Rutland Region Transportation Council

Projects > Project Prioritization

Annually the Rutland Region Transportation Council is required to prioritize projects from VTrans’ Transportation projects in each of the program categories as follow:
• Paving
• Roadway
• Traffic Operations & Safety
• State Bridge
• Town Highway Bridge
• Park and Ride
• Bike & Pedestrian

Project prioritization is required by state legislation enacted in 2005 and 2006. The statute directs VTrans to develop a project prioritization approach that assigns a numeric score resulting in a priority rating for transportation projects. Per statute, the rating system must include “asset management-based factors which are objective and quantifiable” including:
• Safety
• Traffic volume
• Availability of alternate routes
• Future maintenance and reconstruction costs
• Priorities assigned by the regional planning commission or the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO)

The legislation also requires that VTrans consider the “functional importance of the highway or bridge to the economy as well as its importance to the social and cultural life of the surrounding communities.” In other words, get local input as part of the priority scoring.

Certain criteria specified by the legislature as follows:
• The impact of the project on congestion and mobility conditions in the region;
• The availability, accessibility and usability of alternative routes;
• The functional importance of the highway or bridge as a link in the local, regional or state economy; and
• The functional importance of the highway or bridge in the social and cultural life of the surrounding communities.
• Conformance to the local and regional plans;
• Local support for the project.

The Rutland TAC used the following criteria and weight to determine the priorities.

Criteria and Weight	Description	Measurable Components –	Maximum Points
Public Support & Conformance with Plans 15	Project has the support of the transportation stakeholders & the general public as a result of focusing on customer service & obtaining their early and ongoing involvement in the planning of the project. Project conforms to the local & regional plans	Local statement Regional statement Local opposition Status of project	5 5 -5 5
Congestion 12	Project reduces congestion and /or improves mobility either by reducing demand for trips, shifting the demand to alternative modes, or implementing operational improvements.	Level of service Travel time Class of Road	4 4 4
Safety 20	Project enhances transportation safety by emphasizing the security & safety of the traveler or by addressing existing or potential hazardous or unsafe situations.	PDM Plan High accident location Hazardous conditions	5 5 10
Alternative Routes 3	Project addresses gaps in the transportation system & improves regional connections. The availability, accessibility & usability of alternative routes are considered. If no alternative route is available, the project receives points.	Consider travel time and carrying capacity of alternative routes- yes or no	Yes=0 No =1-3
Preservation of System 20	Project maintains & preserves the existing transportation infrastructure in order to repair or replace inadequacies or to extend the useful life of a facility.	Sufficiency rating- Functional Class	15- Good =0 Fair=5 Poor=10 Bad=15 5
Economic Impact 15	Project is of functional importance as a link in the local, regional or state economy.	Serves locally important employer/business Truck route Located in or connecting economic center(s)	5 5 5
Social and Cultural Importance 2	Project is of functional importance in the social and cultural life of communities	Historic structure Connection to public area/village/town center	1 1

DOWNLOADS

• Informational Brochure
• Map of Transportation Projects DEC 2008

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