This month, Local Motion partnered with parents and administrators from the Edmunds Schools to install a pop-up demonstration project to improve safety along South Union Street. School drop-off and pick-up along this stretch has long been a challenge, with buses, cars and bicyclists all vying for space. Pop-up projects like this one serve as temporary, low-cost ways to collect feedback about street design before significant resources are invested on permanent improvements.

This two-week, parent-led project seeks to test out a design for a protected bike lane which is specifically called for in PlanBTV Walk Bike, a document widely vetted by the broader community and adopted by the City Council.

As with any street changes, there is a period of adjustment as drivers learn and adapt to new traffic patterns. The benefit of a pop-up is that there are relatively easy ways to make adjustments to the design if issues arise. The city has already responded to concerns by adding signage to clarify the new one-way traffic pattern on South Union.

The traffic analysis conducted by a local engineering firm in advance of the pop-up did not find that the removal of the right turn lane onto Main Street would cause significant traffic delays. However, given the construction underway on other downtown roadways (ie Saint Paul Street, Pine Street, etc), there may be some back-up until drivers find more favorable commuting routes.

Your feedback on these changes is invaluable as the City continues to implement PlanBTV Walk Bike. Please weigh in by taking this brief survey. Your input will inform future improvements and help make the street safer for all users!

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A two-week pilot demonstration project is beginning on Saturday, September 29 on two blocks of South Union Street to help make the streets around Burlington's Edmunds Schools safer for the school and surrounding community! Local Motion is working with the Edmunds Middle School PTO, Burlington School District, Edmunds Middle School, Edmunds Elementary School, Burlington DPW, and Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission to plan and install this exciting temporary street improvement.

Features that help make biking and walking safer have been installed across Burlington in many places this summer! And DPW isn't done yet, as several more safety features are being completed into this fall. These are all a part of the City's effort to create a network of connected streets where people of all ages and abilities can easily get around and feel safe doing so, as outlined in planBTV Walk Bike. Neighborhood Greenways are an important part of this--that is, streets with low vehicle volumes and speeds designed to prioritize bicycling and enhance conditions for walking. "The Wiggle" in the ONE is a great example of this, where folks of all ages and abilities can get from the NNE or Battery Park and the Waterfront to the top of the hill (UVM and UVMMC), downtown, or anywhere in between.

Below is a sample of the wonderful bike and walk infrastructure that the City of Burlington has or is in the process of completing this summer. Fear not, much more superb bike and walk infrastructure is planned for upcoming years to help complete a connected citywide network.

Local Motion will reinstate the Island Line Bike Ferry service for the 2018 season. The Vermont Agency of Transportation announced a joint effort today with, the Town of Colchester and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to rebuild the Colchester Causeway, targeting early July for reopening. 

I am beginning a series about the complexity of riding a bike. I am interested in the many elements that go into a bike ride, and as I use a bike as my primary form of transportation, I've given these elements a lot of thought.