HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 05/10/2023
AGENDA
South Burlington Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee
City Hall 3rd Floor, Room 301 at 180 Market Street South Burlington, VT 05403
Participation Options: In Person: Room 301 – 180 Market St
Assistive Listening Service Devices Available upon request
Electronically: https://meet.goto.com/SBCity/bike_ped_committee_05-10-2023
Join By Phone: +1 (872) 240-3412 Access Code: 495-777-821
5:30 PM Wednesday May 10, 2023
1. Welcome, Emergency Exit and Virtual Meeting Instructions, Gratitude – Havaleh (5:30 PM)
2. Changes or additions to the agenda – Havaleh (5:35 PM)
3. Comments from the public not related to the agenda – Havaleh (5:40 PM)
4. Consideration of minutes from April 12, 2023 – Havaleh (5:45 PM)
5. Bike Launch Area / Wheeler Parking Lot (5:50 PM)
6. ***City Updates – Erica (6:20 PM)
7. ***Transportation Comprehensive Plan – Draft Review (6:45 PM)
8. Updates Ongoing Committee/Liaison Work (7:30 PM)
1. Chair updates – Havaleh
2. DRB Update
3. DPW/Safety – Bob, Dana, Amanda, Doug
4. Bike Friendly Community Planning/Greenway progress – Nic
5. Communications/Outreach – Donna
6. Mapping – Amanda, Nic
7. Signs – Nic, Donna, Dana
9. Confirm June 14, 2023 Meeting (7:55PM)
10. Adjourn (by 8:00 PM)
*** Attachments Included
104 Landfill Road, South Burlington, VT 05403 www.southburlingtonvt.gov tel 802.658.7961
To: South Burlington Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee
From: Erica Quallen, Deputy Director of Capital Projects and Staff Liaison
Date: May 10, 2023
Re: DPW Updates to Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee
Since our committee meeting on April 12, 2023, I have the following updates to report on behalf of Public
Works and City staff:
• The construction of the Williston Road Pedestrian Crossings project has been awarded to Don
Weston Excavating. Contracts are being finalized and work should be ongoing from June/July until
September 2023.
• Planning for spring and summer maintenance is underway and being coordinated with the SBBPC
Safety working group’s striping and maintenance recommendations.
o Striping of fog lines/bike lanes will occur on many roads (including the bike/ped
committee’s priority list of roads).
o Contracts for roadway paving are being finalized. The roads included in the contract most
relevant to the Committee are:
Spear Street (Swift Street to Pinnacle Drive)
Nowland Farm Road (entire road)
o The cost sharing between the CIP, paving, and striping budgets for the restriping of Spear
Street is being figured out now but will be completed in Summary 2023.
• A new Traffic Request Evaluation Process has been launched by DPW. This is to be used by
residents to request traffic evaluations in their neighborhoods or other areas of concern. DPW will
score and prioritize projects quarterly. To learn more about the process, visit this site or go to the
South Burlington DPW website and click “Submit a Traffic Evaluation Request” in the side menu:
https://www.southburlingtonvt.gov/departments/public_works/submit_a_traffic_evaluation_reques
t.php
• VTrans Bike/Ped Grants are due June 9th. We have not gotten an answer from Council about using
ARPA funds to match an application for the Hinesburg Road shared use path. Based on the CIP,
many of the P4P funds are already obligated as matches to grants we have received. To apply for the
Hinesburg Road Shared Use Path (FY24 CIP has it in FY26 – FY28), other projects would have to
get bumped. These projects likely include the Airport Parkway Phase I sidewalk and some of the
crosswalks from the Multi-Site Crosswalk Study.
o The other option is to apply for small-scale grants to install crosswalks from the Multi-Site
Crosswalk Study.
TRANSPORTATION
Transporta�on in South Burlington must serve the needs of pedestrians, wheelchair-users, bicyclists,
pedestrians, public transit users, air travelers, commercial vehicles, and passenger vehicles. South
Burlington’s street network was developed almost exclusively to meet the needs of passenger vehicles
with the goal of moving people and goods quickly and efficiently through the city. Infrastructure for
other modes of transporta�on have been retrofited or included in recent projects, but has remained a
secondary priority, with notable excep�ons of the shared use path system, new streets in City Center,
and some of the more recent neighborhoods. The road network includes several wide, fast-moving roads
that fragment the community for non-vehicular users.
