State begins monitoring inbound traffic

4/1/2020

A sign located at the Grand Isle - Cumberland Head, New York Ferry reads, "If you enter VT to stay self-isolate 14 days". Photo by Rob Swanson, Islander Photojournalist

By MICHAEL DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

The State of Vermont has begun tracking out-of-state motorists entering the state and is warning them about the 14-day self-quarantine directive issued by Gov. Phil Scott.

Agency of Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn of South Hero told The Islander this morning that it is not an enforcement effort, but rather a fact-finding mission.

He said the idea was generated as part of the State Emergency Operations Center, a unified command center that is in place in Vermont to try to deal with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

AOT employees were monitoring traffic this morning at three sites in Grand Isle County: They are: the Lake Champlain ferry crossing in Grand Isle, and at the bridge connecting with the state of New York in Alburgh. A third AOT employee was parked near the international border in Alburgh.

The vehicles had signs indicating the purpose of the driver inside.

“I am an employee of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and I am counting vehicles at this crossing,” a sign on AOT stationery says in part.

The AOT employees were charting the travelers by state.

A large AOT roadside flashing sign tells drivers arriving in Vermont they need to self-isolate for 14 days if they are staying in the state.

Flynn said 29 travel routes into Vermont along the borders with Canada, New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire were being monitored by AOT as of today.
He said he expected that number to increasing over the next 36 hours – possibly doubling.
The monitoring is being done at high traffic sites, including one at the exit to the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington.

The monitoring, which is until further notice, is 24-hours around the clock at each site, Flynn said.

Gov. Scott is scheduled to have a news conference this morning.
The Islander will update this story later today.

4 Comments

Kevin D

4/1/2020 12:48:01 pm

We shoudl have been doing this two weeks ago when we started talking about closing schools.

Hopefully, we'll start stopping these folks and turning them around. Containment does not mean "run to the hills, those bumpkins don't count". We need to stop being their playground where it's convenient for them, and their dumping ground where it isn't.

Robin G

4/5/2020 10:10:46 am

99% of New Yorkers crossing into Vermont have jobs here in Vermont...which Phil Scott and Joe Flynn in their infinite wisdom did not address. These men and women work at Global Foundries, UVM Medical Center and within the dept of Corrections etc.. Numerous companies in Vermont also own businesses in New York. What Joe Flynn failed to address is the "parent" company may be located in Me. and its definitely cheaper to register their whole fleet of vehicles there but employ people in other states and give them a company vehicle. Sometimes we need to see the whole picture and not what is depicted in bits and pieces!

office support services link

8/1/2022 02:06:42 pm

They are: the Lake Champlain ferry crossing in Grand Isle, and at the bridge connecting with the state of New York in Alburgh. Thank you for taking the time to write a great post!

PCS link

9/30/2022 04:14:58 pm

The monitoring is being done at high traffic sites, including one at the exit to the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington. Thank you for the beautiful post!

State begins monitoring inbound traffic

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