Lawmakers Want to Review Safe Roads at Safe Speeds Policy

Posted on February 3, 2011 by vtlocalroads

WCAX Channel 3 and the Burlington Free Press report today on House members who are advocating for the state to take up a bare roads policy, rather than the “safe roads at safe speeds,” policy that has been in place since 1981. Governor Peter Shumlin, who took a ride on I-89 in a VTrans plow truck from the Middlesex garage yesterday, stated his administration will review the current safe roads policy.

 A switch in policy could be pricy, The Burlington Free Press reports. Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter told reporter Terri Hollenbeck switching policy would require the plowing workforce to double. This would infer an initial cost of $55 million, and $35 million each substituent year. The current state winter maintenance budget is $20 million.

VTrans Operations Director Scott Rogers discussed this issue earlier in the week on Vermont Public Radio’s “Vermont Edition.”

Lawmakers and state officials praised the hard work and effort by state transportation workers in the winter storm clean-up.

About vtlocalroads

The Vermont Local Roads Program at Saint Michael’s College is part of the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), a nationwide effort financed jointly by the Federal Highway Administration and individual State Departments of Transportation. Its purpose is to provide road and bridge know-how to municipal people involved with highways. There are LTAP Centers in 50 states and Puerto Rico and six Native American locations. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations presented on this page are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FHWA, VAOT or Saint Michael’s College. All references to proprietary items in this publication are not endorsements of any company or products. Sponsored by the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the Vermont Local Roads Program provides information, training and technical assistance to cities, towns and villages in Vermont. This is done by newsletters, seminars and workshops, distribution of publications and by response to requests.
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