tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41801557424921669132024-03-04T21:16:57.370-08:00TRANSPORT POLICYTony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-43663502051847382382022-06-05T14:01:00.000-07:002022-06-05T14:01:10.468-07:00BTV's Main Street Needs Light Rail to Return to a Great Street of Early 1900s<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Some Reflections on the Burlington Main Street Project— </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"> Between South Union and Battery Street</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Carcentricity over the decades strangled our City core—Downtown and Old North End/King Maple neighborhoods. You know, the areas with 25 mph streets which host the majority of the 20 Vermont high crash intersections, the center of pedestrian, bicyclist and car occupant injuries, many serious and some fatal. Walkable and bikable still remain out of reach for our urban core—safety must rule for all modes! </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Now with traffic calming and led by roundabouts there is an antidote to continued decline and hope to shift many current core trips from car to transit and walk/bike, building out from our sacred pedestrian Marketplace. The opening of our first roundabouts this summer is a harbinger of the kind of change to transform our streets.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">The subject of safety and walkabiity for our core streets could not be more timely as upwards of 530 apartments/condos alone either under construction including the 430 City Place nearing a start! </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">We escaped the “ring road,” the interstate roadway from I-189 through the South End, the waterfront, through ONE to the belt line and final connection via Colchester, Essex and Williston to I-89—that last section, the Circ died after a US District Court fight in the early 2000s. The other ring road vestige from the 1950s, the Champlain Parkway after a 3-year delay by the City finally reaches the US District Court where carcentricity in Burlington may finally be laid to rest.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">The high traffic and crash rates in Downtown/King Maple/IONE show in history how transportation, however well intentioned, ends up in racial and low-income injustice as all these areas—nor surprisingly—are the epicenter of our lowest income residents and our largest community of color. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">The Main Street project is put forth as part of a transformation but this project lacks clarity, particularly in the area of safety.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">On the $20 million+ Main Street project from a number of standpoints there remain lots of questions and about lack of public discussion, engagement and outreach on the Main Street project. And absolutely no analytics!<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">The project approved by the voters was opposed by those with three major concerns: (1) lack of attention to the four of seven high crash intersections which now generate about 70 injuries per decade at a value of about $3.5 million, almost two injuries per intersection per year; a questionable financing source, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), which can put all Burlington taxpayers at risk; and (3) questionable sewer improvement in the “ravine” rejected in the past as not passing benefit cost tests versus alternatives and spreading public benefit to private interests. These questions remain. The vote did not impact these questions other than make them more important.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">The “Great Streets” brand got inserted in the Burlington Transportation Plan competed in 2011. Few realize it dates to that time. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">The first question might be where is there a Great Street of the this brand for any to see or look up to look into ones completed? <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Main Street has only one short reasonably level block-and-a-half section between Prospect Street and Union Station—it starts at So. Winooski and ends at about the Flynn where the grade, again, increases.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Second, one has to look at the larger aspect of Burlington’s Main Street. Main Street by geography presents a challenge not addressed in any way by the project—it is a long hill with sharp grades except for the So. Winooski-Church Street block. This means absent a compensatory support like light rail which did operate from about 1890 through 1929—modes like walking and bicycling conditions have less potential than flat streets like North, North Winooski, and Church Streets to reach “great” status.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Actually Vermont features one "Great Street" today which anyone and visit and enjoy--Main Street Manchester Center! This street got to "great" status in 2012 with completion of two roundabouts (one a mini-roundabout and one really a "bridgeabout" over the Battenkill River) so when added to 1997 third roundabout Main Street reached greatness as the first roundabout corridor in Vermont. Already touting itself as the "5th Avenue of the Mountains," Manchester Center along the roundabout area features an unending tourist shopping and dining choices, incomparable scenic quality of the surrounding mountain heights, and yes the river with a now meandering pedestrian trail from Main/Depot roundabout eastward along Depot Street, the other main shopping leg being designed to move up to "great" street with roundabouts status. Other downtowns and and village centers would be adivsed to copy the Manchester Center 1995 plan which created the blueprint coming to reality today. <br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Few recognize the importance of the College Street free shuttle continuing today on the economics of businesses from the waterfront to the UVM Common—think of the YMCA, the Marketplace, and all retail and service businesses along its length. The free shuttle with reasonably frequencies acts to flatten College Street—there is no similar route on Main Street other than the University Mall very frequent run—but it only goes down hill from So. Union to Battery on Main Street—so of minor benefit. A similar renewal of pedestrian and bicycle access along Main Street (light rail today would include a car with walk-on bike corrals) with a return of light rail last studied in the 1990s with either College or Main Street the initial first routing between the waterfront and UVM/Medical center for first phase. <b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It is important in any change to Main Street to retain vehicle travel way width to accommodate a standard light rail vehicle and space on either side for a motor vehicle to pass. </b><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Again, only a frequent bus or light rail vehicle can Main Street reach it former status early in the 20th century as a “great street.” Consider what cable cars do to flatten California, Mson and Hyde Streets in San Francisco—clearly high grades than Main Street but reflective of the principles at work. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Also consider the advocacy of Rep. Curt McCormack and many other residents for a cable car oriented to tourists between the waterfront (likely Union Station) up Main Street to the UVM campus. Such a service can work side by side with light rail and both need to be kept feasible in any Main Street redesign. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Local Motion properly identified the need for uninterrupted bicycle facilities in the current design. Now there are 2-way bike lanes on both sides of Main Street except for the south side between So. Union (at Edmunds public schools complex) and South Winooski. Am fully supportive of their concerns. A petition can be found here: <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">But this raises a question—why 2-way bike lanes on each side of street, why not one lane on one side, 2-way on the other and reallocate the about five feet for plaza/pedestrian business use?<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Since bicycling up or down Main Street for any distance is unlikely to generate the flow of College Street (less traffic, few signals today), then why is this street a high priory other than to have safety addressed at its high crash intersections and obsolete signals replaced on a priority basis over time. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Note that the current signals versus roundabouts increase green house gas emissions by about a third. And unfriendly signals depress both walking and bicycling potential. Signals delay everyone compared to a roundabout and build up much longer queues which hinder emergency vehicle movements. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">It is clear now we need to reduce speeds on many of our urban streets to 20 mph in order reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Most of our high crash intersections are on 25 mph streets in downtown and ONE. Enabling the setting of 20 mph speed limits will require Legislature approval and a change in minimum speed limit setting by town and cities dating likely from before World War II. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Tony Redington<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">Walk Safety Advocate<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><a href="mailto:TonyRVT99@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">TonyRVT99@gmail.com</a></span></u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;">@TonyRVT60<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://TonyRVT.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1654548034451000&usg=AOvVaw1Pq8jxmzE6Mfn1fGljx_eo" href="http://tonyrvt.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">TonyRVT.blogspot.com</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; min-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", serif;"><u></u> <br /></span></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-63789123327500949462022-05-19T15:52:00.004-07:002022-05-19T15:52:50.699-07:00Pine Street Coalition $125 Parkway Update May 18--Rally Events June 11 and June 18!<p> Pine Street Coalition Update on the Now $125 Million Fatally Flawed Champlain Parkway—May 18, 2022 <br /><br />WCAX <b>covers Pine Street Coalition lawsuit May 10—report by Melissa Cooney https://www.wcax.com</b>/2022/05/10/champlain-pkwy-opponents-seek-injunction-stop-june-construction/ Coalition injunction to stop July construction. Tony Redington interviewed. <br /><br /><b>Note 1: </b>Burlington no longer has an obligation to pay back even a postage stamp to Federal Highway Administration in regard to Champlain Parkway now the Infrastructure Act signed by President Biden in November removes power to force state or locality of payback. In fact it appears even under the old law we did not owe a dime. The Federal Highway and VTrans threat was a false flag! The Coalition has asked the City Council Transportation Committee to look into this and obtain a detailed legal opinion. <br /><b>Note 2:</b> Champlain Parkway which among other elements cuts King Maple neighborhood in two, lacks an inch of safe bicycle accommodation, lacks a single inch of sidewalk now reaches a cost of $125 million! Construction cost about double long term estimates. See attached estimation. Railroad Enterprise Project (REP) another $26 million! RIGHTway cut Parkway cost by millions!<br /><br />In this update:<br /><br /><b>Pine Street Coalition Files Amended Complaint, First Steps of Injunction to Stop Any Parkway Construction as US District Court Lawsuit Begins May 16!</b><br /><br /><b>Call to Action Time to Take to the Streets!—Mark the Dates: Noon Saturday June 11 at File Case Sculpture/Flynn Coop Housing; and Noon Saturday June 18 for a King Maple, a “Honk and Wave” at Pine St/Maple St Intersection<br /></b><br /><b>Youth Movement—Champlain Elementary Englesby Brook Study Students Support RIGHTway’s Saving Acres of Trees, Englesby Brook and Natural Areas Preservation/Protection—May Testify at US District Court</b><br /><br /><b>Infrastructure Act signed last November deleted language allowing Federal Highway to seek any payback from Burlington for Parkway expenditures<br /></b><br /> ———————————-<br /><br /><b>Pine Street Coalition Files Amended Complaint</b>, First Steps of Injunction to Stop Any Parkway Construction as US District Court Lawsuit Begins May 16! Pine Street Coalition (Coalition) filings at US District Court this week were the first paper to move since we filed June 6, 2019. Papers were filed Monday, May 16, and include first steps for an injunction on any Parkway construction now set for July 1 until litigation ends. The almost three year delay occurred as the City/VTrans through the now known totally empty and insulting steps to apply new Environmental Justice rules. Yes City/VTrans ignored all the lengthy comments, meetings, etc. The City/VTrans concluded—though they had totally failed to meet the letter and spirit of the new rules (our position)—the box they checked in 2009,13 years ago, continued to be sufficient! The 2 1/2 year process did in fact certify King Maple neighborhood a community of color but no need to change a whisker of design change. Then City/VTrans went lickety split to bid and OK’d construction ($45 million, about double budgeted) the single bid less than four months later! An unfortunate example of government reenforcing distrust in it performance!<br /><br /><b>Call to Action Time to Take to the Streets!</b>—Mark the Dates: Noon Saturday June 11 at File Case Sculpture/Flynn Coop Housing; and Noon Saturday June 18 for a King Maple, a “Honk and Wave” at Pine St/Maple St Intersection Let’s gather to express our opinion on the Parkway at two June Saturday events as the US District Court mulls action to stop the July 1 Parkway construction! We have just gone through 3 years delay as the City/VTrans went through the nothing burger on the deeply serious Environmental Justice regulations—King Maple is a blatant example of transport racial injustice! Low-income injustice too! Let the Court know what our community thinks of the current design of the Champlain Parkway!<br /><br /> Saturday June 11—Flynn Ave at Filecase Sculpture Opposite Coop<br /><b><br />We will have speakers and exchange views and ideas on the Parkway </b>across from City Market South End on Flynn Ave at the Filecase Sculpture. Consider bringing a sign, help us let our District Court know we do not want this harmful, hurtful and 1950s design in an era when we want to preserve our natural areas, stop installing unsafe signals and roadway, keep our connection to SBTV, etc. We actually thinks a sidewalk and separate and safe bicycle accommodation would be a good idea a la Vermont’s Complete Streets law (not an inch of either on the Parkway!)! Hope to see you there! More to come on this. Will need some volunteers to make signs, organize, etc.<br /><br /> Saturday June 18—King Maple Neighborhood—Pine St/Maple St<br /> Intersection<br /><br /><b>A good old fashioned “honk and wave” event</b>. With this all-way-stop intersection we can all be reasonably safe as pedestrians—each car at the stop signs can read our signs like “No Parkway through King Maple,” “No Way for Parkway Transport Racism in King Maple!,” “No 22% and 37% Parkway traffic jump!” We will need some sign makers—four signs allows us to give the message to all four approaching vehicle streams!! Parkway installs a traffic signals at this and the next intersection at King upping speeds, forcing kids to push a button and wait around to cross streets, colored lights all day and night onto adjacent housing, etc., etc. <br /><br /><b>Youth Movement—Champlain Elementary</b> Englesby Brook Study Students Support RIGHTway’s Saving Acres of Trees, Englesby Brook and Natural Areas Preservation/Protection—May Testify at US District Court An expert in natural areas who instructs in schools, Judy Dow who is Abenaki, has been working with group of 5th graders on scientific learning experience with adjacent Englesby Brook including how wildlife cannot traverse the Pine Street tunnel—similar to what is in the Parkway. They students want to testify at the Court on the importance of the RIGHTway keeping Englesby out of another pipe, preservation and protection of the Brook floodway and the roughly one mile narrow natural corridor enabled by a scaled back road design between Home Ave and Lakeside Ave.<br /><br /><br /><b>Infrastructure Act signed last November </b>deleted language allowing Federal Highway to seek any payback from Burlington for Parkway expenditures The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill deleted language that in the past allowed Federal Highway Administration to on a discretionary basis seek repayment of federal transportation from states but only to the point of completing right-of-way purchases. Since about 2012 Federal Highway (FHWA) and VTrans have threatened payback demand if the Champlain Parkway did not go forward—even though opponents have always sought making the project safe, climate positive, and avoid cutting King Maple neighborhood in two (to cite just three changes the Coalition seeks!). In fact, the base right of way for the project from Shelburne Road through to Lakeside Ave was mostly obtained in the 1980s and all expenditures one planning and engineering since are not eligible for repayment! That issue is moot since the new law deletes the power of FHWA to obtain payback of any funds spent on highway projects.