As we transi�on to more sustainable modes of travel and be inclusive to other transporta�on
preferences, a focus on through-put for vehicles can no longer be South Burlington’s priority. Establishing
a strong sense of place and community for South Burlington and advancing high-value land development
paterns have long been goals expressed by residents. Mee�ng these goals relies on slowing vehicle
traffic, encouraging pedestrian-scale commercial areas and housing, si�ng des�na�ons in close proximity
to housing, and improving connec�vity between different parts of the city with safe, comfortable, and
direct mul�-modal transporta�on op�ons.
We also recognize that South Burlington is a regional node for road, rail, and air transporta�on, and must
ensure that access to and across these systems is considered in transporta�on planning for the
func�oning of the regional transporta�on network.
Transporta�on is the top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in South Burlington. Transi�oning to
cleaner modes of transporta�on, reducing vehicle miles travelled, and accelera�ng the switch to electric
and plug-in hybrid vehicles are key components of the City’s Climate Ac�on Plan.
For the purposes of this sec�on, we are using the term “vehicle” for personal passenger
cars/SUVs/trucks/motorcycles, commercial cars/SUVs/light trucks, and commercial heavy trucking. This
does not include bicycles, e-bikes, motorized scooters, skateboards/scooters, and similar primarily
single-user electric or manual vehicles.
OBJECTIVES
• Complete the network for bike/pedestrian travel by connec�ng shared use paths, pedestrian
trails, and roadways
• Reduce fragmenta�on of the community by improving crossings over large streets and the
interstate
• Reduce vehicle miles travelled by 2.5% annually through 2030 across all types of users
• Priori�ze infrastructure investments in exis�ng and new neighborhoods that improve pedestrian,
bicycle, transit, and carpool access and support neighborhood connec�vity
• Support access to and func�on of regionally-significant transporta�on systems consistently with
the land use objec�ves of this Plan
• Build community by connec�ng popula�on centers with improved transit routes
Strategies [incomplete]
• Improve safety on City streets for vulnerable users including bicyclists, pedestrians, children,
individuals with disabili�es, and other non-vehicular roadway users
• Implement traffic-calming and signage on local roads to encourage bike/ped usage and improve
safety
• Update Land Development Regula�ons and City Ordinances to ensure that transporta�on needs
created by new development are accommodated consistently with the objec�ves of this Plan
and are designed to avoid adverse impacts to and fragmenta�on of our natural resources
• Create a City Center transit hub to serve the needs of South Burlington users
• Establish corridor shutle-style routes for efficient travel to complement the GMT loop routes
• Incen�vize commercial users to reduce vehicle miles by reducing trips and making routes more
efficient
• Construct and maintain bike lanes on all major corridors and also provide bike/ped op�ons
separated from the road
• Logically connect the South Burlington path and lane network to networks in neighboring
communi�es
• Complete bike/ped master plan
INVENTORY, ANALYSIS, & CHALLENGES
Road Transporta�on Network. Several major roadways, including I-89, I-189, Shelburne Road (U.S. Route
7), and Williston Road (U.S. Route 2), travel directly to and through South Burlington. The intersec�ons of
these roads are some of the busiest in the state. As travel needs con�nue changing, South Burlington is
constantly reevalua�ng how traffic moves through the city, where arterial traffic should move efficiently
in and out of the city, and where traffic should be designed to slow and be more pedestrian-oriented.
Two interstate highways, I-89 and I-189, serve as the backbone of regional and statewide vehicular
transporta�on and double as short-haul connectors between South Burlington and nearby communi�es.
However, these roads are also a divider, spli�ng South Burlington into sec�ons with difficult
interconnec�vity.
South Burlington’s primary road network has existed and remained mostly unchanged for almost two
hundred years. Nearly all of the city’s major roadways have existed since the mid-19th century, including
Dorset Street, Spear Street, Shelburne Road, Hinesburg Road, Swi� Street, and Williston Road. The only
significant addi�ons have been the Interstate highways, Kennedy Drive, Kimball Ave, Nowland Farm
Road, and Fayete Drive. Over �me, many of the historic roads were widened and made more direct,
forming the basis of our current road network.
With the advent of cars and trucks in the early 20th century, four major arterial roads were expanded to
move passenger vehicles through the city as quickly as possible. Shelburne Road is a mul�-lane arterial
serving Vermont’s western corridor to I-189 and Burlington. Kennedy Drive is also a mul�-lane arterial
that connects I-189 to Hinesburg Road, Burlington Interna�onal Airport, and Williston Road around our
core area. Hinesburg Road (VT Route 116) provides primary access between South Burlington and
communi�es to the southeast. Williston Road varies between a mul�-lane and two-lane roadway which,
again, historically served as a through-route from Burlington to Burlington Interna�onal Airport and
communi�es to the east.
