| VERMONT CLEAN CITIES COALITION
Hosted by UVM Transportation Center
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eNewsletter 02.08.08
Your clearinghouse for news, programs, and funding related to
reducing the consumption of petroleum for transportation in Vermont
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Events
- Green Mountain CarShare Open House Wed. 2/13/08 5:30
- 7:30 Main Street Landing Train Station (Union Station), One Main St.,
Burlington. More Info: Email Annie Bourdon at aebourdon@yahoo.com
- All Charged Up: The Promise of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles Live Webinar Tues. 2/26/08 1:30. Register Here!
- Biofuels on the Agenda at Annual Meeting of the
Rutland Natural Resources Conservation District Tues. 2/26/08
11:00, South Station Restaurant, Rutland. More Info!
- Where is transportation going in the
"Complex, Large-Scale , Interconnected, Open Sociotechnical" Systems
Era Seminar w/ Dr. Joe Sussman of MIT Wed. 2/13/08 11:15 UVM Perkins
101. More Info!
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New Interactive Vermont Clean Cities Blog Site - Comment on Articles, Ask Questions, Give Suggestions - Click Here!
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Policy Watch
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Transportation $$$
Several Vermont towns and
Connecticut River Transit Inc. received money last week from different funds
that will inevitably better Vermont's
transportation infrastructure. 21 Vermont
towns will receive a total of $2.8 million in community enhancement grants from
the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Of 41 applicants Arlington,
Bennington,
Poultney, Hubbarton, and 17 others were chosen as grant recipients based on
their need for money that will go toward infrastructure improvements, including
roads, bridges and sidewalks as well as bike and walking paths. Brighton, South
Hero, and Wallingford
will receive the largest sum of $300,000 each. Connecticut River Transit also
recently received a grant of $10,000 from the Vermont Community Foundation.
Executive Director of Connecticut River Transit, Gary Fox, says the money will
help keep them running with rising fuel prices. [Sources: Rutland Herald, Burlington Free Press, & The Reformer]
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Policy Watch |
 Improving Safety for Cyclists
Cyclists may reap benefits from three bills proposed in the Vermont legislature this
session. The bills address the
vulnerability of cyclists on Vermont
roads. If passed the bills would, among
other things, create a 3 foot safety buffer around bikers potentially making
roads much safer for cyclists and drivers alike. The non-profit organization -
Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition - that works to promote biking and
walking in Vermont
is actively gathering signatures on a petition in support of the law proposed
in the three bills - H-577 Vulnerable Users; H-578 and S-275: 3-Foot Law. [Sources: Times Argus]
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Policy Watch
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 Is Rail an Option?
Bennington County is seeking new and improved options to
transport residents in, around, and out of the southwest corner of Vermont. Ever since
Vermont Transit pulled many of their lines out of this region public
transportation to places like Brattleboro and Albany, New York has
really been lacking, says Sen. Dick Sears of Bennington. Local officials are looking to
passenger rail as the most efficient and cost effective public transit option
for this region. However, Rep. Timothy Corcoran II of Bennington says at least $40 million will be
needed to start a passenger rail line. Getting people in this area to use
public transportation will be another difficult issue Bennington County
and transit planners may face. [Source: Bennington Banner]
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Policy Watch
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Manchester Looking to Save on Energy
Manchester
Vermont's Select Board recently
appointed seven members to the town's new energy committee. The committee
formed to, among other things, serve as a liaison between the town and
Efficiency Vermont will work on a long term energy plan for the town. John
O'Keefe town manager and committee member says a lot of work can be done to
reduce Manchester's
energy consumption including energy consumed in the transportation sector.
Already the town has instated an anti-idling policy for town vehicles while the
town's fleet uses 20 percent biodiesel fuel. [Source: Bennington Banner]
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Alternatives
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Rural Broadband May Equal More Telecommuting
A broadband system is set to hit rural Vermont. Modeled after Burlington Telecom's
municipal broadband network, East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network is
hoping to have 22 rural Vermont
towns online by the end of 2009. With commercial broadband providers failing to
meet the needs of rural Vermonters this new system could provide much needed
economical and cultural development, says Steve Willbanks, chairman of the
Strafford Selectboard - a key player in this project. Furthermore, this will
open a tremendous opportunity for citizens to telecommute, as the project has
been called a life-line for telecommuters in Vermont. [Sources: Burlington Free Press & WiFi New News]
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Fuels
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The Impacts of Ethanol
Ethanol has Vermont
farmers in a pinch. On top of rising fuel costs, a continuous burden on
farmers, grain prices are also rising, cutting into farmers' paychecks. China
and their increased demand for grains is also part of the issue, but Jim Bushey
of Boudreau Bros. a dairy farm in Middlebury says, "Corn is being used in the
ethanol business and has put a really severe demand on corn for ethanol into
automotive use." Corn futures were under $2 a bushel two years ago while now
March futures price has a bushel selling at almost $5. Soybean prices have also
doubled in the last year going from $5.60 a bushel to $11.92. [Sources: Times Argus, WCAX, & Earth Policy]
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In Other Vermont Transportation News...
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Transportation and Energy
"The
less traffic we generate, the less surface parking we have to build; the less
we have to spend on traffic improvements," says Town Planner Sarah Hadd at the
Transportation and Energy dominated Chittenden County Planning Conference. [Source: Burlington Free Press]
Putney's Route 5
The town of Putney may become
only the fourth town in Windham County
to manage a class 1 highway. There are plans in the works to turn up-keep
responsibility of Route 5 over to the town. [Source: The Reformer]
Vermont & Amtrak
Will Iowa pick up a funding
and partnership opportunity with Amtrak to test self-propelled passenger rail
cars that Vermont
was unable to come to terms on with the rail company? [Source: Des Moines Register]
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A Glimpse into Transportation at Large...
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| US Budgeting
The Bush administration is asking Congress for $175 million
to combat highway congestion. [Source: Greenwire]
"Feebates"
What if California
had a "feebate" law imposing charges and granting rebates based on a vehicle's
emissions? [Source: LA Times]
Electric Cars
Israel
to have first national infrastructure for electric cars... [Source: Scenta]
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Best regards,
Tristam Coffin, Research Assistant
Vermont Clean Cities Coalition,
University of Vermont Transportation Center
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| Funding |
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Closing date
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Coverage, description, eligibility.
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3/17/08
[View]
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Federal: Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program
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2/29/08
[View]
4/30/08
[View]
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Federal: Alternative Transportation - Parks & Public Lands Program
Federal: PHEV Technology Acceleration & Deployment Activity
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4/18/08
[View]
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Federal: Research & Development for On-Board Vehicular Hydrogen Storage
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4/15/08
[View]
3/28/08
[View]
5/2/08
[View] 5/1/08
[View]
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Federal: University Center Economic Development Program
Federal: Rural Development Utilities Programs Community Connect Grant Program
Regional: Sustainable Communities Grant
Regional: Environmental Grassroots Small Grant Funding
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Weekly
Petro-
Stats
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Gas at the Pump, VT
Crude Oil Futures
This Week
(Jan
30 - Feb 6)
$3.090/gallon
$89.77/barrel
Last Week
(Jan
22-29)
$3.124/gallon
$89.93/barrel
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Sources: Gas VT, Crude Oil
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