<br /><br /><br />Thank you all for your continued support and counsel!<br /><br /><br /> Tony Redington<br /> Walk Safety Advocate<br /> for the Pine Street Coalition<br /><br /></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-74257500978446244742022-05-01T11:27:00.001-07:002022-05-01T11:27:40.830-07:00Pine Street Coalition May 1 Champlain Parkway Update<p> <br /> Injunction Against Parkway Construction at US District Court <br /> May 16!<br /><br />The first US District Court papers and motions since the Pine Street Coalition (Coalition) first filing since June 6, 2019 due by May 16, and the Coalition will file a motion for an immediate injunction on any Parkway construction until litigation ends. <br /><br /> Fortieth Burlington Joins in Coalition Lawsuit!<br /><br />Fortieth Burlington LLC (40th) which owns the major modernized office space in the historic cotton mill, Innovation Center on Lakeside Ave, joins shoulder to shoulder with your Pine Street Coalition (Coalition) in the US District Court Champlain Parkway lawsuit calling for a strong supplemental environmental document process or an entirely new one--the current 2009 document clearly now obsolete and stale. <br /><br />The Coalition and 40th immediately seek an injunction against any Parkway construction until litigation ends. The aim of the lawsuit is to seek a major Environmental Impact Statement update (now based on 2000 Census and traffic data from 2003) or a completely new one so the transportation reality of today can be used rather than that of 2006 when the last public hearing was held—as we say “do it right the first time.” That reality includes seriously addressing safety, climate change, racial and low income environmental justice, community economics, and major changes in practically all rules, laws, regulations and practices as well as changes on the ground since the final public hearing on the project almost 16 years ago! <br /><br /> Disappointing City Council Action<br /><br />Certainly we are disappointed—but not discouraged—by the City Council action approving a contract for part of the Parkway from the sole bidder at a cost of $45 million, a figure about 100% higher than budgeted by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. This shows overall construction costs at about twice the $35 million full Parkway construction estimate! Note the Pine Street Coalition/VT Racial Justice RIGHTway would cut about $8 million in the required tax dollars! <br /><br /> The Lawsuit <br /><br />The aim of the lawsuit is to seek a major 2009 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) update (now based on 2000 Census and traffic data from 2003) or a completely new one so the reality of today can be used rather than that of 2006 when the last public hearing was held—as we say “do it right the first time.”<br /><br />The stale, obsolete 2009 EIS contains not one sentence on addressing climate change, not a paragraph addressing safety for users, and identifies no issue of racial and low-income equity. Yet, even after a three year Environmental Justice new rules application the City and VTrans (not a whisker of Parkway change!) utterly failed in application of the rules and ignored unanimous opposition at the one public hearing on the Parkway cutting in two the King Maple community of color, also designated low-income by Gov. Scott. <br /><br />We all know the basics of the lawsuit<br /><br />The threat of payback required of the City never made sense as such a requirement still remains discretionary on the part of the Federal Highway Administration—no law absolutely requires it. That the City Council operated out of fear rather than the best interests and safety of its residents and businesses is troubling. Much less the issues of racial and low income justice, air quality and climate change, Englesby Brook protection, a newly found endangered species (including the Northern Long Eared bat), and simple waste—all inherently negative in the current harmful Parkway design.<br /><br />An example of waste is the building of two streets instead of one, Briggs Street and Parkway for an entire block. Add a sidewalk to a “new” Briggs (now the mud flats), the Parkway and shared use path (mixes 20 mph ebikes and pedestrians including toddlers, those with canes and walkers, etc.)—there are upwards of 125 to 150 feet width of pavement! This is twice what is needed! This section is so bizarre Petra Cliffs and perhaps even our City Market Coop have been quietly informed that the City will just put in a driveway across the “new” useless Briggs Street directly onto the Parkway! Public Works Director Chapin Spencer in the 2016 presentation to the neighborhood where not a word was allowed spoken by the 100 attending could not have been more correct when he said if the project were designed to today it would be different—those words resonate even more today, six years later!<br /><br />The Flynn Avenue/Briggs Street/Parkway intersection analyzed by the now adjacent City Market Coop also fails with an average vehicle delay almost two minutes (110 seconds) at afternoon peak. Pine Street Coalition focuses changes on the ground and numerous changed laws and regulations as the basis of its case to call for discarding the current obsolete design. But there is also substantial waste with about 1.75 lane miles of no longer needed roadway and ongoing maintenance costs which would be added to the capital costs of the Parkway.<br /><br />Unfortunately our Department of Public Works retains little credibility on the Parkway safety or safety on our streets with its decade long record of no serious attention to even one of the City’s twenty high crash intersections on VTrans current list. All but one of those 20 intersections are signalized and three lie on the edge of the low-income/people of color King Maple neighborhood. With almost one in five of the Vermont high crash intersections on our mostly 25 mph streets, Burlington streets are among the most dangerous in Vermont to walk, bike or travel by car. About weekly a pedestrian or cyclist is injured along two car occupants.<br /><br />We can and must do better when spending $130 million now and counting for our South End. We must “do it right the first time” and install a street, almost a corridor long dedicated pedestrian only sidewalk, and a “bikes only” 2-way bikeway—in short, a roadway we can love!<br /><br />Informed and focused efforts to alter a major roadway project succeeded early this century in the City supported fight against the Circumferential Highway, and in the Keene, NH citizen battle against a $80 million bypass expansion which was converted to three roundabouts with even better safety and service! <br /><br />Thank you all for your continued support and counsel!<br /><br /></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-72896314647935018022022-04-30T13:02:00.001-07:002022-04-30T13:02:53.146-07:00Expanding Church Street Marketplace Walkability<p> <br /> A Downtown Burlington Proposal: Four Mini-<br /> Roundabouts Adjacent Church Street Marketplace—<br /> Providing Comfort to Pedestrians, Aiding Climate Change <br /> Emissions Reductions and Freeing Vehicle Traffic <br /><br /> …Extending Church Street Marketplace walkability<br /> two blocks west along Bank and College Streets to Pine Street<br /><br />Recently at a family luncheon at Burlington’s Friendly Toast on Saint Paul Street three members were shaken up when crossing the all-way stop Saint Paul/College intersection as a vehicle failed to properly yield almost hitting them. One moved by a walker. This spurred some thinking about the four all-way-stop intersections immediately west of the Marketplace and how inexpensive mini-roundabouts could transform the block of Saint Paul/College/Pine/Bank Streets into a much more comfortable and less stressful walking environment for both pedestrians and drivers at very little cost using mini-roundabouts.