In This Issue

JANUARY

1/21, 6pm: CCRPC Commission Meeting

1/21, 6pm: Public Forum on the CCRPC FY16 work plan (part of the regularly scheduled CCRPC Commission meeting)

1/29, 6pm: Milton US-7 Corridor Study Public Meeting # 2 (held in Milton) [Learn More]

2/3, 9am: CCRPC Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting

2/4, 5:45pm: CCRPC Executive Committee Meeting

2/10, 9am: LEPC-1 Meeting

2/11, 1pm: Right of Way Training

2/16: CCRPC Office Closed

2/18, 6pm: CCRPC Commission Meeting

2/19, 10am: Chittenden County Regional Stormwater Education Program & Chittenden County Stream Team Meetings

3/4, 5:45pm: CCRPC Executive Committee Meeting

3/11, 2:30pm: CCRPC Planning Advisory Committee Meeting

3/18, 6pm: CCRPC Commission Meeting

Stay connected with the 2015 legislative session by viewing current bills, upcoming committee agendas and more.

Are you a rampant recycler? Do you carry your banana peel home when you can't find a compost bin? Are you on a mission to reduce waste and spread good fun in the process? If so, the Chittenden Solid Waste District wants your help. CSWD is looking for friendly, enthusiastic, volunteer Waste Warriors to help bring its waste reduction mission to life at Chittenden County events.

Chittenden County residents who live on a cul-de-sac or a dead-end street are invited to participate in a research study that involves a brief online survey. This study is being conducted by student researcher Marshall Distel from the University of Vermont.

Focal research question: What are people's experiences living on cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets?

Questions? Please feel free to contact Marshall Distel with questions about this study: mdistel@uvm.edu or 802-793-3824

Looking for ways to volunteer this spring? View the United Way's Ways of Caring Newsletter for many volunteer opportunities in the area.

Do you own an electric vehicle, or are you thinking about owning one in the future? Check out Drive Electric Vermont's tips for driving an electric vehicle, including during freezing temperatures.

[Learn More]  

LED bulbs use up to 80% less electricity than incandescent bulbs and half as much as CFLs. They're great for so many uses including task lights, outdoor lights, and track lights. Visit the Efficiency Vermont website to learn more about different types of LEDs and incentive offers. Try one this week and start saving!

Via The Washington Post -- For a state with such a small population, Vermont churns out a lot of Peace Corps volunteers.

In an article published in December by The Washington Post, Vermont was listed as having the most per capita volunteers in the global volunteer program started 53 years ago by President John F. Kennedy. Vermont has 7.8 volunteers per 100,000 residents in Peace Corps as of Sept. 30, 2014.

Via MSN Money - We've found the 15 hottest US cities for 2015, all of which will be booming next year thanks to new jobs, growing industries, burgeoning art and food scenes, and affordable real estate.

To compile this list, we looked at job growth, population growth, affordability, livability, and the health and well-being of the residents. We also considered how innovative and "cool" the city is -- an important factor in attracting young, creative types.

[Learn More]

Of Note

The CCRPC is accepting applications for its FY16 UPWP until 4:30pm, Friday, January 23. The application and all related forms are available online. [Learn More]

The CCRPC was awarded a 2014 Excellence in Regional Transportation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for its VT Circumferential Highway Alternatives Planning Process. Senior Transportation Planner Christine Forde (left) accepted the award on the CCRPC's behalf in Ohio in December. [Learn More]

Transportation News

On Tuesday, March 31, two Burlington Neighborhood Planning Assemblies will host a one-day workshop that addresses the ABCs of roundabout design, examines its many benefits ranging from reduced delay for all to sharp pollution cuts, and analyzes a Burlington intersection for roundabout conversion. The event will be held 8am-4pm at UVM and is co-sponsored by AARP Vermont, UVM Center on Aging, Addison County RPC, Chittenden County RPC, Northwest RPC, Vermont Local Roads and VTrans. [Learn More & Register]

AECOM Technology Corporation's Transportation Demand Management Practice is looking to hire a School Outreach Coordinator for the Vermont Safe Routes to School Program. [Learn More]

VTrans is developing an On-Road Bicycle Plan in support of enhancing on-road bicycle improvements on state highways. This planning effort will use public input and roadway characteristics to categorize state highway corridors into several tiers. The plan will assist VTrans in understanding where to focus limited resources toward bicycle improvements and allow better integration into Agency projects. The second statewide public meeting on this plan will be held on April 30, 2015. [Learn More]

Milton and Westford Elementary Schools are two of the nine statewide Safe Routes to School (SRTS) partners to be selected for the 2015 School Zone Safety Initiative offered by VTrans to upgrade their school zone. This initiative has been created to help achieve uniform applications of traffic control devices within Vermont's local school zones for the purpose of enhancing the safety of road users. These projects will be 100% federally funded using allocated Highway Safety Funds through MAP-21. [Learn More]

For a full list of transportation projects, visit the CCRPC Transportation Advisory Committee website; a full project list is provided in every TAC agenda and is updated regularly. [View the January 2015 TAC Agenda]

New transportation projects underway:

• Shelburne Village Sidewalk Construction Project to complete remaining sidewalk on the west side of Route 7 between the Shelburne Museum and the Village
• South Burlington Sidewalk Construction Project on VT 116 to extend existing sidewalk to Tilley Drive
• Charlotte Village Area Projects, including: Intersection of US-7/Ferry Road/Church Hill; Park & Ride Scoping Study; Sidewalk Scoping Study, Ferry Road from US-7 to Greenbush Road
• Underhill Sidewalk Implementation Project
• South Burlington Scoping Project to assess bike/ped gaps at four locations
• Jericho Scoping Project for bike/ped improvements from Lee River Road to Jericho Corners
• Milton Sidewalk Scoping Project to evaluate alternatives for bike/ped improvements near the Railroad Street crossing
• Hinesburg Sidewalk Scoping Studies

If you have questions or would like additional information on any of the projects listed above, please contact Emma Long at the CCRPC: elong@ccrpcvt.org.

