Report: Vermont's infrastructure needs major improvements

The Vermont Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the first "Report Card" of its kind in Vermont. The Report Card provides an evaluation and letter grade for Vermont’s roads, bridges, dams, municipal drinking water, and municipal wastewater systems. Of the five areas of infrastructure, grades ranged from a “C” to a “D-“, with roads and municipal wastewater scoring the lowest.

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VTrans grants help establish four new bus routes

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has awarded grants totaling nearly $285,000 to help establish four new bus routes under the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program. The competitive grants were awarded to Chittenden County Transit Authority (CCTA), Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR), Deerfield Valley Transit Association (DVTA), Green Mountain Community Network, Inc. (GMCNI) and Rural Community Transportation (RCT). 

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Report: Vermont ranked first in nation for pedestrian safety

ermont earned top honors when it comes to pedestrian safety, according to a new report from the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The state ranks first among states for pedestrian safety, and third among states for walking to work. Investment in bicycling and walking likely explains the high rankings.

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Vermont firms team up to spread smart grid, broadband Internet

Up to 250,000 smart-grid meters, which allow energy consumers to monitor their electiricy use, are coming to under-served areas of Vermont during the next two years. Their success will depend on expanded broadband technology to transmit information. Green Mountain Power Corp, Central Vermont Public Service Corp., and Vermont Telephone Co. are all partners in the deal. 

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Draft horses bring fiber optics to remote locations

FairPoint is one of a handful of companies that is working to lay fiber-optic cable to homes even in the most remote areas of the state.

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Vermont lags in making roads safe for all

Vermont ranked just 34th in the nation for being bike-friendly last year, according to the League of American Bicyclists. 

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A netbook for every student

For the students in Hannah Estey and Rebecca Zavadil’s fifth-grade classes, Christmas came a bit early this year. On Thursday, the Bristol Elementary School fifth-graders all received new Dell netbooks to use at school and at home through the end of the school year as part of the education portion of the “e-Vermont” grant awarded to the town earlier this year.

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Google Delays Fiber Network Decision Until 2011

Burlington Telecom and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority can cross one item off their Christmas wish list: An announcement from Google about which community will be home to an experimental high-speed fiber internet in the United States. Google originally said it would make its decision by the end of the year, but last week the tech company announced it was delaying its decision until early 2011.

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Vermont receives funding for Amtrak

Vermont's congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday the release of $50 million in federal stimulus money for upgrades to the Amtrak passenger track from St. Albans to Vernon. Recently approved by the Federal Railroad Administration, the improvements to the 190-mile stretch will allow trains to decrease travel time by roughly an hour through Vermont and Massachusetts in the country's single largest rail improvement project. 

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Vermonters get assurances on broadband service within three years

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Saturday secured a commitment that virtually all Vermonters will have affordable access to broadband Internet service within three years. The Vermont Telephone Co., which won the biggest slice of $172 million of federal stimulus funds to bring broadband service to Vermont, pledged to help bring 21st century computer access to Vermont businesses, schools and hospitals. .

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Vermont company wins $5.5 million broadband grant

A $5.5 million federal grant and loan package to Waitsfield and Champlain Telecom will help connect its most rural and remote customers to high-speed fiber optic Internet access, members of Vermont’s congressional delegation said Wednesday.

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Vermont struggles to extend broadband

Marlene and Mike McCarty, real estate brokers who do much of their work at home less than four miles from the Statehouse, say they spend hundreds of dollars and hours each month on things they wouldn't have to if they had broadband Internet access. Despite promises for years by state officials and phone and cable companies that they would have broadband by 2010, they're still waiting.

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Vermont: Unfriendly for cyclists?

Vermont lags behind much of the country in its provisions for bicyclists, according to a recent, national ranking of states' bike friendliness. The state slipped from 21st in 2009 to 34th in a report released last month by Washington-based League of American Bicyclists, largely due to other states' significant efforts to pass legislation protecting cyclists and enhance their infrastructure. While a few states climbed as much as 20 slots in the rankings, Vermont had the single largest decline.

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VTel broadband goals set for state

Even though we are now 10 years into the new millennium, residents across large swaths of the state still rely on dial-up Internet – or in some cases — have no access at all. However, the president of Vermont Telephone Company has plans that could, if the funding comes through, provide high-speed Internet access to the most far-flung mountain hollows. VTel President J. Michel Guite is spearheading a campaign to make high-speed Internet access available to all residents, schools, and public safety and municipal organizations.

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Douglas to sign record-high transportation bill

The state of Vermont's biggest-ever transportation spending bill — $595 million — will become law Wednesday when Gov. Jim Douglas signs a bill at a ceremony in Stowe. The bill, which passed the Legislature in its recent session, includes about $182 million in state funding, $275 million in regular federal funding and $80 million in federal stimulus funds. Among other things, it calls for $113 million worth of major rehabilitation and maintenance work on Vermont bridges.

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