Transportation (Bicycle Infrastructure)

H.863 imposes a $0.30 fee on retail deliveries (like online orders shipped to Vermont) that are subject to sales tax, collected by vendors and listed separately on receipts. It permits municipalities to levy a local tax on gasoline and diesel fuel sales and allocates funds to transportation programs including electric vehicle incentives, public transit coordination, and creating pollinator habitats along roads. The bill also requires public EV charging stations to accept credit cards and provide real-time availability, and mandates a study on electric bicycle safety. These provisions aim to fund infrastructure improvements, support clean energy transitions, and enhance transportation equity.

This bill allows Vermont municipalities to set speed limits below 25 mph in downtowns, village centers, and "thickly settled districts" (areas with closely spaced buildings over a quarter-mile stretch). It prohibits parking within a specific distance of crosswalks but permits vehicle unloading or bicycle/scooter parking nearby. The bill also restricts using center turn lanes to pass vehicles and requires studies on improving bike/pedestrian infrastructure and converting state highways to lower-speed "class 1 town highways." These changes directly affect local governments, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists in communities with designated village centers or dense development areas.

H 460 designates U.S. Route 5 (from Massachusetts to Quebec) as a bicycle corridor and requires Vermont's Agency of Transportation to create a steering committee. This committee must develop a coordinated plan for building bicycle paths along the route, addressing tourism, safety, funding, and phased construction while collaborating with municipalities, tourism groups, conservation organizations, and neighboring states. The bill directly affects communities along U.S. Route 5, tourism businesses, and active transportation users by prioritizing safe infrastructure development. Key provisions mandate the committee to evaluate tourism benefits, coordinate with existing trails, and identify funding sources for the bicycle path projects.