Management Plan

Rail Trail Management Plans

Management plans are under development for each of the four state-owned rail trails.  These plans detail how AOT will approach management of the trails and will help the Agency work toward a consistent visitor experience. The first Management Plan, for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, was completed in 2022. Work will begin on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail Management Plan in late 2023.

LVRT Management Plan

With the completion of the 93 miles of trail in the Spring of 2023, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) will be a year-round recreational facility that will draw residents and visitors alike to northern Vermont.

As use of the LVRT increases and as responsibility for trail management shifted from VAST to AOT in July 2022, it was important for AOT to have a clear plan for effectively managing and maintaining the LVRT into the future. As such, the Agency engaged stakeholders in a robust planning process to develop a comprehensive Management Plan, identifying a cohesive vision for the trail and detailing the management and maintenance strategies to be employed into the future.

The Management Plan identifies ways the LVRT can spur or complement economic development efforts, improve user experience, provide connections to other existing and planned facilities, connect to communities along its length, and offer a range of transportation options, while establishing necessary asset maintenance and operational procedures to ensure the trails continued enjoyment for years to come.

The plan can be viewed here:

Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Management Plan

Trailside Facility Design Guidelines

The purpose of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) Trailside Facility Design Guidelines is to convey best practices for design, engineering, and performance specifications of trailside facilities. The Trailside Facility Design Guidelines build on the trailhead typicals, amenity themes, and graphics guide that are outlined in the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Management Plan. The purpose of the LVRT Management Plan was to articulate a cohesive, community defined vision for the completed rail trail system and identify strategies to support the management, maintenance, operations, community connections, and economic development opportunities along the trail. The Management Plan was adopted in September 2022 by the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans).

The Trailside Facility Design Guidelines can be viewed here:

LAMOILLE VALLEY RAIL TRAIL Trailside Facility Design Guidelines