Multi-Modal Transit Center
and Confluence Park
Multimodal Center Application -- Usage
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| Multimodal Center Application links
Purpose | Usage | Parking | Location Amenities | Operations-Costs | Miscellaneous |
The information on this page is excerpted from the Capital City Welcome and Multimodal Center application submitted to the Vermont Agency of Transportation, March 1, 2002.
Typical daily/annual passenger usage expected at the facility including boardings, alightings, number of transfers, and other intermodal transfer information.
Considering the services identified below, without bicycle and pedestrian use, an initial estimate of passenger usage is 671/day or 200,806/year (* indicates numbers from below are included). In addition, potential and increased services would add to total passenger usage. See attached Table and detailed description below.
| Expected Users of the Capital City Welcome and Multimodal Center - 3/1/2002 | |||
| Type of Use | Daily | Annual | |
| Public Transit | Vermont Transit Passengers | 50 | 18,250 |
| Vermont Transit Express Package Service | 15 | 5,475 | |
| City Wheels | 112 | 26,000 | |
| Commuter Wheels | 47 | 11,000 | |
| Downtown Wheels | 40 | 4,000 | |
| Hospital Hill Wheels | 1 | 240 | |
| Airport Wheels | 5 | 1,000 | |
| Wheels Transfers | 100 | 24,900 | |
| Private Tour Bus | State House Tour Busses (420 visits, 40 passengers/bus) | 46 | 16,800 |
| Auto Tourists | State Street Welcome Center Visits | 254 | 92,776 |
| Taxi | Taxi pickupsat Vermont Transit Station | 1 | 365 |
| Bicycle and Pedestrian | (Although there are no firm numbers, the existing paths and sidewalks in the vicinity of the site are heavily used by workers and residents.) | ||
| Car Rental | (Although there are no firm numbers, the existing service has 13 cars available with usually 5-90% rented.) | ||
| TOTAL | 671 | 200,806 | |
| Potential Users | Commuter Fringe Benefit Program | 289 | 71,961 |
| (27.7% of downtown workers surveyed indicated they would park in a remote lot and shuttle in.) | |||
| Passenger Commuter Rail (Burlington/Essex Passenger Rail Feasibility Study) | 100 | 24,900 | |
| Passenger Tourist Rail (20% of estimated visits) | 151 | 55,000 | |
| TOTAL | 540 | 151,861 | |
Public Transit Bus
Vermont Transit provides intercity bus service to Montpelier scheduling four round trips per day between Montreal and Boston. Northbound buses leave Montpelier at 4:45 am, 2:05 pm, 6:05 pm, and 9:20 pm. Southbound buses leave Montpelier at 9:10 am, 11:30 am, 3:25 pm, and 7:15 pm. Connecting service to New York City is provided at White River Junction. On average the Montpelier Station experiences 50 daily boarding and alightings (18,250 average yearly * ). Vermont Transit also offers express package service (15 items daily/5475 items yearly * ).
Wheels Transportation provides intra-regional fixed route service between Montpelier, Berlin, Route 302 Commercial Area, and Barre City. Two buses provide ½ hour headways, Monday through Thursday 5:25 am – 7:00 pm, Friday 5:25 am – 10:00 pm, and Saturday 7:55 am – 10:00 pm. City Wheels daily averages 112 passengers who get on or off at the State & Taylor St. Intersection (26,000 annually * ).
Wheels Transportation provides intra-regional commuter route services between Montpelier and Waterbury, Northfield, and Waitsfield. Three vans provide two round trip am and pm peak hour and one round trip noon hour service. The three Commuter Wheels routes converge on the downtown providing a daily average of 47 rides (11,000 annually * ).
State of Vermont provides a downtown shuttle during the Legislative Session, connecting the State House, DET Lot, National Life, State Street and Main Street. Downtown Wheels Capital Shuttle averaged 40 rides daily at the State & Taylor Street intersection, during the Legislative session (4,000 during the entire session * ). The Capital District Master Plan recommends the downtown shuttle be restored to year round service, allowing visitors to utilize satellite parking lots.