Different sec�ons of the arterial roads serve different purposes, varying in use from the outer edges to
the center of the city, and the en�re lengths serve mul�ple purposes and users simultaneously. For
Williston Road to serve people living, working, shopping, and playing in South Burlington, especially in
City Center, it must be re-oriented to local and non-vehicular users. East of Kennedy Drive, it should
facilitate more through traffic. Hinesburg Road north of I-89 travels through established residen�al
neighborhoods, new residen�al and mixed-use areas, and connects to Tilley Drive, which primarily
serves medical and office buildings. South of I-89, Hinesburg Road connects to the Town of Hinesburg
and southeast and currently focuses on serving through-traffic, despite increased residen�al
development and changing traffic paterns and user needs. Shelburne Road serves both as a major
north-south corridor for the Champlain Valley, and neighborhood needs near Farrell Street, the Orchards
neighborhood, and residen�al areas on both sides of Shelburne Road.
Two addi�onal north-south corridors, Dorset Street and Spear Street, serve commercial areas and
residen�al areas. Dorset Street is the primary transporta�on route to the high school and middle school
campus from City Center, the Northwest Neighborhoods, and from the south. Between Kennedy Drive
and Williston Road, Dorset Street func�ons like an arterial: it is mul�-lane, serves significant commercial
development, and has a wide shared use path off the street. This sec�on was expanded as an investment
in the early infrastructure of City Center in the 1980s. It is now showing its age and reinvestment is
required to improve mul�-modal safety and mul�-modal access to the school property. South of
Kennedy Drive, Dorset func�ons as a collector for residen�al areas. Similarly, Spear Street serves
primarily residen�al areas to the south, UVM proper�es and the East Terrace area to the north, and
serves as a connec�on op�on between the City Center area and southern parts of Shelburne Road in
tandem with Swi� Street and Allen Road. New pedestrian and bike infrastructure investment in this
corridor is cri�cal to connect residen�al areas like South Village to the city’s commercial cores.
Three key two-lane roads, Airport Parkway, White Street, and Airport Drive, serve as the primary link
between South Burlington and Essex/Colchester, including a crossing over the Winooski River (as Lime
Kiln Road), and as a direct route to the Burlington Interna�onal Airport. Currently, these streets pass
through the low-density Chamberlin neighborhood. Func�onally, these streets, especially White Street,
need to serve both the community and the airport and should be modified to calm traffic on
neighborhood streets, improve pedestrian and bike travel op�ons, and direct most traffic to the airport
onto Airport Parkway. The City has planned for Airport Parkway and Airport Drive to be re-aligned away
from the neighborhood, funnel traffic to the airport with less disrup�on to the neighborhood, and
delineate between airport and neighborhood uses.
The City recently par�cipated in a corridor study looking specifically at the u�lity, needs, and alterna�ves
associated with I-89 and I-189 through Chitenden County and beyond. The study examined short,
medium, and long term transporta�on needs in the corridor through the lens of local and regional land
use policy objec�ves. The study presented mul�ple core recommenda�ons, including short- and
medium-term safety improvements to the Exit 14 and transporta�on demand management techniques
to meet exis�ng and an�cipated inter-municipal transporta�on needs. It also examined adding
connec�ons at Exit 13 and/or installa�on of a new Exit 12B at Hinesburg Road, and recommended these
major capital projects be considered only a�er the execu�on of other recommenda�ons. The policy of
this Plan, consistent with the corridor study, is to retain physical space for these possible future projects,
but to not pursue them un�l other projects iden�fied are implemented and evaluated.
Other streets currently have a more local func�on and need to con�nue to serve those needs. Some
serve important local connec�ons with our neighboring municipali�es, like Patchen Road to Burlington
near the Burlington–Winooski border. The Patchen Road bridge over I-89 is one of two main roadway
connec�ons to Burlington from the Williston Road area of South Burlington. Other large streets like
Dorset Street south of I-89, Spear Street, Nowland Farm Road, Cheesefactory Road, and Swi� Street
primarily serve residen�al traffic.
Mul�ple User Types. Transporta�on in South Burlington must con�nue to shi� to encourage all types of
roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair and scooter users, and transit riders.
Modifica�ons of the road network are necessary to accommodate these o�en more vulnerable users.
While facili�es on or along roadways are needed, the City needs to emphasize off-street bike and
pedestrian paths. Separated facili�es are more welcoming and inclusive for pedestrians and bicyclists of
all ages and abili�es who may be less comfortable using a sidewalk, bike lane, or path adjacent to a road.
These routes must be clear and unimpeded, including being well-maintained in all seasons, having
proper water drainage/stormwater management, being unimpeded by vegeta�on, having appropriate
sight lines. They must also comply with ADA dimension requirements.
