VT Clean Transportation Equity – Network Action Team

Read the Clean Transportation Equity: Community Feedback & Findings Report

Goal: Advance a collaborative process to identify the highest impact investment opportunities, in terms of cost-effective and equitable greenhouse gas reduction strategies and actions, for clean transportation revenue in Vermont.

This Network Action Team started by looking specifically at “what are the possible benefits – and who are the prioritized beneficiaries – if Vermont were to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P)?” However, in November 2021 several partner states put any action on TCI-P on hold, leaving Vermont without a current path forward on TCI-P (read more here). At that point the Network Action Team revamped their plan, while continuing to focus on advancing transportation equity in the state.

In May 2022, the Network Action Team released a Request for Proposals to find community partner organizations to each run a focus group with their constituents or communities. They particularly aimed to hear from Vermonters who experience high transportation cost burden and/or low transportation access, disproportionate transportation pollution, Vermonters with low income, youth, rural residents, those experiencing linguistic isolation, or those experiencing oppression or racism.  The team selected 8 organizations from the RFP, each of which helped to design the process and questions to be used in the focus groups:

  • Capstone Community Action
  • Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA)
  • Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
  • Lamoille Community House
  • Old Spokes Home
  • Rights and Democracy (working in Rutland)
  • Saint Johnsbury Community Hub
  • Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL)

The final report is now available.

A November 2022 Webinar about the focus groups can be seen here: 

Network members and partners in the Network Action Team included

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility – Capstone Community Action – Vermont Natural Resources Council – Vermont Clean Cities Coalition – Bennington Regional Planning Commission – VPIRG – GMT – VEIC – Plus advisors from the Agency of Transportation, the Agency of Natural Resources, VPPSA, and other individuals.

Note: Network Action Team projects were selected by the Network membership through a competitive process at the EAN annual summit.  Although Network members may support specific policy actions as part of their work on these Action Teams, EAN staff serve in the role of neutral convener and refrain from advocating for specific policies.