Do you want your town to have more sidewalks, more trails and better designed streets?  Here are some good resources: 

2010 VTrans Guide to Sidewalk & Path Costs

VTrans Pedestrian & Bicycle Facility Design Manual

VTrans Roadway Design Standards

Want to know more about advocating for better facilities in your town?  Contact Chapin, Charlene or Jason at Local Motion (802-861-2700).  We're here to help!

Local Motion has been working for 8 years to ensure that the Champlain Parkway -- if it is built -- is safe and welcoming for people on foot and on bike. Recently we have been participating in the Act 250 hearings for the project as a "Friend of the Commission," which has allowed us to provide the District Commission with information on how the proposed design will affect pedestrians and bicyclists.

In response to our July 26, 2011 10-page letter full of suggestions, the City of Burlington has made a number of improvements to the design.  We appreciate their willingness to address some of the issues.  But the design still suffers from:

1. Incomplete pedestrian facilities: The design has intersections without full crosswalks, a small street without a sidewalk, and no signalized crosswalks along Pine Street between Lakeside Avenue and Maple Street. On this last point, this three-quarters-of-a-mile stretch of Pine Street will only have striped crosswalks and "ped crossing" signs.  Crossing Pine Street is difficult enough already.  (A recent Local Motion study at Pine and Howard showed that cars stop for pedestrians only 20% of the time.)  With an increase in traffic on Pine Street if the Parkway is built, walkers need something more than paint and signs to get them safely across the street.
2. Fragmented bike facilities: The proposed design includes a shared use path along the west side of Pine Street up to Kilburn, but no path or dedicated bike lanes north of that point.  There is currently a southbound bike lane, so the plan actually reduces facilities for bikes in this section -- even though the city's own Transportation Plan designates this section as a "Bicycle Street!"

How hard is it to cross Pine Street currently? Check out this video from Local Motion's spring 2011 assessment of crossing times at Pine and Howard (conducted with help from volunteers from Dealer.com).  Thirteen cars went by before this pregnant woman with a broken leg was allowed to cross the street! This was one of the worst crossings, but the average over several days and nearly 100 test crossings was almost five cars.  The design for the Champlain Parkway would do little to improve pedestrian safety at this intersection or others like it.

We can do better.  Regardless of your opinion about the Champlain Parkway overall, please raise your voice for full and signalized crosswalks and dedicated bike facilities along Pine Street. Write a letter to the editor at the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Seven Days and copy us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you'd like more details on Local Motion's recommendations regarding these two issues, please take a look at our second letter (11-16-11) to the District Commission and our final letter (2-6-2012) to the District Commission is here. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

After years of behind the scenes bike advocacy work, the Burlington City Council unanimously approved two landmark items at a marathon 5 hour meeting on Sept 13 -- a resolution establishing a Bike Path Task Force and ordinance revisions improving the city's bicycle laws.

1) A citizen Bike Path Task Force was formed and charged with updating the city's Bike Path Improvement Plan and recommending a funding method for getting the work done.  The path was built 25 years ago.  The path needs a comprehensive rehabilitation (widening, resurfacing, trailhead signs, intersection improvements) and the task force will draw attention to this important project and make it happen.  Many Burlington leaders want to serve on this task force including Bobby Miller, Peter Clavelle and Katharine Montstream.  Read the original resolution here (a few minor revisions from the Council meeting are not reflected in this copy). Read the Bike Path Improvement Plan here.

2) The new bike laws are a great improvement over the former patchwork of regulations.  One of the biggest victories is a 3-foot passing requirement for motorists overtaking bicyclists on city streets.  We hope that this will inspire the VT Legislature to consider strengthening State law to include such specific language.  It will take about 30 days for the new laws to become official. Check out all the details here. A huge thanks to volunteer Will Flender for making this happen!