February 16, 2023
Rep. Molly Burke:
-H101, transportation bill
-Legislative climate initiative working group
-Ten years ago, the org fell apart when Massachusetts and Connecticut pulled out of the deal
-Fee-bate program: lower efficiency vehicles pay more in registration, fuel efficient cars pay less
-Mobility transportation grants to fund transit feasibility studies, like the current micro-transit pilot program in Montpelier (fixed rate bus serivce). Also funds Old Spokes Home.
-Program to help people access lower cost transportation (used cars).
-Require AOT to update VTrans state standards
-Language around trying to extend Amtrak service, bring the Greenfield, MA line up the river
-Fare-free rural transit efforts
-Still money from BAA going into the ebike incentive program.
-100k spent in less than 8 weeks, very popular program.
-Rep. Priestley:
-MTI grants that are “first come first serve” can be challenging for first time or smaller projects. Is there potential to create additional guidelines around geographic diversity, size of project, priority for high need or underserved communities.
-Rep. Burke: Looking at needs of low income communities, providing higher incentives for these programs. Looking at arts council and better connections grants in relation to holistic community projects- bigger than transportation.
Kati Gallagher
-Complete Streets
-Complete Streets is part of H101, Rep. Burke sponsored the first complete streets in 2011.
-This addresses the needs of all users in a transportation system, looks at VTs aging population and examines needs for better community/street design
-Presented to transportation committee yesterday
-Part of the Sustainable Communities program with VNRC, working to coordinate transportation for Vermonters, cross-sector advocacy coalition focused on transportation in rural state. AARP is a member of this coalition
-40% of greenhouse gas emission come from transportation, 40% of energy dollars go towards transportation
-In the past decades, homes have been built for single families, lots of kids, in suburbs. -Important to consider how communities are working for folks who are not able bodied, don’t have access to personal vehicles, etc
-AARP has done several studies that show that older folks AND who can’t stay in their homes due to mobility or access do prefer to at least stay in their communities.
-Complete Streets is not a set of strict uniform guidelines, it is more focused on keeping in mind the needs of the whole community when developing
-Complete Streets relates to housing conversation- land use, the way that we develop communities.
-Addresses walking and biking- making pedestrians more visible, bump-outs, street design guidelines
-Long-term and short-term Complete Streets goals
-Light update to CS policies
-Making data public
-Asking VTrans to partner with stakeholders at the municipal level
-Training for towns on how to achieve Complete Streets
Q: The town of wardsboro has no sidewalks, no village center, no full time staff….how would Complete Streets come into play for a town like this?
Kati Gallagher: If the community wanted to do a project (example: a sidewalk)- talk to VTrans. Complete Streets only goes into effect if there is a new planning/street related project in development.
Rural lens discussion for future Rural Caucus
-”Rural lens” is a way for the caucus to look at bills that come off the wall in committee
-Considering the needs of rural Vermonters in all new legislation
-Caucus will look at this language in coming weeks
Amy Shollenberger
-Today is SNAP Awareness day
-There will be witnesses in several committees discussing the program and its future in Vermont
-SNAP (or 3SquaresVT) is a food benefit program, cards with cash
-During COVID, people who were already on went up to the maximum amount of benefits, the “Emergency allotment”
-The final payment for families will be next month, in March
-Majority of households in VT will lose $100-500 month, with a smaller amount who will lose up to $2,000/month. People are very worried about these benefits going away
-72,000 Vermonters receive SNAP benefits, which translates to $6.5 mil of federal money per month to Vermont
-The Vermont Foodbank has $3 million base funding request to distribute throughout state for food purchases and supporting community partners
-Pushing for Universal School Meals to be a permanent program, funded off the top of the education fund
-Also asking to support the Older Vermonters nutrition program.
-Everyone Eats
-Serious concern about this being framed as a “food security” program.
-Mostly was designed to support restaurants
-Very expensive per meal.
-Food security organizations are concerned about dollars being diverted away from their programs to funds Everyone Eats
Omnibus and bill update
-Date for submitting final bills is February 21
-No draft of omnibus yet but will see it ASAP
-Will look to caucus for signatures and sign ons