The purpose of this report is to present the institutional and financial strategy for implementing the Rt. 15 Corridor Improvement Plan, including the Burlington to Essex Rail Project, and to address the larger transit funding and institutional issues that are raised by the plan.

The Burlington-Essex Corridor Alternative Analysis Phase 1A Report recommended a multi-modal solution that included commuter rail, feeder bus service, and intersection improvements on Route 15 that was accepted by the CCMPO Board on September 26, 2001. The CCMPO Board formally approved the addition of the Route 15 Corridor Improvement Plan to the Chittenden County Long-Range Transportation Plan on March 20, 2002. The corridor plan serves as an “umbrella” for a number of proposed improvements within the Route 15 corridor and includes the Burlington-Essex Rail Project, along with highway and bike path improvements among others.