The City is including safe passage for pedestrians and bicyclists when construc�ng, modifying, and/or
upgrading roadways. Different facili�es are necessary for different types of roadways and for a variety of
user needs. Along arterial streets, separate or shared facili�es for bicycle and pedestrian use must be
provided for actual and perceived safety. On collector streets, bike and pedestrian routes should, at
minimum, be well-signed and painted lines should separate bike lanes from vehicle lanes. On local
streets, lower traffic volumes and speeds require less separa�on between bikes, pedestrians, and
vehicles, but good signage can indicate routes for bicyclists and pedestrians and remind drivers of the
presence of other users.
To promote use and mo�vate user behavior change, pedestrian and bicycle routes generally should
follow direct travel routes (rather than only paralleling roadways) and should be designed to reduce
conflicts with motorized vehicles. Sidewalks should be constructed on both sides of arterial streets and
at least one side of collector streets and local streets. Streets with sidewalks on one side must have
adequate crossing opportuni�es to reach transit stops, schools, residences, and pedestrian-scale
commercial developments. All signalized intersec�ons must include a dedicated pedestrian phase to
provide adequate safety and �me for users to cross any type of street.
Currently, the transporta�on network has approximately 13 miles of on-road bike lanes (varying in width
and separa�on from the vehicle lanes), 22 miles of shared use paths (typically eight- to ten-feet wide),
and 50 miles of sidewalks (used by both bikes and pedestrians). The lanes, paths, and sidewalks are not
always well connected to each other; addi�onal connec�ons are required to complete the non-vehicle
transporta�on network. For example, it is very inefficient to travel from the Shelburne Road corridor to
City Center by bike or transit as key connec�ons are either missing or �me-consuming and difficult due
to I-89, transit line op�ons, and/or local topography. In addi�on, o�en, sidewalks and paths constructed
with new development end at parcel boundaries and create gaps in the bicycle and pedestrian network.
These gaps make new facili�es much less func�onal. Major sec�ons of Spear Street, Williston Road,
Allen Road, Airport Parkway, Kimball Avenue, and Swi� Street lack sidewalks en�rely and force
vulnerable users to share space with fast-moving vehicles or traverse uneven ground along the roadway.
One major underdeveloped bike/ped connec�on is over I-89 along Williston Road. The current
crosswalks and sidewalks require pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate the entrance and exit ramps from
I-89 North and South. With con�nuing development of housing in City Center to the east,
redevelopment of commercial spaces on both sides, and the loca�on of large educa�onal and
ins�tu�onal employers (UVM and UVM-MC) to the west, improvement of pedestrian and bike travel
over I-89 is cri�cal. The City has received significant federal funding and is currently designing a bicycle
and pedestrian bridge over I-89 separated from Williston Road called the East-West Crossing. This will
make travel safer, easier, and more enjoyable while also connec�ng des�na�ons like the University Mall
and the Quarry Hill residen�al area.
The University of Vermont and University of Vermont Medical Center must be involved with pedestrian
and bicycle planning, especially along Spear Street and with connec�ons to the East-West Crossing. They
are major origins and des�na�ons for students, faculty, staff, and medical center users. As housing
partnerships con�nue in City Center, more people studying and working at UVM will live in South
Burlington and commute to Burlington and to the UVM-MC buildings on Tilley Drive.
Pedestrian travel must also be supported by land use policies encouraging dense mixed-use
development. Enabling residents to walk to basic services, retail and restaurant op�ons, and
entertainment naturally increases pedestrian travel rates. Compact, interconnected city centers create a
more pedestrian friendly environment than linear strip development paterns oriented to arterial
roadways.
Transit Services. Transit best serves well-planned, intensively-used compact areas. Con�nued
development of City Center will increase the need for public transit loop routes, shutle routes along
corridors, and frequency in the Williston Road/Dorset Street/Market Street area. Currently, Green
Mountain Transit (GMT) provides transit service throughout much of the greater Chitenden County
region through a network of approximately twenty bus routes with its central hub in downtown
Burlington. GMT is funded through annual dues from its member municipali�es, state and federal
programs, and fares. Three fixed routes serve the City of South Burlington: #1 Williston, #6 Shelburne
Road, and #11 Airport. There is also direct service from Burlington to Tilley Drive. However, no internal
circula�on routes exist within South Burlington, and there is no direct connec�on from Shelburne Road
to City Center, Kennedy Drive, or Tilley Drive.
Un�l transit op�ons are expanded, higher intensity development should be directed towards areas with
exis�ng bus service. To date, development has occurred and will con�nue to occur in areas not presently
well served by transit, like Tilley Drive, new senior living facili�es, and Meadowland Business Park. GMT
and the City will need to both plan for mee�ng these needs and strategically funnel development along
exis�ng transit corridors.
