreach period and technical review.