Wheels Transportation provides intra-regional semi-fixed route service between Montpelier and the Berlin Hospital Hill Area. One bus provides 1 hour headways, Monday through Thursday 7:15 am – 6:05 pm, Friday 7:15 am – 9:05 pm, and Saturday 9:05 am – 6:05 pm. The Montpelier Hospital Hill Wheels only travels on State and Taylor Street as part of its door to door service. Included in this are connections to Vermont Transit, Amtrak, and Airport Wheels. The current average is about one ride daily (240 trips annually * ), but in reality these trips are clustered around holidays.
Wheels Transportation provides an on demand service connection to Burlington International Airport. The current average is about 5 rides daily (1000 trips annually * ), but in reality these trips are clustered around holidays and seasonal needs from nearby colleges.
Wheels intends to make the new multimodal center the major transfer facility for all their routes. During the day City Wheels and Hospital Hill Wheels hourly converge at the Shaws transfer point, and during the AM and PM peak periods Commuter Wheels also meets at the transfer point. The Downtown Shuttle routes could easily be coordinated at this site as well. Currently transfers occur at Shaws on Main Street, which is less than optimal because there isn't room for all the potential buses, or their ability to wait for an extended period, and the shelter is too small for the demand. The estimated increased ridership at the new multimodal center from existing transfers is 100 daily (24,900 annually * ).
PRIVATE TOUR BUS
The State House and downtown Montpelier's shopping and restaurant accommodations are a major tourist attraction for private tour buses. Currently they drop their passengers off at various locations in the City, park at remote lots, and have a pre-arranged pick up site. The Multimodal/Welcome Center would provide a central location for this activity. This year 420 buses visited the State House, each with as many as 40 passengers would account for 46 daily or 16,800 annual passenger usage *.
The Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center which is adjacent to the Multimodal Transit Center site, receives pre-arranged visits from 14 different tour bus companies through the year. Each bus brings between 48 and 56 visitors. Eighty percent of their "motor coach" visits occur during the 3-week period around peak foliage.
AUTO TOURISTS
The existing Welcome Center on State Street has little available parking and is located away from the major highway access. Even with these limitations, 92,776 * tourists visited the center in Fiscal Year 2001. Staff at the center describes typical growth at 4-5% annually. With the improved visibility and parking, it is expected use would increase.
TAXI
There are a few taxi companies that serve downtown Montpelier, on demand they will meet or pickup Vermont Transit passengers. It is estimated that this currently occurs once a day (365 rides annually * ). They have indicated they would sit at the site, waiting for scheduled buses if allowed and not needed elsewhere.
BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN
The Central Vermont Regional Path is a proposed regional bicycle/pedestrian facility which will extend from Montpelier through Berlin, Barre City and Barre Town. Most of the Montpelier sections are also part of the Cross Vermont Trail, which is proposed to extend 75 miles from the Burlington Bike Path on Lake Champlain to the Village of Wells River on the Connecticut River. Segments of the Central Vermont Path have been built, or are currently under design or scoping. In Montpelier, the sections from the Dog River Recreation Area to Taylor Street and from Stone Cutters Way to Granite Street have been constructed, and are heavily utilized by residents and workers. Between these two sections is a gap in this regional bicycle/pedestrian facility. A Conceptual Alignment Study recommends bridging this gap along the river on the Carr Lot property.
The missing gap of the Path would be constructed as part of the Multimodal/Welcome Center and providing non-vehicular access to the site. The creation of amenities for bicyclists and pedestrians would encourage additional use. Bicycle rental maybe a future activity at the site. In the near term, those interested will be directed to Onion River Sports (two blocks away).
CAR RENTAL
Bob's Sunoco, located across the river, currently provides car rental services. There are 13 rental cars available, of which half are currently stored on the Carr Lot. At any particular time, 50% to 90% of the cars are rented. Although Vermont Transit has indicated interest in developing a car rental agreement, in the short term, interested parties will be directed to Bob’s Sunoco.