<br /><br />While “normal” roundabouts with central islands can cost up to a million dollars or more each, the mini-roundabouts price is often in the tens of thousands of dollars, really reflecting their listing as a traffic calming measure. Also, Burlington has historically employed all-way stop intersections which traffic engineers will testify are the safest for pedestrians. The mini-like its senior regular roundabout—both dating from their inception in the 1960s in the UK—also provide equivalent safety to the all—way-stop intersections while providing some very important additional benefits: reduced delay for cars and trucks, less stress for pedestrians, greater capacity for traffic and climate change and other pollutants reductions of up to 20-30%. The cut in emissions alone can amount to annual thousands of gallons of fuel consumed from the simple act of reduced stopping and then accelerating to speed when no cars or pedestrians are present at the intersection. <br /><br /><br />When two or more vehicles arrive at stop signs about the same time at an all-way stop intersections, not only does this cause some “who got there first” issues for drivers to figure out before moving through the intersection, but a similar an even more uncomfortable situation for pedestrians who can must deal with cars literally able to invade their crossing from all directions before the plus vehicles approaching towards the crossing they are to negotiate. The mini-roundabout solves all these conflicts—cars yield to pedestrians immediately in front and yield only to a car already in the circular travel way. Mini roundabouts will in many cases also provide the pedestrian with a small median space, a refuge. between lanes so only one lane of traffic is dealt with at a time.<br /><br />In the case of Burlington, while it boasts mostly 25 mph streets, as a practical matter it has 20 high crash intersections (19 signalized) or almost one in five on the Vermont Agency of Transportation current high crash list of 111! Unfortunately it is, perhaps, the most dangerous City in Vermont to walk, bike and travel by car. It experiences weekly about two vehicle occupant injures and one pedestrian or cyclist injury. At its intersections, seven have died since 1998—three pedestrians, three vehicle occupants and one cyclist. <br /><br />The intersections bordering the Marketplace and downtown are especially problematic. The east side border is South Winooski Avenue which has the reputation among engineering consultants as “death valley” with both Pearl Street and Main Street on the high crash list (Main Street the number one high crash intersection in Vermont!). Another Marketplace adjacent intersection along Main St at Saint Paul St not only is on the Vermont high crash list but also the site of a T-bone fatality not many years ago. <br /><br />On the west side of the Marketplace there is an opportunity to provide safe, comfortable for all, and high level of service mini-roundabouts to enhance the context for the many businesses and services there, accommodate hundreds residents of new apartments (some 100 under construction and about 400 slated for City Place), and make the trips of thousands of tourists who chug up and down the hill on College St between the waterfront and the Marketplace just more enjoyable. <br /><br />Vermont already has one mini-roundabout built almost a decade ago in Manchester Center—it is part of the first Vermont “roundabout corridor” composed of three roundabouts. The AARP sponsored Pine Street Workshop in 2014 identified mini-roundabouts as the preferred choice for intersections up and down the corridor in great part because of right-of-way constraints which prevent the installation of full service roundabouts with central islands. The Department of Public Works (DPW) in recent years considered a mini-roundabout demonstration at North St/North Winooski (a Vermont high crash intersection) and a second a block away at North Winooski/North Union/Decatur. <br /><br />Each mini roundabout will offer benefits. First, every mini roundabout enables a vehicle to reverse direction, a very important feature with so many tourists trying to find their way around downtown. Second, the mini-roundabout not only calms traffic with a raised center area and horizontal diversion (no straight line vehicle movement through the intersection possible) but it also discourages stop/rapid acceleration movements since there is little or no delay between intersections—and of course, no stop required if no pedestrian is present and no car in the circular travel way. Ease of travel for larger trucks and regular Green Mountain Transit buses are responsible for for particularly higher emission cuts and benefits from mini-roundabouts versus all way stop or signals. Note traffic signals have a markedly poorer record in injury generation for all modes as well as higher injury severity levels than all-way-stop or roundabout intersection. <br /><br />Consider for a moment each mini suggested here. For the Saint Paul/College the mini will enable easy access/egress to the parking lot at the southwest corner (former Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop) and, again, comfort to the regular and tourist traffic up and down College St. Ditto at College/Pine intersection where movements in an out of the Key Bank ATM on the northeast corner along with parking traffic adjacent will be easier. The Pine/Bank intersection awaits a third leg of Pine St north as part of the City Place development. This intersection now is a two-way corner where pedestrian movement is particularly uncomfortable and a mini will help define two pedestrian crossings as well as car movements. About 100 apartments on the west side of Pine Street—49 apartments set for occupancy this December built by Nedde Real Estate in a new building and about 50 apartments on the west side within the People’s United Bank, also under construction. <br /><br />The other intersection—Bank/Saint Paul—is a 3-way stop with a fourth leg entry/exit to NBT Bank building parking areas—eventually the continuation of Saint Paul St to Cherry St as part of City Place development. There is considerable pedestrian traffic with banks, restaurants and service businesses along all four streets. Currently the pedestrian traffic includes considerable traffic connected Burlington High School housed at the former Macy’s store. <br /><br />The cost of mini-roundabouts is small. Generally they do not require moving any significant amount of existing curbing. Relocation of crosswalks may be done and, of course, circular raised central areas installed. Mini-roundabouts share the current US and Canadian now about 9,000 roundabouts remarkable pedestrian safety record—not a single pedestrian has ever been killed on a marked roundabout crosswalk through 2020. Here in Burlington at it 75 traffic signals two pedestrians have died since 1998 on marked crosswalks. Here in Vermont our five downtown roundabouts in 52 years experienced only a single pedestrian injury resulting in just bumps and bruises. Overall, our five downtown roundabouts average one injury per decade, 0.1 injury per year. The 20 Burlington high crash intersections average 1.4 injuries per year! Roundabouts reduce speeds and speeds are the enemy of pedestrian safety!<br /><br />It takes little time to design and install mini-roundabouts. Using competent designers, involving the community, and installation can be measured in months, not years. Note that too often advocates for bicycle and pedestrians end up unnecessary constraining vehicle travel. <br /><br />Note the proposal for use of mini-roundabouts along the first five of six cross streets intersections on west end of North St in the Old North End, all five on the Vermont high crash list. The “Convert Most Unsafe Vermont Community Street to Safest with Roundabouts” also employs mini-roundabouts (see blog February 28, 2022 at TonyRVT.blogspot.com ). <br /><br />Finally, the effect of the four downtown mini-roundabouts is magnified by the fact that on both Bank and College Streets at Saint Paul to the east there is just one block to the Marketplace which itself slows traffic to a crawl and reenforces the traffic calming by the four mini-roundabouts—and vice versa, the Marketplace intersections at Bank and College benefit from slow approaching traffic from the west and<br /> drivers traveling west through the Marketplace mostly aware of the ease of movement once past Church Street. <br /><br /><br />Tony Redington<br />Walk Safety Advocate<br />TonyRVT99@gmail.com @TonyRVT60<br />TonyRVT.blogspot.com<br /><br />4/30/2022</p><p></p><p>Photo of Manchester Center, VT mini-roundabout on Main St<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlbkGDbN9o5rqjB2jk9LxkN4q-iQY7Goy26l2vsP95IrH3-uIZ2ImYk7HwnRK2zgZJG7DP2qwY0xOkpPXydNy8fFCJ0R-5_JdytNvcbl9T1-h2orKzrKyU087Dr1mG15bdCYw6GFgvG0sFq8y6ojBjigA69z5DVz2mFN8uOvSjrotup3A9X1t0R7x/s1024/348CEF42-A002-43E7-A2F4-5EE727A96C71.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1024" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlbkGDbN9o5rqjB2jk9LxkN4q-iQY7Goy26l2vsP95IrH3-uIZ2ImYk7HwnRK2zgZJG7DP2qwY0xOkpPXydNy8fFCJ0R-5_JdytNvcbl9T1-h2orKzrKyU087Dr1mG15bdCYw6GFgvG0sFq8y6ojBjigA69z5DVz2mFN8uOvSjrotup3A9X1t0R7x/w544-h241/348CEF42-A002-43E7-A2F4-5EE727A96C71.jpeg" width="544" /></a></div><br />Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-74455317043957520042022-04-14T07:41:00.001-07:002022-04-14T07:41:08.938-07:00Burlington Sidewalks are "Shared Paths"<p> <br />Burlington Sidewalks are “Shared Paths”—Aim for Ped Only <br /> Sidewalks!