At the site level, specific site plan or subdivision applica�ons should be carefully reviewed with an eye
toward shelters for transit users and possible bus stop loca�ons.
Access Management. Access management can greatly improve the safety and efficiency of arterial
streets for both vehicles and for non-motorized users by reducing the conflict between through, local
and turning traffic through the limi�ng of curb cuts and strategically placing vehicular access points off of
busier roadways. On arterial streets, reducing curb cuts improves safety for bicyclists and priori�zes
“through” traffic over access to frontage proper�es. The general patern of exis�ng and approved
developments on Kennedy Drive and Kimball Avenue are a reasonable configura�on of an arterial
highway (i.e., few curb cuts and provision of service roads) when accompanied by adequate separated
bike/ped infrastructure. Along Williston Road and Shelburne Road, older development paterns and
uncoordinated development has created conflict between “to” and “through” traffic, making changing
access points difficult. Improvements like installa�on of proper signing, striping, and control equipment
can improve safety. Parallel access roads, such as San Remo Drive, can provide access to development
areas off of a main transporta�on corridor, reducing the hazard of traffic turning across bike lanes,
sidewalks, and shared use paths. South Burlington has adopted regula�ons requiring access
management prac�ces during development projects and will con�nue to improve bike lane and traffic
safety through these and similar measures.
Air Transporta�on. Burlington Interna�onal Airport (BTV), a joint civil-military public airport, is managed
by the City of Burlington and the Federal government. The airport sits on nearly 950 acres in the
northeastern quadrant of South Burlington. The Airport serves commercial passenger flights, general
avia�on, and military flights. Both major commercial parcel carriers (UPS Airlines and FedEx Express) fly
into BTV, providing service for much of northern Vermont. Two military installa�ons are based at the
airport: Burlington Air Na�onal Guard Base 158th Fighter Wing and the Army Avia�on Support Facility
(AASF) of the Vermont Army Na�onal Guard. In total, the Airport reported **** enplanements in 2023,
making it one of the busier regional airports in New England. The Airport Master Plan, most recently
completed through 2030, documents the facility’s exis�ng status as well as future proposals through the
next 20 years.
BTV is vital to economic development and transporta�on for Vermont. In economic development and
transporta�on, the interests of the City and the Airport are very closely aligned. Improved roads and
transit service in the City generally enhance use of the Airport, and can alleviate impacts on the
Chamberlin neighborhood. The atrac�on of further light industry (and associated jobs) to the City will
depend on proximity to an airfield with the broadest possible range of air service.
The City and the Airport have taken concrete ac�ons in recent years to improve coordina�on and
communica�on between the two en��es. Most notable is the agreed-upon policy change for sound
mi�ga�on from the buyout program (which removed over 200 nearby homes) to a sound insula�on
program that reinvests in the neighborhood. Open collabora�on can result in more effec�ve, just, and
equitable process and outcomes on key issues like noise, traffic, and airport use, and opportuni�es like
innova�on and job growth.
Rail Transporta�on. The Vermont Railway and the Central Vermont Railway both maintain tracks through
South Burlington. These routes are presently used on a limited basis for freight service and summer
tourist trains. Amtrak commuter rail service between New York City and Burlington via Albany, Rutland,
Middlebury, and Vergennes (among other stops) was reestablished in 2022, serving a transporta�on
need for Chitenden County residents by making travel to New York more direct. Addi�onal Amtrak
service travels through Vermont to Massachusets and then to New York from the Essex Junc�on sta�on.
Future goals include extending this service to Montreal, which presents addi�onal opportunity to
connect South Burlington to its larger neighbors.
The Vermont Railway, which parallels Route 7, also has poten�al for direct service to the commercially-
zoned proper�es fron�ng its east side. Rail siding poten�al for these proper�es should be maintained
wherever feasible in the layout of proposed development. As the intensity of development increases on
the lands west of the tracks, improvements to at-grade crossings (Bartlet Bay Road, Holmes Road, Inn
Road) may be necessary.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ◆ Garden Street Project Defini�on Report (2015) ◆ Williston Road Transporta�on Network Study (2015) ◆ Williston Road Complete Streets Study (2012) ◆ Shelburne Road Corridor Study (2012) ◆ I-89 Exit 12B Circula�on Study & Analysis Reports (2010, 2011) ◆ US Route 2 Corridor Transporta�on Management Plan (2008) ◆ Dorset Street Corridor Study (2007)
◆ Spear Street Corridor Study (2004)