Transportation

Project Prioritization

Background

VTrans and Regional Planning Commission (RPC) partners use the annual Vermont Project Selection and Prioritization Process (VPSP2) to evaluate and select transportation projects for inclusion in VTrans’ Capital Program. Objectives of this updated project selection framework include:
  • Identify and utilize criteria that provide “transportation value” within potential and planned VTrans projects.
  • Develop a mechanism for RPCs and communities to provide input in the selection and prioritization of transportation projects.
  • Provide a defined, consistent, and transparent process for selecting and prioritizing the projects that ultimately make up VTrans’ Capital Program.

Capital Program Project Status

The VPSP2 framework tasks VTrans, RPCs and communities to jointly propose recommended potential projects to be accepted into the Capital Program. In order for VTrans to spend funds on a project it must be listed in the Transportation Capital Program. VTrans submits a Capital Program to the Legislature each year and the Legislature must approve the list in order for projects to advance. The Capital Program categorizes projects according to the following status:
  • Candidate – A project gets on the Candidate list after it has completed the planning process, has been proposed through the RPCs and respective Transportation Advisory Committees (TACs) and has been accepted by VTrans.
  • Development & Evaluation (D&E) – A project moves from the Candidate list to the Development & Evaluation list if preliminary plans are expected within 12 to 24 months.
  • Front-of-the-Book (FOB) – Front-of-the-Book projects are part of VTrans four-year program. A project moves from the Development & Evaluation list to Front-of-the-Book when it has completed preliminary plan development.

Project Selection and Prioritization

​There are eight (8) criteria against which all potential and planned VTrans projects will be evaluated to generate a Transportation Value score out of 100.
Evaluation Criteria
Maximum Points
Evaluation Criteria
Maximum Points
Safety
20
Resiliency
10
Asset Condition
20
Regional
10
Mobility and Connectivity
15
Environment
10
Economic Access
10
Health Access
5
Transportation Value
 
 
​100

Asset Driven Projects

VTrans provides each RPC with the 150% list of asset driven potential projects and VPSP2 scoring data for five criteria: asset condition, safety, mobility and connectivity, resiliency and environment by program, in their respective region. RPCs and TACs are tasked to review this list, evaluate the 3 remaining criteria scores (mobility and connectivity, economic access and health access) and update the preliminary Transportation Value.
In addition, VTrans provides each RPC with a list of existing Capital Program projects along with each project’s Transportation Value for informational purposes. The asset driven potential project list will be submitted to VTrans by May 31.

Regionally Driven Projects

RPCs will have an opportunity to identify potential projects or community needs that they would like to propose for consideration as regionally driven potential projects. As an RPC/TAC identifies these potential projects, they will work with VTrans and use the RPC Qualifications Sheet. The RPC Qualification Sheet is designed as a screening tool to assist RPCs in prioritizing regionally driven potential projects. The RPC Qualification Sheet will evaluate the potential project or community need against the eight VPSP2 criteria so that these projects also have a preliminary Transportation Value. If a project does not score well in the RPC Qualifications Sheet, the potential project will likely not receive a high Transportation Value. Consider refining/ revising the scope of the potential project, undertaking additional study of the project or table the project idea for now.

The RPC will submit this list of regionally driven potential projects with their preliminary Transportation Value to VTrans by May 31 for consideration.

Additional Resources

Past Project Prioritization Processes