<br /><br /> —The differences: North Ave Plan, Champlain Parkway and<br /> Parkway RIGHTway<br /><br />Confusion exists on what is a sidewalk, a bikeway and a shared-use path here in Burlington. <br /><br />Actually with only one exception all Burlington sidewalks are shared-use paths as bikes are allowed to travel there along with pedestrians. As a senior most of my bike riding has been on sidewalks as there are practically no protected bike lanes (cycle track) yet in the City. Streets with painted bike lanes are not safe in general, and prohibitively unsafe for less skilled and older/younger cyclist who all are consigned to the sidewalk system. <br /><br />Note we can exclude here any discussion of the Burlington Bikepath and similar pathways. The Bikepath is a recreation path—it is not a transportation facility, a facility marked by being lit and maintained year round.<br /><br />The one exception in the City to bicyclist use of sidewalks technically are the adjacent streets of the Marketplace, South Winooski Ave from Pearl to Main Streets, Main St from South Winooski Ave to Saint Paul St, Saint Paul St from Main St to Bank St, Pearl St from Saint Paul St to South Winooski Ave. Add to this the Marketplace itself, though cyclists do use the Marketplace in the early a.m. when service vehicles and trucks are allowed from Pearl St to Main St.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> North Avenue Plan (2014) Creates the Mold<br /><br />While not intended, the North Avenue Plan (North St to Plattsburgh Ave) created the mold of how to define the role of sidewalks and bike accommodations on our City streets. With a goal of “highest safety for all modes” the Plan calls for cycle track end-end-to-end along with a separate sidewalk while employing safest-for-all-modes roundabouts at key intersections. Cycle track would be in the form of a 5 foot wide lane on each side of the Avenue with either a curb or other physical separation from the vehicle lanes. <br /><br />What was not discussed by the Advisory Committee in the North Avenue plan process or the plan document was the implication that cyclists would with few exceptions would be expected to use the cycle track and the sidewalk—instead of being shared-use—becomes a dedicated pedestrian sidewalk. The term used in addition to “complete” street in accordance to the Vermont complete streets statute during the North Ave plan was “equality street.” Equality street described each mode—pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle—being provided its own dedicated, safe, mobility space. <br /><br />So when the cycle track and roundabouts complete the renewal, nay transformation, of North Avenue the sidewalk there is no longer “shared-use” but dedicated pedestrian space with cycling mostly prohibited. <br /><br /> Champlain Parkway/Champlain RIGHTway and Shared-use<br /><br />The grassroots Pine Street Coalition arose in 2015 while the Burlington Walk Bike Council reviewed reviewed the complete lack of basic walk and bicycle accommodation in the Champlain Parkway design. Pine Street adopted the reasoning of the Walk Bike Council and in 2016 the Walk Bike Council endorsed the Pine Street “Redesign Guidelines.” <br /><br />The Pine Street design, now its “Champlain RIGHTway” (RIGHTway) design features a dedicated two-way bikeway and sidewalk from Queen City Park Rd through to Kilburn Street/Curtis Lumber, about two miles. Pine Street and the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) position on the current design of the Parkway is leave Pine Street from Kilburn Street to Main Street alone, and instead bypass King Maple via the railyard to Battery Street Extension, now the $20 million federally funded Rail Enterprise Project (REP). Pine Street and VJRA RIGHTway extends the sidewalk and dedicated bikeway along the REP to connect to the Bikepath at Maple St.<br /><br />In addition to the dedicated bikeway, RIGHTway recommends additionally cycle track along the Parkway route. <br /><br />What has not generally recognized is the RIGHTway dedicated two-way bikeway means no pedestrians! And the RIGHTway sidewalk adjacent the bikeway does not allow cyclists! This design approach copies the mold first set in the 2014 North Avenue Plan. <br /><br />The RIGHTway approach follows the highest level of safety approach in the North Avenue Plan, a “complete” and “equality” for all modes street. This mirrors the new US Department of Transportation Roadway Safety System Strategy, our national Vision 0 approach to no serious and fatal injuries. The national strategy requires addressing racial and low income equity and climate change as part and parcel of safety infrastructure investments. The strategy includes a “Safe System Approach” and “Safe System Intersections” when investing in roads and streets. The point here is that the current Parkway “shared-use path” pales in comparison to a dedicated sidewalk and dedicated two-way bikeway in RIGHTway. <br /><br /> Pedestrian and Bicycle Classification<br /><br />There is no readily available pedestrian and bicycle facility classification in general use today. <br /><br />A sidewalk classification might be: Class 1—Pedestrian Only and Class 2—Pedestrian Shared Use. For cycling: Class 1—Bicyclist Only (bikeway or cycle track) and Class 2—Bicyclist Shared with pedestrians.<br /><br />Intersections are critical for safety, the roundabout being the standard as it cuts serious and fatal injuries by about 90%. The only other intersection which provides equivalent safety is the all-way stop. Signals are to be considered only where a roundabout is unfeasible. <br /><br /><br />Tony Redington<br />Walk Safety Advocate<br />TonyRVT99@gmail.com<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-63575125107717788062022-04-03T10:41:00.003-07:002022-04-03T10:43:18.321-07:00Champlain Parkway Update--Court Starts, Racial Equity Ignored, Price Doubles?, Private Group Joins Lawsuit<p><b> Pine Street Parkway US District Court Lawsuit Begins, <br /> Finally, May16<br /><br />City Ignores King Maple Neighborhood Certified <br /> Community of Color with Zero Change in Parkway <br /> Blatant Environmental Injustice Design After<br /> Almost 3 Years Public Review<br /><br />City Quietly Puts Parkway to Bid—Only One Bid <br /> Received Two Weeks Ago, About Doubles the <br /> Overall VTrans/City Estimated Total from $30 <br /> million to as much as $60 million! (Yes, Pine Street <br /> RIGHTway would cut project construction costs by <br /> about one quarter!)<br /><br />Fortieth Burlington, LLC Owner of Major Lakeside <br /> Office Complex, Innovation Center, joins Pine <br /> Street in Litigation at Vermont’s US District Court<br /><br /><br />April 2, 2022</b><br /><br />Good Day Pine Street Grassroots Members:<br /><br />Please note recent highlights as the Champlain Parkway moves from an almost three year delay to apply new Environmental Justice regulations (not a whisker of change in the harmful Parkway design!) to the Pine Street US District Court lawsuit filed June 6, 2019 (D-Day). And the apparent ill-timed rush to Parkway construction by the Mayor Weinberger administration. The one bid received March 18 signals a doubling of estimated construction costs! The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and VTrans estimates of $30 million for construction based on a partial Parkway construction bid of $40.1 million suggests construction costs doubling to about $60 million!<br /><br />If you have not yet signed the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance petition to support our joint Champlain RIGHTway, please take a moment to visit the petition site provided at the end of this message. And continue to encourage our City Councilors and Legislative representatives to push for the exciting RIGHTway and its benefits (and save up to 25% of the construction estimate!) instead of the current harmful to the South End design!<br /><br />When asked the question of who makes the decisions on the Parkway, one is reminded of a conversation between then former Secretary of Transportation Sue Minter following a campaign appearance in her campaign for governor when she told Pine Street leader Jack Daggitt in response to questions about the Parkway design, she responded simply “this is a City project!” Minter herself is said to have nixed roundabouts in the project in a 2015 meeting. Still, the point she makes is the Mayor of Burlington is the key person in decisions making regarding the Champlain Parkway. The Parkway is a City project!!