To Transform Transportation, Leadership Matters

Long-Time Leader, Representative Mollie Burke, Recently Recognized

By Robb Kidd, Sierra Club Vermont

Transforming transportation in rural Vermont is a huge challenge. Vermont, the United States, and too many countries across the planet have built transportation systems that rely heavily on fossil-fueled transport and the single occupancy vehicle as a primary mode of getting people and goods where they need to go. Tackling this challenge by turning it into an opportunity to build a cleaner transportation system that serves everyone requires real leadership. Thankfully, for the past 15 years, Representative Mollie Burke of Brattleboro has provided that visionary, steadfast leadership this transformation needs. 

Being an advocate for electric vehicles, transit, and accessibility of transportation for all Vermonters hasn’t always been easy when serving on the Vermont State Legislature’s House Transportation Committee, but When Mollie first joined the Transportation Committee the conversations were exclusively focused on roads, bridges, and paving.  

With Rep. Burke’s consistent voice and leadership, the transportation discussion includes vehicle electrification, expanding active transportation, and creating viable choices for using transit. The Vermont conversation now also includes carbon emission reduction and access to transportation to address Vermonters’ needs. The Transportation sector is responsible for approximately 40% of Vermont’s carbon emissions and is a major economic burden for low and middle-income Vermonters. Rep. Burke’s advocacy has helped to build a rural sustainable transportation system that is accessible and equitable.

At Sierra Club’s 2023 Winter Gathering in Brattleboro on December 16th, the Sierra Club honored Vermont State Representative Mollie Burke for her leadership.  As a grassroots organization, the Sierra Club acknowledges leaders working within their communities to build a movement necessary to tackle the most difficult issues. 

This past summer, the historic flooding in Vermont was another wake-up call about the climate crisis. As the Vermont Sierra Club celebrated the leadership of Rep. Mollie Burke we were marking an important moment in history when the countries of the world reached a consensus at the United Nations' COP28 to move away from fossil fuels. We need legislators and everyday people to speak up. That is how we will turn this ship around -- by all of us finding our voices and using them to change policy.  This starts now with ensuring that the Vermont State Legislature continues its work to increase the affordability, access, and sustainability of Vermont’s transportation system.  Check out T4VT.org for more information.