CIRC Alternatives Task Force

PROJECT UPDATES

September 21, 2016 – VTrans has released the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway Right of Way & Mitigation Site Management Plan, intended to: Document VTrans’ intent for investments made in right of way acquisitions for the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway project, ensure the Agency is meeting all obligations associated with the land and easement acquisitions, and establish a process by which municipalities and other organizations may request use of the lands for appropriate purposes.

Since the Governor’s May 2011 announcement that the Circumferential Highway – as originally conceived – would not be built, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) staff have been busy coordinating with VTrans and the “CIRC Communities” (Colchester, Essex, Essex Junction, and Williston). The Governor asked that the MPO coordinate a process to identify projects and planning activities which would aid in meeting the original Purpose and Need of the CIRC Highway Project, which broadly stated are mobility, congestion, transportation demand, safety, livability, and economic development.

To facilitate this process, a CIRC Alternatives Task Force was convened to include representatives from the CIRC Communities (including their CCRPC representative) and other key stakeholders (see the Task Force list ). For more information, contact Eleni Churchill, CCRPC Transportation Program Manager, at (802) 846-4490 x *11.

As of January 24, 2014:

SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ON:

PROJECTS »
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & MEETINGS »
DOCUMENTS & MAPS »
IN THE NEWS »
MEMBERSHIP »
CONTACT »
HISTORY »

Projects

BIKE/PED SCOPING STUDIES

PARK & RIDE SCOPING STUDIES

ROADWAY & INTERSECTION SCOPING STUDIES

IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS WITH A TOTAL FUNDING COMMITMENT OF $25M

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Public Participation & Meetings

December 4, 2013, CCRPC

  • Presentation to the CCRPC Board 

December 3, 2013, CCRPC

  • Transportation Advisory Committee Briefing 

November 21, 2013, Williston Town Hall

November 7, 2013, Williston Town Hall

October 30, 2013, Williston Town Hall

February 21, 2013 – Public Meeting

January 31, 2013 – Task Force Meeting

The following documents were presented/discussed at the meeting and/or revised:

November 29, 2012 – Task Force Meeting

The Task Force approved six projects, totaling $13.9 million in funding. Read the full funding request letter to Secretary of Transportation Brian Searles below.

 September 26, 2012 – Task Force Meeting

February 23, 2012 – Task Force Meeting

December 14, 2011 – Public Meeting

December 8, 2011 – Task Force Meeting

November 9, 2011 – Task Force Meeting

October 20, 2011 – Task Force Meeting

 August 25, 2011 – Task Force Meeting

August 11, 2011 – Task Force Meeting

July 28, 2011 – Task Force Meeting

December 14, 2011 – CIRC Alternatives Task Force Meeting

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Documents & Maps

PROJECT-RELATED DOCUMENTS

CIRC RESOURCES

CIRC STUDY AREA MAPS

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In the News

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Membership

CIRC TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP

Williston:

  • Terry Macaig, Selectboard Chair
  • Rick McGuire, Town Manager
  • Chris Roy, Primary RPC Representative
  • Staff:
    • Ken Belliveau
    • Bruce Hoar

Essex:

  • Linda Myers, Selectboard Chair
  • Pat Scheidel, Town Manager
  • Jeff Carr, Primary RPC Representative
  • Staff:
    • Dennis Lutz
    • Trevor Lashua

Essex Junction:

  • George Tyler, Village President
  • Robin Pierce, Development Director
  • John Lajza, Primary RPC Representative

Colchester:

  • Nadine Scibek, Selectboard Chair
  • Dawn Francis, Town Manager
  • Marc Landry, Primary RPC Representative
  • Staff:
    • Bryan Osborne
    • Lisa Riddle

VTrans:

  • Brian Searles, Secretary
  • Staff:
    • Amy Bell, Planning Coordinator
    • Ken Robie, CIRC Project Manager

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):

  • Chris Jolly, Planning & Programming Engineer

Regional Transportation Partners:

  • Meredith Birkett, CCTA Director of Planning & Marketing
  • Chapin Spencer, Local Motion Executive Director
  • Staff:
    • Jason Van Driesche, Local Motion

Business Community:

  • Tim Baechle, IBM
  • Jeff Nick, Business Community Liaison
  • Curt Carter, Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce/Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation

Environmental Community:

  • Paul Bruhn, Preservation Trust of Vermont
  • Brian Shupe, Vermont Natural Resources Council
  • Chris Kilian, Conservation Law Foundation (CLF)
  • Staff:
    • Sandy Levine, CLF
    • Melissa Hoffer, CLF

State Agencies:

  • Secretary Deb Markowitz, VT Agency of Natural Resources
  • Commissioner Noelle MacKay, VT Agency of Commerce & Community Development
  • Staff:
    • Commissioner David Mears, VT ANR

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission:

  • Michele Boomhower, Assistant/MPO Director (CIRC Process Contact Manager)
  • Charlie Baker, Executive Director
  • Jason Charest, Transportation Planning Engineer
  • Eleni Churchill, Senior Transportation Planning Engineer
  • Christine Forde, Senior Transportation Planner
  • Peter Keating, Senior Transportation Planner

Consultants:

Process Coordination:

    • Diane Meyerhoff, Third Sector Associates

Process Facilitation:

    • Cindy Cook, Adamant Accord

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Contact

For more information, please contact Eleni Churchill, CCRPC Transportation Program Manager, at (802) 846-4490 x *11.

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History

The Chittenden County Circumferential Highway, known locally as ‘The Circ,’ was conceived 30 years ago as a 15.8-mile-long, limited access, two-lane/two-way highway with climbing lanes constructed on four lane right-of-way. Its purpose was to intercept and redistribute traffic among the arterial routes serving the Burlington area from the north and east, promoting efficient use of existing radial highway capacity. In 1982, Congress established the project with $50 million in demonstration funds. The project became the responsibility of the State of Vermont when the legislature accepted the highway as part of the State Highway system in 1986.

Plans for the proposed highway divided the road into 10 sections, Segments A-J. Environmental review and highway location planning was completed with the publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement in August 1986. Initial design of the entire highway was completed and right-of-way was acquired between and including the Interstate 89 interchanges in Williston and Colchester.

The section in Essex (Segments C, D, E, and F) was completed. In October 1993, the Susie Wilson Road relocation and about 4 miles of highway between VT Routes 117 and 2A in Essex, opened to traffic as Vermont Route 289. Landscaping contracts for those sections of highway were completed in the fall of 1995, as well as a wetland mitigation construction project.

After litigation on the adequacy of the EIS and its 2003 Re-Evaluation, VTrans decided to undertake new environmental studies on the remaining portions of the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway. The improvements in Williston and Colchester are separate projects subject to their own environmental review.

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