<br /><br /> Tony Redington<br /> Walk Safety Advocate<br /> for the Pine Street Coalition<br /> <br /><br /><b><br />Pine Street Parkway US District Court Lawsuit Begins, <br /> Finally, May16</b><br /><br />Grassroots volunteer Pine Street Coalition (Coalition) filed at US District Court here in Burlington on D-Day June 6, 2019 with the purpose of stopping the obsolete, harmful Champlain Parkway design and obtaining a re-design which responds to safety for all modes, addresses climate change, and most important, relieves not adds to the overburden for King Maple neighborhood. The City now opposes and always has the current design cutting in two the now certified community of color King Maple and adding 22-37% more traffic and installing two injury generating traffic signals to an already overburdened low-income, community of color area. <br /><br />Now the plaintiffs, Pine Street and Fortieth Burlington, LLC, Innovation Center owner face off with the City, VTrans and Federal Highway Administration with first legal brief filings due by May 16. <br /><br />City Ignores King Maple Neighborhood Certified <br /> Community of Color with Zero Change in Parkway <br /> Blatant Environmental Injustice Design After Almost 3 <br /> Years Public Review<br /><br />It remains puzzling after almost three years and a unanimous strong public hearing opposition and comments against the Parkway cutting through the now certified King Maple neighborhood as a community of color—just why not a whisker of design change in this overburdened neighborhood where 32% of residents have no car access and are pedestrian dependent? <br /><br />A major change this year is the National Roadway Safety Strategy document from the US Department of Transportation (January 2022)<br /><br />https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS <br /><br />This policy document calls for a “Safe System Approach” and “Safe System Intersections” (primarily roundabouts) to transport funding to address “preventable” serious and fatal roadway injuries—there are at least 21,000 preventable fatalities each year on US roads, about 30 in Vermont. (US plunged from first in world road safety in 1990 to18th today, ped deaths up 51% since 2010 with two recorded in Burlington.)<br /><br />The new national strategy expressly makes both racial/low-income equity and climate change the two vital companion objectives in safety spending. The National Roadway Safety Strategy ties directly to 2021 Executive Orders https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/SafetyEquityClimate EO 13985 on Equity and EO 14008 on Climate Change.<br /><br />It is difficult to conceive of a roadway investment in Vermont which could be more damaging to racial and low income equity and the climate than the current design of the Champlain Parkway!<br /><br /><b>City Quietly Puts Parkway to Bid—Only One Bid <br /> Received Two Weeks Ago, About Doubles the <br /> Overall VTrans/City Estimated Total from $30 million to <br /> as much as $60 million! (Yes, Pine Street RIGHTway <br /> would cut project construction costs by about one <br /> quarter!)</b><br /><br />On March 18, Burlington opened the one bid for construction of just part of the Champlain Parkway between Main Street and Home Avenue—that bid, reportedly $40.1 million alone exceeds the $30 million City estimates on the books for about three years. The $40.1 million when added some time in the future of the balance of the Parkway from Shelburne Rd to Home Ave (“Road to Nowhere”) means the current Parkway design will double to about $60 million the current estimates. <br /><br />This number also calls into question the $20 million estimate for the Railroad Enterprise Project (REP) which just about all in the City favor being built first to bypass the King Maple neighborhood already overburdened with traffic, pollution, and social disruption of high traffic volumes. The City is responsible for 100% of REP costs over $20 million.<br /><br />Some say the Weinberger administration ill-timed bid maneuver was to avoid facing the court challenge and avoid a possible injunction stopping construction. That occurred at US District Court in the Circumferential Highway lawsuit when VTrans let contracts followed by the Court rejected the environmental document and the project died—same issue here with the Parkway? <br /><br /><b>Fortieth Burlington, LLC Owner of Major Lakeside Office <br /> Complex, Innovation Center, joins Pine Street in <br /> Litigation at Vermont’s US District Court</b><br /><br />It is news that the owner of Innovation Center on Lakeside Avenue took action recently to also oppose at US District Court the current Parkway design and seek a quality, modern South End transport facility which is safe, addresses climate change (Efficiency Vermont was a longtime tenant) and corrects the overburden for the low-income and community of color King Maple neighborhood. <br />Pine Street and Innovation Center have worked closely in the past in regulatory and State courts to obtain a responsible Parkway design. <br /><br />Attached please note a simple example of a street, a dedicated bikeway, and sidewalk. This is the type of design Pine Street and Vermont Racial Justice Alliance call for between Queen City Park Rd to Home Avenue and from Home Avenue to Flynn Ave. It is the RIGHTway! It is “doing it right the first time!”<br /><br />Please stay safe!<br /><br /> Yours truly, <br /><br /><br /> Tony Redington <br /> for the Pine Street Coalition</p><p> </p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><p style="color: #13150d; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 44px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span>What can you do?</span></p><p style="color: #292528; font-family: Arial; font-size: 23px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #13150d; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Sign the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span><b>Stop the Champlain Parkway Project and Choose the Champlain RIGHTway Petition:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b><span style="color: #6591ad; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://chng.it/tS9Ts5FjDx&source=gmail&ust=1649093987492000&usg=AOvVaw3i4b9UtxLyc3kxgxku1amJ" href="http://chng.it/tS9Ts5FjDx" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://chng.it/tS9Ts5FjDx</a> SafeStreetsBurlington.com</b></span></span></p></div><div class="yj6qo" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><div class="adL" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></div><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-3135098615047820722022-03-01T07:14:00.004-08:002022-03-01T07:22:48.746-08:00Convert Most Unsafe Vermont Communuty Street to Safest with Roundabouts<p> <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">September 1, 2021 Rev. 3 </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">February 28, 2022</b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1e74ad; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://tonyrvt.blogspot.com/2021/09/convert-most-unsafe-vermont-communuty.html">Convert Most Unsafe Vermont Communuty Street to Safest with Roundabouts</a></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Historic Old North End North Street: Low Cost Conversion of the Most Unsafe and DangerouS Vermont Community Street to Vermont</b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span><b>s Most Safe, Low Speed, Pedestrian Friendly Street!</b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b></b><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b> Summary</b> </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">One thing parents well know, there is no safe route to Sustainability Academy/Barnes Elementary School along North Street in Burlington. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This policy analysis recommends mini roundabouts along Vermont<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s most unsafe and dangerous street right here in Burlington—North Street from North Avenue to the west to North Union to the east with five of six cross intersections on the state<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s high crash list of 111 statewide. The roundabout is the only intersection type on the Federal Highway short list of pedestrian safety <span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>proven countermeasures.” A mini roundabout, is the most likely application in most of the North Street intersections meaning about one injury crash per intersection every few years versus 0.6 injuries per year per intersection now in the most recent tabulation. North Street roundabouts might approach the record of the other five downtown roundabouts of one injury per 50 years (half century) per intersection. And injuries at a roundabout are less severe than at signals. Right now the five high crash intersections total expanded to a decade of an estimated 32 injuries compares to one injury per decade tabulated at the five downtown roundabouts!