AASHTO Journal - VTrans Awards Grants via Mobility Innovation Program

The Vermont Agency of Transportation – known as VTrans – recently awarded 14 grants worth a combined $1.3 million through its Mobility and Transportation Innovation or MTI program.

[Above photo by VTrans]

The agency said its MTI program aims to “incentivize” innovative strategies that improve mobility and access for transit-dependent Vermonters, reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles for work trips, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions or GHGs.

“Innovation like this is essential to meet the transportation needs of Vermont’s rural population and reduce GHGs,” said Ross MacDonald, public transit manager for VTrans, in a statement. “This is another huge step forward for the diversification of our state’s transportation system.”

[Editor’s note: VTrans was one of the two winners of the 2023 America’s Transportation Awards contest, taking home the People’s Choice Award for its Lamoille Valley Rail Trail project.]

The agency said the program – created by the state legislature with the passage of the 2020 Transportation Bill, known as Act 121 – will provide funding for a variety of projects, including:

The extension of existing Transportation Demand Management or TDM programs, such as Bike Share, and purchase of electric bicycles;
Support TDM programs such as Microtransit Services and Car Sharing; and
The creation and marketing of TDM resources such as carpool and vanpooling by enhancing and delivering resources and support for companies providing those services.

Many state DOTs are involved in similar efforts aimed at supporting and expanding a range of mobility innovations.

For example, in May, the Utah Department of Transportation – in collaboration with Utah State University – conducted a successful test of the state’s first air taxi launch from a “vertiport” using a Bell 505 Helicopter.

A “vertiport” is a defined area used for aircraft that will carry packages and people in the future. They can be located in places such as parking lots, the tops of office buildings, airports, and industrial complexes.

The agency said this demonstration showcased how aircraft can take off and land near homes and businesses with minimal impacts.

Also in May, the North Carolina Department of Transportation released its Advanced Transportation Mobility Strategic Plan; described as the “next step forward” in the agency’s effort to improve transportation by exploring the use of innovative air and ground mobility technologies.

Officially named “Advance Mobility NC,” the plan seeks to leverage the work of NCDOT’s Aviation, Integrated Mobility and Rail divisions to create a multimodal transportation system that improves the movement of people and freight.

The agency said its new strategic plan outlines actions to integrate cutting-edge technologies such as connected and automated vehicles, electric zero-emission aircraft, and other innovations into the state’s transportation infrastructure.