ONE REGIONAL TRANSIT AGENCY BOARD AND AMTRAK CONNECTIVITY

Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Rail Passenger Service—Apparently not a Priority

Visited Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) Board meeting and spoke at the beginning of the “public” item on the agenda June 18 where CCTA and many other public boards and commissions allow anyone wishing to speak a chance express their concerns and views.

After introducing myself and explaining I was a member of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) and concerned about lack of connectivity on Saturday and Sundays to the Amtrak Vermonter service at Essex (Monday through Friday connections are excellent), the overall reaction of the Board could not have been cooler.  No response to my concern or even acknowledgement the problem exists was offered.  Connectivity by Vermont’s regional transit agencies to all Amtrak stations is a major problem at a time when every additional Amtrak rider decreases needed State dollars—now budgeted $7 million a year. 

Even though CCTA receives the majority of its funding from State, federal and local tax dollars, CCTA leaders remain clearly unsympathetic to the overall needs of public transportation which includes rail passenger services, particularly in regard to integrated, coordinated scheduling.

The advent of service by Amtrak to Burlington now set for 2017 through extension of the Ethan Allen service from Rutland to Burlington also was stated to the CCTA Board and a flyer on a study of commuter rail feasibility which builds off the success of CCCTA Link, a ten year old commuter service from Burlington to Montpelier, Middlebury and St. Albans now serving about 500 commuters on 50 buses each workday—a clear indication that commuter rail service can be marketed to and from Burlington.  The Board reaction was that commuter rail would be good if it can be shown to be economic, an interesting thought in view of the fact that two-thirds of the CCTA budget comes from governmental sources and its stated mission is support of quality public transportation services.  The Board suggested that ideas about commuter rail be brought to the attention of the CCTA “management.”

It appears clear that federal and State agencies which fund public transit agencies in Vermont represent the only realistic avenue to assure coordination and integration of rail and bus transport services.  However a 2013 comprehensive statewide intercity bus service plan also contains no consideration of rail passenger services much less coordination of existing regional transit to access Amtrak intercity services.   So much for the multi-modal, integrated transportation system first called for at the beginning of the 1990s in both State and federal transportation law.

THE ECOS "POPULATION ELF"

The Ecos “Population Elf”

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) in its “Ecos" regional plan wants County citizens to add the “Population Elf” to the Easter Bunny and Abominable Snowperson.  That’s right, even though the under- 18 population continued to decline 2000-2010 somehow the Population Elf elevates future population growth to double that for the last decade to over 2,000 yearly, and the CCRPC claims 35,000 population growth from 2015 through 2035.

Forget recent continuing decline in population increases in Vermont and the County decade by decade, and forget the pesky Census (it’s only a “government estimate” really) which suggests Vermont with practically no increase in the under 65 age group 2000-2030 while the over 65 age crowd more than doubles.  (Governor Douglas tended to side with Census and not the Population Elf on population data.)  And, of course, forget the under 1,300 average yearly County population increase 1990-2011, and under 1,000 yearly 2000-2011—again those pesky Census folks at work.  

Then there are those stubbon under-30 generation folks who increasingly refuse to get driver licenses—a drop of 20% at last count.  But the Population Elf will get after these young folks to get to their Chevrolet freedom and stop shifting to those 50 Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) Link commuter buses each workday.  Yes, about 50 commuters abandoning their cars yearly for the bus, perhaps to try to make their family budgets work.

Oh, Burlington citizens, just ignore the fact that all major approach streets from the burbs—Colchester Ave., Main St., the Northern Connector, Pine St., Shelburne St.—boast traffic declines of 8 to 29% since traffic peaked about 20-25 years ago in the late 1980s.  Believe the Population Elf and his twin, the Traffic Growth Elf, not the lying statistics! The Population Elf will get to work to change the accelerating downward trend in City car traffic after it stops the flood of commuters converting from car drivers to bus riders.  The Population Elf assures us transportation sector stops its cutting greenhouse gases, now about back to about 1990 (down 8% 2000-2010 statewide) and aiming at 1980s and even 1970s levels.

The CCRPC inherits the legacy of the former Metropolitan Planning Organization where the Vermont Digger nicely summarized, $40 million in design and planning funds went down the tubes on the Circumferential Highway.  Maybe with a little extra help the CCRPC Population Elf can revive this plan also.

Seriously, what we need at this point is a little honesty and integrity in regional and local planning.  Population and traffic numbers and projections need to be backed up with peer reviews of those with long term experience in the areas.  

In transportation policy and programming this means accepting the end of the car age and starting by plowing full speed ahead with commuter rail from the Burlington to Montpelier, St. Albans and Middlebury.  Finally, it means unclogging intersections for all users and that goal along with safety, the first priority, cannot be done without converting County intersections on a priority basis with roundabouts.  At the same time let’s revive the Burlington waterfront with a quality connection using light rail to the Marketplace, UVM and Fletcher Allen.  However, even with all this the Population Elf likely remains in the realm of myth, right where it began in Ecos.

SHODDY BURLINGTON CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN?

The Burlington Climate Action Plan (BCAP) just issued apparently contains a serious overstatement of transportation growth in the three year analyzed, 2007-2010. Transportation, mostly car and truck travel, is the area which contributes about half of all global warming emissions in the City and the State. But, Vermont gasoline consumption declined 8% 2000-2010, as reported in the annual Federal Highway Administration statistics series. In fact the Vermont trend, if continued, would easily bring us to 1990 numbers by 2020 in view of stalled car travel and new vehicle fuel efficiency standards. Average motor fuel use for New England states increase was barely 0.6% average total for the 2000-2010 decade. Note the historic low New England State average car travel increase reached barely 3% last decade and Rhode Island car travel actually went negative.

Even more impressive data calls BCAP transportation data, conclusions and policies into question.   In addition about 500 commuters to and from Burlington using the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) "Link" services dailty by next June (about half on the Montpelier route with its 24 buses) traffic since 2006 on I 89 between Waterbury and Montpelier exits declined 7% 2006 to this spring.  Link services started early last decade and grew to the 46 buses each workday in three corridors out of Burlington.   In addition appreciate the truly miraculous work  since 2000 by the Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA) efforts on behalf of their three key members--UVM, Champlain College, and Fletcher Allen with their 10,000 employees--cutting solo car commuting14%, reducing student and employee car use through providing universal access to CCTA buses, and identifying student reduction of bringing cars to campuses resulting from both the CCTA access and student use of a new car sharing rental service. The City needs to have the planners revisit the basis for the BCAP study and update--the estimate of car travel growth appears unrealistic and the BCAP does not appear to take into consideration the scope of the impact of CATMA demand management for the 2007-2010 analysis period and beyond.  The issue of addressing climate change is far to important to be the subject of the apparent shoddy work in the new BCAP plan. Planners and statisticians need to do better!