</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The five Vermont downtown roundabouts with the 52 years of data in Manchester Center {3}, Middlebury and Montpelier averaged just one injury per decade—0.8 car occupant injury, 0.2 pedestrian injury, 0.0 bike injury—none serious. Roundabouts can be expensive as costly utility work often is involved in a project unrelated to the roundabout itself. However, with mini roundabouts used where there are right-of-way constraints, a factor present on North Street, the mini can often be installed with the same safety performance of the bigger sibling for as little as $50,000. The mini roundabout cost is in the neighborhood of traffic calming. It is not far from the cost of three sets of one concrete cylinder flower pot and two white plastic stakes ($17,000) installed at several Burlington intersections. Besides you do not have to tend to the flowers at a mini roundabout! </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1e74ad; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pastedGraphic.png" src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/c1820271-95dc-4b9c-bd66-31b0d0a126a3" /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For the historic Old North End (ONE) dating from the early 19th century, North Street remains the most active community centered street featuring numerous retail, business and institutional land uses. Sustainable Academy (Barnes) Elementary School is just a block from the now Old North End Community Center, formerly Saint Joseph<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s Elementary School. A variety of restaurants, convenience stores, residential buildings, ethnic retail markets,Vantage Press, Dion Locksmith and Bissonette Properties, as well as the locked Elmwood Cemetery are all found between along North Street between North Avenue and North Union Street. As well, there are four high crash intersections—all four cross intersections located between North Avenue (west terminus of North Street) and North Union Street to the east. Of the six intersections North Avenue, Park Avenue, North Champlain Street, Elmwood, North Winooski and North Union Street are on the VTrans latest high crash intersection list—the only cross intersection along the stretch not on the State list? Elmwood/Intervale and Park Avenue both considered a problem intersection in the neighborhood. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>North Street Important Demographics</b> A key to understanding the dilemma of North Street lies in great part to the unusual demographics of Burlington. In a state with 71% of households owning their home and 29% renters, Burlington is almost the opposite 36% owning their home, 64% renter households. VT Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski and Rep. Curt McCormack who has headed the House Natural Resources and Transportation Committees represent the poorest in the City including practically all the ONE and some of King Maple neighborhoods which contain the only census tracts with excess of 80% with low and moderate incomes, King Maple with the highest concentration of persons with brown and black skins in the state—and the 30% representative district households have no car access and therefore are pedestrian and transit dependent for their transportation. The safety on streets like North Street is absolutely essential. In fact Burlington overall has 26% of its households with poverty level incomes with King Maple and ONE along with Winooski (29% of households with poverty level incomes) together representing the historic economic engine of Vermont, now a corridor of poverty. (A poor family of four means a weekly income at most of about $500.) North Street—Site of Many Injury and Non-injury Vehicle Crashes The four high crash intersections in a five year period averaged 3.8 injuries a year all four intersections in five years (19 injuries all four intersections over five years) plus 3.2 reportable fender bender crashes (<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>Property Damage Only” or PDO) (64 all four intersections PDO crashes in five years). See table 1. North Street clearly is a victim of the growth of the New North End (NNE) which sent increasing numbers of vehicles destined for downtown, mostly via North Ave, Park Avenue and North Champlain Street. North Winooski and North Union intersections carry the historic traffic continuing today between downtown Burlington and Winooski, a route dating from the days of Ethan and Ira Allen. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The North Winooski Avenue-Riverside Avenue was not only the Allen<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s era route, it was the route of the first trolley line built in the 1880s and continued in operation until 1929. With North Street featuring four of just 111 high crash intersections in the Vermont list, clearly it is a prime candidate for being the most unsafe and dangerous community street in Vermont! ONE leaders have been concerned about safety along North Street. It was a discussion item act the Arts and Business Network ( https://www.oneabn.org/ ) several years ago but it had to wait in line for the Winooski Corridor study now completed. In 2020 a Department of Public Works draft plan included a demonstration of a mini roundabout at the high crash North St/No. Winooski Ave intersection along with a second at Decatur/No. Union/No. Winooski. That demonstration was cancelled for the current construction year from lack of funds, reportedly, and a Public Works representative said there is no consideration of a North Street corridor study. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Why Traffic Signals which Generate Crashes, Congestion and Delay?</b> All five cross intersections along the west end of North Street (North Ave, Park Ave, North Champlain and Elmwood/Intervale, and North Winooski) are signalized while North Union is a three-way, all-way stop (North Union is one way northbound). Historically as vehicle traffic surged post World War II urban streets quickly became locations of congestion and the only choice to relieve the congestion which handled more traffic than simple signs: the now ubiquitous traffic signal. Traffic engineers had little choice as traffic increased, the traffic signal or limitless congestion and endless queues. But there was a price to shifting from signs to signals—injury crashes increase, particularly for the vulnerable—those who walk and bike—would increase as would car occupant injuries. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Prime factors in increased injuries and crashes—signals versus all way stop intersections, for example—include higher speeds of vehicles traveling through on green and vehicle which fail to stop which cause, for example, the deadly T-bone crash. For pedestrians the high speeds at signals contribute to the 20% higher pedestrian casualty rate at signals versus all-way stop control and equally safe roundabouts (source, FHWA). So, careful protocols were established to minimize the tradeoff of safety and mobility, called signal <span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>warrants.” This was the status of traffic management until the advent of the modern roundabout which began to make its appearance in the United States (and Vermont) in the 1990s, getting its start in 1966 in the U.K. While slow to become the standard it is today, NY State Department of Transportation and two Canadian Provincial Ministries of Transport (British Columbia and Alberta), for examples adopted regulatory <span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>roundabouts first” policies between 2005 (NY) and 2010. A U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) definitive study in 2001 determined American roundabouts cut serious and fatal injuries by <span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>about 90%.”