Protected bike lanes being demonstrated on Spear St. in Shelburne

Overview

The Burlington Walk Bike Council, an advisory committee for the City of Burlington, is leading a temporary demonstration project on North Avenue October 19th-26th between Shore Road and Tracy Drive. This segment, which is just over a half mile, connects many of the New North End's schools, community centers, and neighborhoods.

The project will use quick-build elements to convert the current buffered bike lanes into protected bike lanes, creating a low-stress bicycle corridor through the New North End.

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Why This Project?

North Avenue is one of Burlington's busiest streets. While it currently has buffered bike lanes, many residents still feel uncomfortable biking here because there is nothing separating them from traffic. This limits the ability of New North End residents to be able to use a bike for everyday transportation like

• Getting to school or work
• Shopping
• Visiting friends and family

Protected bike lanes provide a greater sense of safety and comfort, especially for kids, families, and less confident riders. Creating a low-stress corridor along North Ave. will help to safely get children to Flynn, Hunt, and C.P. Smith, or connect neighbors to the Oddfellows lodge, the Robert Miller Community Center, the Heineberg Community Senior Center, St Marks Youth Center, as well as the restaurants and small stores along North Ave here.

Project History

• 2014 – City Council unanimously supports a plan to put North Ave on a road diet, narrowing travel lanes, installing buffered bike lanes, and reducing many sections from 4 to 3 car lanes. 

• 2016 – North Avenue Pilot Project installed, supported by a citywide ballot. One segment between 127 and Institute Road tested protected bike lanes, though this was later converted back to buffered.

• 2017 – planBTV makes long-term recommendations for protected bike lanes along all of North Avenue south of Plattsburgh Ave.

• 2025 – Burlington’s new Walk Bike Safety Action Plan identifies North Avenue as a focal corridor and further recommends permanent protected bike lanes.

What We're Doing

For a limited time, the Burlington Walk Bike Council will create a protected bikeway along North Avenue between Shore Road and Tracy Drive. This project will only last a week, between Sunday October 19th and 26th.

We'll transform a high-priority section of our bike network from paint-only to a physically protected, low-stress corridor using quick-build posts.

The goal is to give residents a firsthand experience of what it feels like to bike on North Avenue with real separation from traffic. By testing this design, we can:

• Show how protection makes biking safer and more comfortable for all ages and abilities
• Gather feedback from residents, businesses, and community organizations about their experience
• Help bring Burlington's long-term goals closer to implementation