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Transportation bill would let Green Mountain Transit budget anticipated voluntary local matches, increase grant caps and extend PPP authority
Summary
The draft lets Green Mountain Transit include anticipated voluntary local match contributions and non-assessment revenues in its proposed budgets, makes permanent a $600,000 project cap and temporarily raises the cap to $1.22 million for FY2027, and extends the Agency of Transportation's public-private partnership authority to 2029.
Committee counsel walked members through provisions affecting public transit and grant programs in the House-passed transportation bill.
Key changes include language allowing Green Mountain Transit Authority to include anticipated voluntary local match contributions, grants, donations and other non-assessment revenues in its proposed budget while clarifying those additions will not change a municipality's base assessment. The bill also makes permanent a $600,000 maximum allocation for Transportation Alternatives Grants and temporarily raises the FY2027 cap to $1.22 million to ensure federal-use-or-lose funds can be awarded. The Agency of Transportation's public-private partnership authority would be extended three years to July 1, 2029.
Damian Leonard noted the changes reflect practical challenges in awarding projects that rely on local matches and on timing for federal funds. Committee members asked agency witnesses to discuss the trade-offs of reallocating EV infrastructure-fee revenues away from charger programs and to confirm whether reallocated funds would continue to support charging infrastructure.
