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Get a group talking about transportation and sooner or later someone says, “I don’t understand why we don’t support our railroads more.” In fact the state of Vermont does support railroads, to a degree, and just completed a strategic policy plan to guide spending on rail and evaluate progress.

The overall aim of the plan is to maintain and modestly improve the rail network that exists. “By using spending criteria and performance objectives outlined in the plan, “We’ll see hopefully how well we are dong and make wise decisions as to how to spend our limited resources,” says Scott Bascom, the Agency of Transportation Planning Coordinator who was in charge of developing the plan.

The topic of rail policy might make your eyes glaze over, but documents such as this shape decisions that influence daily life. Supporting the rail infrastructure in Vermont used by Amtrak and freight railroads removes cars and trucks from the interstates and benefits the environment. And like other policy decisions, it supports some interests while others loose out.   more »

The gleaming Agri-Mark truck shows up early, and Harold Rainey is there to meet it. Rainey has just finished milking his heard of Jersey cows on his Westminster West farm.
Dale Allen emerges from the cab, stuffs a hose through the opening on Rainey’s barn and goes inside the milk room where he throws a switch. Motors start and through the noise Allen explains that he is starting the agitator, which churns the contents of Rainey’s large silver bulk tank that holds the product of two day’s milking.

Allen shares small talk and good-natured barbs with Rainey as he takes a sample into a vial, checks some numbers and waits for the truck pump to finish suctioning the milk.

For two or three generations this story has been repeated every other day, and upon this ritual rests the shrinking income of the Vermont dairy farmer.   more »

Here is a link to two older articles I wrote for the Brattleboro Reformer and Trains Magazine on Vermont Rail Service's takeover of the Connecticut River Division and a study Vermont undertook of possible alternate private operators for the Vermonter Amtrak train.   more »