POTENTIAL USERS
RAIL
Although there is no current passenger rail to downtown Montpelier, there are enough statewide initiatives and studies to support the inclusion of future rail accommodations in the development of this Multimodal/Welcome Center. The Washington County Railroad is adjacent to the site being considered and is currently used for freight service. Many citizens fondly recall the seasonal passenger services offered between Barre and Montpelier in the not-so-distant-past and would welcome its return.
Amtrak currently serves Montpelier though the station at Montpelier Junction located 1.5 miles from the downtown. Last year, the annual boardings and alightings at the station were 6,891 passengers. Wheels currently will meet arriving trains if requested in advance. Wheels has provided 24 rides annually from the Amtrak Station. There is a problem with Amtrak customers not knowing Wheels services are available, and with late arriving trains.
The Vermont Granite Museum of Barre is currently under construction. They expect to attract 100,000 visitors a year. As part of their Master Plan, a tourist train would be developed which envisions a stop at the State House, as well as the Rock of Ages Quarry. The State House currently attracts 150,000-175,000 visitors a year. Tourists riding this train would be accommodated by the Multimodal/Welcome Center.
As part of the Burlington/Essex Passenger Rail Feasibility Study, an estimation of boardings for rail extensions to Washington and Franklin Counties was performed. The modeling considered a downtown Montpelier location, with the year 2009 estimate at 100 boarding daily (24,900 annually). Considering the success of the Champlain Flyer, this estimate may be low.
COMMUTER FRINGE BENEFIT PROGRAM
Both the city and state are interested in commuter fringe benefits. A commuter fringe benefit is a payment or incentive paid by employers to a daytime employee who commutes to work in the downtown or Capital Complex area without using a parking space. The city has implemented a commuter fringe benefit and currently has employee participation. The state is considering a commuter fringe demonstration project, but has not yet received funding to begin the program.
Other interest was demonstrated at a seminar (held on October 19) on "How to Develop and Implement a Commuter Choice Program". Created in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the seminar provided participants with an opportunity to join other smart employers in learning how to custom create an effective Commuter Choice program that benefits businesses, employees and their communities.
Of the 14 employers at the seminar, three (Wheels, Controlled Energy, and Northern Power) have already moved to join the Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative and eight others are actively being recruited (the State of Vermont and the City of Montpelier participated in the seminar). Interest and participation in this program would indicate an increased demand for the multimodal center.
VTrans (Vermont Agency of Transportation) conducted a Commuter Fringe Benefit Feasibility Study in year 2000. As part of the study, a survey of 1,044 downtown workers was performed to estimate interest in not utilizing a downtown parking space and traveling to work in a non-auto mode. The following are sum of the results, which could indicate an increased demand for the multimodal center.
If an incentive in the range of $25-$40 per month were available for full-time participation in the Commuter Fringe Benefit Program:
- 27.7% indicated they would park at a remote lot and shuttle in (289 daily or 71,961 annual use);
26.5% indicated they would rideshare;
11.5% indicated they would take a bus;
17.2% indicated they would walk or bike;
21.7% indicated they would change their work schedule (telecommute or compressed work week).
For More Information
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City of Montpelier 39 Main Street, City Hall Montpelier, VT 05062-2950 Beverlee Hill, Assistant City Manager (802) 223-9512 bhill@montpelier-vt.org |
City of Montpelier Planning and Community Development Department 39 Main Street, City Hall Montpelier, VT 05062-2950 (802) 223-9506 planning@montpelier-vt.org |
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Carr Lot Advisory Committeee 39 Main Street, City Hall Montpelier, VT 05062-2950 Jon Anderson, Chair janderson@vtlaw1.com |
Conservation Commission
39 Main Street, City Hall Montpelier, VT 05062-2950 Paul Markowitz, Chair (802) 229-6307 aviva@sover.net |
Page updated March 18, 2005
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