Feasibility study for establishing passenger rail service along the Vermont Western Corridor

The Vermont Agency of Transportation engaged consultants to consider the feasibility of establishing passenger railroad services on the existing railroad rights-of-way between Charlotte and Burlington, Vermont and to develop the federally required Environmental Assessment. The passenger rail would be constructed to improve mobility in the corridor, alleviate growing traffic demands, and relieve congestion associated with the proposed construction activities on US Route 7, projected to last two years. This document outlines environmental consequences of the proposed project, passenger rail, and compares it to environmental consequences of the No-Build Alternative. The portion of Chittenden County that is the focus of this Environmental Assessment extends from Ferry Road in Charlotte to Main Street in Burlington and from Lake Champlain to the Hinesburg town line, Vermont Route 116, and Dorset Street. The study area is centered on U.S. Route 7, Shelburne Road, and is commonly referred to as the Shelburne Road Corridor. The Corridor includes the portions of Chittenden County encompassed by the towns of Charlotte, Shelburne, South Burlington and Burlington.

The intent of this Major Investment Study (MIS) is to provide the MPO, State AOT, transit operators, and other local decision-makers with comprehensive infonnation and analyses on a corridor level so that informed decisions regarding transportation investments can be made. In the transportation Corridor of US Route 7 between Charlotte and Burlington in Chittenden County, Vermont, there is a need to improve mobility. The transportation needs of the region have been the focus of many recent and historic studies and many projects to meet those needs have been posed as solutions.

The cities of Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski explored Light-Rail Transit systems (LRT) for a consensus on a preferred strategy to improve public transportation linkages between the downtown commercial cores of the three cities.

The Act 250 permit approval for the Burlington Waterfront Park requires that a traffic study be completed to assess the conditions at the College Street railroad crossing. This study documents the summer of 1993 pedestrian and vehicular traffic counts as well as a five year projection of pedestrian and vehicular volumes at the crossing locations. The focus of the study is to evaluate the safety of the College Street railroad crossing.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation, together with the Vermont Rail Council and its team of consultants, has completed this final report of the Vermont Rail Feasibility Study. The goals of the study were to look at opportunities for expanding passenger rail service in the State of Vermont, the feasibility of implementing commuter rail service as part of a Route 7 Reconstruction traffic mitigation program, ways to improve the economic benefits to the State from its rail freight industry, and strategies regarding abandoned or under-used rail rights-of-way. The results of the study have been incorporated into a set of conclusions and recommendations.

A short paper discussing feasibility of a Downtown Burlington to Airport LRT line as an economic development strategy.

The feasibility of commuter rail service has been proposed for study on three routes serving Burlington and neighboring communities: 1. Montpelier Junction/Essex Junction/Burlington, 2. St. Albans/Essex Junction/Burlington, and 3. Middlebury/Burlington/Essex Junction. Determination of proposed commuter rail service feasibility is a four step process, incorporating the following successive assessments: Is the proposed service physically and operationally feasible? What patronage might the service attract? What would the service cost? Is the service sufficiently attractive to warrant the expenditure of public funds from a cost-effectiveness standpoint or on the basis of community goals and objectives?

Privately developed proposal submitted to the Vermont Agency of Transportation.