- Regional Transportation (1998)
- Transportation (2011)
- Transportation Funding
Regional Transportation (1998)
The four state delegations from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island concur on regional transportation goals.
Position In Brief:
The LWV 1998 Quad States Council (including the four state delegations from LWV-ME, NH, VT, RI) support action to encourage participation and cooperation in promoting regional transportation initiatives. The goal is regional planning and implementation of integrated transportation systems throughout New England. Specific objectives include:
- Construction of the North/South rail link in Boston, Massachusetts
- Passenger rail links to Canada with improved border crossings
- Measures to reduce vehicular pollution
- More energy efficient transportation system
- Passenger rail service linking all of New England
Position History:
1998
The LWV 1998 Quad States Council (including the four state delegations from LWV-ME, NH, VT, RI) support action to encourage participation and cooperation in promoting regional transportation initiatives. The goal is regional planning and implementation of integrated transportation systems throughout New England. Specific objectives include:
- Construction of the North/South rail link in Boston, Massachusetts
- Passenger rail links to Canada with improved border crossings
- Measures to reduce vehicular pollution
- More energy efficient transportation system
- Passenger rail service linking all of New England
Transportation (2011)
The League is in favor of bicycle paths, walkways, electric powered vehicles, as well as geographic and intermodal connectivity.
Position In Brief:
How we address our transportation challenges impacts our health, climate, energy efficiency, environmental quality and foreign policy. Therefore, The League of Women Voters of Vermont supports:
Alternative modes of transportation that promote good health and environmental quality, such as bicycle and walkways, and provision for electric-powered vehicles. Recognizing the needs of this predominately rural state, the League supports efforts to move to shared and public transportation where feasible.
Geographic and intermodal connectivity, recognizing that transportation policy is a means of strengthening local communities. The League also supports the creative and increased use of existing resources.
The concept that all forms of transportation are the shared responsibility of local, state, and federal government.
Position History:
2011
How we address our transportation challenges impacts our health, climate, energy efficiency, environmental quality and foreign policy. Therefore, The League of Women Voters of Vermont supports:
Alternative modes of transportation that promote good health and environmental quality, such as bicycle and walkways, and provision for electric-powered vehicles. Recognizing the needs of this predominately rural state, the League supports efforts to move to shared and public transportation where feasible.
Geographic and intermodal connectivity, recognizing that transportation policy is a means of strengthening local communities. The League also supports the creative and increased use of existing resources.
The concept that all forms of transportation are the shared responsibility of local, state, and federal government.
Transportation Funding
The League supports a variety of taxes and fees related to transportation to support transportation infrastructure, but is against a miles-travelled tax; the League supports fuel assistance for low-income Vermonters.
Position In Brief:
The League supports a variety of taxes and fees related to transportation to support transportation infrastructure, but is against a miles-travelled tax; the League supports fuel assistance for low-income Vermonters. The League opposes transferring funds from the state Transportation Funds to programs and funds that are not transportation related.
The state must provide for revenue sources to meet its responsibility for transportation infrastructure. Taxes and fees should be structured to keep pace with inflation and the long term maintenance and replacement of roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure. Therefore the League of Women Voters of Vermont supports:
- A gasoline tax based on a combination of a flat fee per gallon and a percentage of the price.
- Indexing the flat portion of the tax to inflation so that the real value of the tax does not decrease over time.
- Increasing the 2% average quarterly retail price per gallon adder to the flat rate, that was set for the Motor Fuel Transportation Infrastructure Assessment (MFTIA).
- An increase in the gas tax as needed to meet long-term infrastructure and other transportation needs.
- Registration fees for private vehicles based on weight as is done for commercial vehicles.
- Weight limits on the federal interstate highway system that are consistent with state limits.
The League of Women Voters of Vermont:
- Opposes the transfer of funds from the state Transportation Fund to state programs and funds that are not transportation related.
- Does not support a miles travelled tax at the state level due to concerns with implementation and fairness in a state where public transportation is not widely available.
- Recognizing that the gas tax will be most burdensome to low income Vermonters, the League supports fuel assistance measures to relieve this burden.