2005 Vermont Code - § 1. — Definitions

§ 1. Definitions

For the purposes of this title:

(1) "Agency" means the agency of transportation.

(2) "Board" means the transportation board.

(3) "Branch" means a major component of a division of a department or major unit of a department with staff functions.

(4) "Chair" means the chair of the transportation board, unless otherwise specified.

(5) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of motor vehicles responsible to the secretary for the administration.

(6) "Department" means the department of motor vehicles.

(7) "Develop" means the partition or division of any tract of land of any size by a person through sale, lease, transfer or any other means by which any interest in or to the land or a portion of the land is conveyed to another person which will require the construction of permanent new or enlarged points of access to a state or town highway other than a limited access facility pursuant to subsection (a) of section 1702a of this title; excluding however, tracts of land located entirely within a city or incorporated village.

(8) "Director" means the head of a division.

(9) "District" means a geographic subdivision of the state primarily established for maintenance purposes.

(10) "District transportation administrator" means the person in charge of a district.

(11) "Division" means a major unit of the agency engaged in line functions other than the department of motor vehicles.

(12) "Highways" are only such as are laid out in the manner prescribed by statute; or roads which have been constructed for public travel over land which has been conveyed to and accepted by a municipal corporation or to the state by deed or a fee or easement interest; or roads which have been dedicated to the public use and accepted by the city or town in which such roads are located; or such as may be from time to time laid out by the agency or town. The term "highway" includes rights-of-way, bridges, drainage structures, signs, guardrails, areas to accommodate utilities authorized by law to locate within highway limits, areas used to mitigate the environmental impacts of highway construction, vegetation, scenic enhancements and structures.

(13) "Person" includes a municipality or state agency.

(14) "Scenic road" means any road designated pursuant to this title.

(15) "Secretary" means the head of the agency who shall be a member of the governor's cabinet responsible directly to the governor for the administration of the agency.

(16) "Section" means a major component of a division or department or major unit of the agency.

(17) "Selectboard" includes village trustees and city councils.

(18) "State highways" are those highways maintained exclusively by the agency of transportation.

(19) "Throughway" means a highway specially designated giving traffic traveling on the throughway the right-of-way at all intersections.

(20) "Town" includes incorporated villages and cities.

(21) "Town highways" are those highways exclusively maintained by the towns and those highways maintained by the towns except for scheduled surface maintenance performed by the agency pursuant to section 306a of this title.

(22) "Traffic committee" consists of the secretary of transportation or his or her designee, the commissioner of motor vehicles or his or her designee, and the commissioner of public safety or his or her designee and is responsible for establishing speed zones, parking and no parking areas, regulations for use of limited access highways, and other traffic control procedures.

(23) "Limited access highway" means a highway where the right of owners or occupants of abutting land or other persons to access, light, air, or view in connection with the highway is fully or partially controlled by public authority, in accordance with chapter 17 of this title. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1993, No. 61, § 39, eff. June 3, 1993; 1995, No. 60, § 39, eff. April 25, 1995; 1995, No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 18h, 18k, eff. May 22, 1996; 2003, No. 151 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 3, 2004.)