Economy

LaunchVT is a business pitch competition awarding cash and in-kind resources to entrepreneurs who deliver plans for a new business enterprise that demonstrates exceptional potential in today's market. [Learn More]

The Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC) authorized incentives totaling $3.8 million under the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program, which will encourage the creation of 557 new, well-paying jobs for Vermonters, with an average compensation of $50,385. Of the seven companies, three are in Chittenden County: Twincraft, Inc. (Winooski), G.S. Blodgett Corporation (Essex), and Flex-A-Seal Inc. (Essex). [Learn More]

Quality of Place

What does thoughtful growth look like in Essex Junction? How can Five Corners become a more vibrant and walkable center? Join the public process to create a master plan for the Essex Junction Village Center. [Learn More]

An exciting four days of learning, sharing and in-depth discussions about what you think the South End should look like in the decades to come. Join us for one or more scheduled events during the four days or visit us anytime during open studio hours. [Learn More]

Melanie Needle, Senior Planner with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission is joined by Kelly Hamshaw (UVM Center for Rural Studies), Raquel Aronhime (United Way of Chittenden County) and Ryan Mitofsky (Vermont Department of Health) to discuss the CAPE Project, which is dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices for benchmarking community behavioral health. [Watch the Show]

In December, the Burlington City Council unanimously approved a robust plan to engage the public around the redevelopment of the Burlington Town Center mall. The proposed investment of more than $200 million in new retail, office space, housing, and public spaces would create new jobs, grow state and local revenues, restore public north-south pedestrian and bike connections through the mall along the St. Paul Street and Pine Street corridors, create a dramatic new roof-top park between Church Street and Macy's, revitalize Bank and Cherry streets and the surrounding downtown, and complement the City's new multi-modal transit center with one of Vermont's first transit-oriented developments. [Learn More & Get Involved]

Energy & Natural Resources

South Burlington has officially made the semi-final round of the Georgetown University Energy Prize with a chance to win $5,000,000. This competition is challenging communities around the country to achieve innovative, replicable, scalable and continual reductions in electric and natural gas consumption. Help South Burlington celebrate making it to the semi-final round on Saturday, January 24th from 1-4pm. There will be food, music, games, partner table displays, activities for all ages, and door prizes every 30 minutes. [Learn More]

Vermont's statutory goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 75 percent by 2050 and its Comprehensive Energy Plan goal of meeting 90 percent of the state's energy needs with renewable energy by 2050 are ambitious and will require effective policy and technology pathways to be realized. The Public Service Department recently released a Total Energy Study that examines the costs, benefits, and challenges associated with various combinations of policy and technology strategies. [Learn More]

The $1 trillion spending plan signed into law by President Barack Obama in late December includes more money for Lake Champlain. About $4.4 million will support Lake Champlain's water quality restoration and monitoring effort. [Learn More]

Emergency Preparedness

By signing up for VT-Alert, you can receive warnings and emergency information via the web, your cell phone, email and other technologies. The information relayed will include severe weather warnings, significant highway closures, hazardous materials spills, and many other emergency conditions. It is a free tool to provide you with critical information when you may need it most. You can modify what type of information you receive or unsubscribe at any time. [Learn More & Sign Up]

Flood damage has become more common and more costly. All over the state, selectboard members, planning commission members, town officials, planners, and residents are working to address known flood risks and to avoid increasing their exposure to flood damage. Check out Flood Ready Vermont, a new website with online tools, maps and useful information to help communities become flood resilient. [Learn More]

For questions regarding Emergency Preparedness, including LEPC 1, please contact Lee Krohn in the CCRPC office: lkrohn@ccrpcvt.org.

Save the Date

The Vermont Council on Rural Development is launching the Vermont Climate Economy Council at the "Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change Summit" to be held at Vermont Technical College on February 18, 2015. The conference is built on the premise that confronting climate change through innovative economic development can be a competitive strategy, one that will build national reputation, create jobs, and attract youth and entrepreneurism to the states that lead. [Learn More & Register]

The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce 2015 small BIZ VT summit will focus on opportunities for small business owners and future owners. [Learn More & Register]

Take advantage of the incredible access we have in Vermont to our legislative leaders and join us in March! We've invited the Lt. Governor, House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tem to join us. Come enjoy a delicious breakfast and the opportunity to ask our leaders your questions. [Learn More & Register]

Vermontivate!, an award-winning community sustainability game that brings fun and competition to the serious work of tackling global climate change, provides opportunities for participants to reduce energy consumption and air pollution emissions, increase their travel options and support our local economy. This year's game kicks off on March 23. [Learn More]

VTrans will hold the second statewide meeting on its On-Road Bicycle Plan using Vermont Information Technologies (VIT). The public meeting will raise awareness about the project, promote the WikiMapping tool and seek input from attendees on corridor identification and prioritization techniques. [Learn More]

Comprised of 9 states, 7 APA Chapters and the 6 provinces of eastern Canada, the Northeast Region of APA is putting on a conference in 2015 that will prepare planners for what's next, arming them with the skills, knowledge, and support they need to "get ahead of the future." [Learn More & Register]