Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT)
The LVRT is a multi-purpose recreation and transportation corridor that follows the former 93-mile Lamoille Valley Railroad (LVRR) rail line from St. Johnsbury to Swanton. The four-season pathways supports walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. 33 miles of the trail are currently opened and the entire trail is scheduled to be complete and open in early 2023. For more information please visit the LVRT website.
NEK+ LVRT Regional Council
Led by NVDA, the NEK+ Regional LVRT Council works closely with VTrans to provide the overarching coordination for LVRT stakeholder groups in the Northeast Kingdom. The Council is made up of a diverse group of representatives, including municipalities, businesses, outdoor recreation providers, economic development and chamber staff, and other trail champions. The Council coordinates volunteer initiatives, plans for programming and events, supports local and regional programming (e.g. trail friendly business program), assists in marketing the trail, coordinates fundraising efforts, and supports municipalities or consortiums to plan for development and maintenance trailheads, trailside amenities, and trail connections. Please contact Annie McLean with questions about the NEK+ Regional LVRT Council.
Regional Amenities Scoping Study
The LVRT Regional Amenities Scoping Study will identify opportunities to strengthen trail connectivity, provide a regional approach to the addition of trailside amenities, and enhance economic development opportunities with connections to trail-side Northeast Kingdom communities. This scoping study will explore up to three locations per municipality for the conceptual development of trailhead parking areas, include options for safe access routes to and from the LVRT and nearby community resources, and investigate a regional approach to conceptual trailside amenity layouts. Each town may require a different solution based on the needs of the individual municipality, therefore a slightly altered purpose and need statement may be defined for each community. View the DRAFT Trailside Facility Design Guide and Design Concepts Scoping Report here and join us for the Final Public Information Meeting on October 11th at the Hardwick Town House. Click here for meeting details.
User Projections and Economic Impact Analysis
A recently released analysis has found that the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) has the potential to generate up to $4.7 million in total annual sales activity in Caledonia County and beyond in Northern Vermont. The study, which focused on the 38 miles of trail passing through St. Johnsbury, Danville, Walden, and Hardwick (as well as Greensboro in Orleans County and Cabot in Washington County), represents significant economic potential for all of the towns and communities located along the entirety of the rail trail, once it is completed. See the press release and read the full study here.