Champlain Valley
GOAL: A Safer North Avenue in Burlington
Local Motion, in collaboration with city, neighborhood and other local leaders, helped to shape the vision for a safer North Avenue for everyone: people walking, biking and driving. North Ave serves as a critical connection between downtown Burlington with many of Burlington's most important destinations. So, what happens to North Avenue affects the daily transportation needs of residents across the city.
THE OPPORTUNITY: A pilot project was designed to convert the 4 vehicle lane section of the Avenue between Institute Rd and Shore Rd/Heineberg Rd to 2 lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes in both directions. This design was chosen because it would improve safety on North Ave for everyone: people walking, biking and driving. A 4-lane North Avenue would never be built today because it is an unsafe, outdated design. The center turn lane allows a continuous flow of traffic, while reducing potential rear end and sideswipe conflicts, while making more room for bike lanes. It's a winning design that will increase the safety of North Ave for all users, regardless of choice of transportation.
CURRENT STATUS: After a year of temporary implementation, the pilot was voted into permanence on Monday, July 10th, 2017!
The goal of this pilot was to show that North Avenue can be safer and align with contemporary needs.
All Burlingtonians deserve a better street and a better neighborhood that ensures that the kids, adults, and grandparents in the New North End (and Old North End) are safer, healthier, and wealthier.
Learn More
Protected bike lanes are part of a transportation revolution in cities and towns across the US!
Take a look at the City of Burlington's website for the latest project updates.
Check out an Avenue for Everyone for more background on the pilot.
The Hidden History of that $5 Garage Sale Bike Helmet
My husband and I love finding great deals at garage and yard sales—we’ve found all kinds of amazing things in our adventures (brand-new Ibex shirt for $1, anyone?) As you can imagine, I’ve seen just about everything put out for sale on the tables (and yes, I did buy that bronze frog lamp.) One thing we see a lot are bike helmets. Sure, $5 for a helmet that looks in good shape seems like a great deal, but before you pounce on that fancy new helmet with squeals of triumph and joy, hear me out first....