Putting the brakes on the Circ.

• Position: Vermont - Chittenden County Circumferential Highway - Brief Article

Highway-driven sprawl in Vermont was dealt a precedent-setting blow on May 10, when the federal district court ordered a halt to construction of the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway. "The Circ" is a proposed 16 mile-long freeway that, CLF and other environmental groups argue, would draw commercial and residential development away from Burlington's vibrant downtown area. The court ruled that the federal and state transportation agencies violated the National Environmental Policy Act by relying on 17-year-old environmental impact studies and failing to examine the induced sprawl likely to be caused by the highway. This is the first time a New...