</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">A half century of Vermont downtown roundabouts found a single pedestrian injury (not serious), four non-serious car occupant injuries and 0 bicyclist injuries. Consider the five injuries in a half century of service for downtown Vermont roundabouts versus four North Street intersections generating 3.8 injuries a year! As important the stunning tabulation this year of record of now 9,000 roundabouts in US and Canada has yet to experience a single pedestrian death on a marked roundabout crosswalk! This compares to Burlington during just the the 1998-2020 period at just 75 signalized intersections, 2 pedestrian hit in crosswalks were killed (Barrett St crossing at Dominos and Shelburne Street crosswalk at Home Ave). </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As important, Burlington, Vermont and the nation have been falling behind in road safety to a terrible degree. When the first roundabout in the US was built in 1990, the US and UK were safest in road fatalities per mile of travel in the world—UK still remains at the top—while the US has dropped to 18th with 21,000 pandemic level of excess road deaths yearly. Even in covid 2020 when travel miles dropped 12%, fatalities per mile of travel increased 8%! As concerning is the trend since 2010 in pedestrian deaths—up 50% with Hispanics 50% more likely to die per population than white, Black people almost twice that of white-non-Hispanic. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The two Burlington pedestrian deaths during 2010-2021 (and continuing in 2021) contributed to the upturn in national pedestrian deaths—up 46% in the latest reports. The US Congress, states<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’ </span>transportation departments and metropolitan planning organizations like Vermont single one, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) are well aware of the dismal road death pandemic and in 2013 U.S. laws required all federally funded highway projects to reduce fatal and serious injuries, mandating state and CCRPC to adopt five year objectives for reductions, revised during subsequent five year intervals. Unfortunately for Federal Highway Administration as well as most states and metros (including VTrans and CCRPC) with about two years of the first five year reduction targets in face of the surge of deaths and serious injuries in 2020 while vehicle miles declined 13%, most all will likely fail their first five year targets! </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Note that all neutral and advocate groups for safety—American Automobile Association (AAA), American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and GEICO—have as first on their list or near the top of actions for safety, the installation of roundabouts and conversion of existing traffic signals to roundabouts. The new Vermont road death factor: an estimated 22 deaths per year from long term exposure to allowed tailpipe admissions. While road fatalities in recent years about 60 per year, we have learned recently in University of North Carolina research that there is another set of road deaths directly related to long term exposure to tailpipe emissions. ( https://ie.unc.edu/2021/06/08/new-study-identifies-leading-source-of-health-damages-from-vehicle-pollution-in-12-states-and-washington-d-c ). As a summary of the report states: <span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“</span>states experienced substantial health impacts from vehicle emissions and can gain health benefits from local action.” The recent study involving a number of northeastern US state identified the numbers by state and the annual loss of life in Vermont, 22 deaths, expands the annual Vermont road death number by about a third to about 80 deaths yearly. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">While electric cars, hopefully, will be the dominant vehicle type years from now, certainly for a generation the long term deaths from internal combustion cars will continue to exact a toll on Vermonters. It is very likely that built up urban areas—like Burlington<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s ONE and King Maple neighborhoods—with congestion and vehicle delay causes a higher level of long term exposure fatalities than living and/or working in a country setting in Charlotte. Since roundabouts cut intersection emissions from vehicles up to one third, the roundabout aids in reducing the pollution load to residents and workers in our admittedly congested city streets. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b></b><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>An Affordable Investment Quickly Makes North Street a Model of a Safe Community Street —Applying the lessons learned from the AARP Vermont Pine Street Workshop (2014) and Environmental Justice Process in the Champlain Parkway (2019 to date)</b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b></b><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">First and foremost the North Street intersections in question are best served by roundabouts, likely a mini roundabout like Vermont<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">’</span>s first and only one in Manchester Center. The mini roundabout has the same, or even better, safety record for all modes. Second, any consideration of roundabouts along North Street needs to have all six intersections evaluated in a reasonably short corridor study—the study is not to make signals better, it is to establish roundabout feasibility and utilize experienced (read national practitioners) as part of the consultant team. Actual design of roundabouts for the corridor could be done in a matter of weeks, certainly within a 12-month period. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">An analysis of 5-year and 1-year injury and "Property Damage Only" (PDO) crashes at the five North Street intersections is instructive. This can be calculated easily from the 5-year recent VTrans High Crash Location Report series, 2012-2016. The cost of a fatality used is $1.5 million, $88,500 for an injury and $11,300 for a PDO. Since mini roundabouts are cheap, crash cuts and injury cuts (72% injury cuts alone) with an overall well over $1 million for all five intersections in a year more than covers the five intersections made walkable and safe! This ignores the real benefits of tens of thousands of hours of reduced vehicle and pedestrian delay (real dollars for business trip delay), stress on all users, and increased economic activity enabled for nearby businesses. Add to this the traffic signal caused excessive climate heating emissions and the now known 25 yearly estimated Vermont deaths from a lifetime of vehicle exhaust pollutants. </p>
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<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Table 1: Vermont Agency of Transportation High Crash Location Report 2012-2016 Data on the Five North Street Burlington State High Crash Intersections</b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>#23</b> [Place on list of 111 Vermont high crash intersection list—1 worst, 111 least worst] <b>North St/North</b> <b>Champlain St </b>0.220 [intersection name and milepost] 5 years/21 crashes/5 injuries/17 PDO [years of data recorded, total crashes, total injuries, property only crashes {PDO}] ($30,219–estimated cost per crash); Total Crashes (per year): 21(4.25); Total estimated crash cost for 5 years: $635,000 ($126,900 per year) </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>#40 Park St/North St</b> 0.280 5 years/19 crashes/4 injuries/16 PDO ($28,147\–estimated cost per crash); Total Crashes (per year): 19 (3.8); Total estimated crash cost for 5 years: $535,000 ($107,000 per year)</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">#46 <b>North Winooski (Alternate 7)/North St </b>1.620 5 years/19 crashes/3 injuries/16 PDO ($23,489–estimated cost per crash); Total Crashes (per year): 19 (3.8); Total estimated crash cost for 5 years: $446,000_($89,200 per year) </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>#87 North Union St/North St</b> 0.300 5 years/15 crashes/0 injuries/15 PDO (3-way-stop) ($11,300–estimated cost per crash) Total Crashes (per year): 15 (3.0); Total estimated crash cost for 5 years: $170,000_($34,000 per year)</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.5px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>#110 North Ave/North St</b></span><span style="font-size: 17.5px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.5px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">0.180 5 years/20 crashes/4 injuries/17 PDO ($27,305 </span>estimated cost per crash) Total Crashes (per year): 20 (4.0); Total estimated crash cost for 5 years: $546,100 ($109,220 per year)</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Cost really is not a significant factor as roundabouts at the five high crash intersections would certainly reduce crash/injury costs by about half in a five year period, a $2,177,000 value based on half the total cost estimates, above. A set of roundabouts would likely cost as little as $50,000 each, certainly far less than $2,177,000 million. As analyzed elsewhere a roundabout replacing a high crash intersection on the 20 Burlington intersections in the VTrans list would conservatively result in one less injury per year, a saving of $88,500 and two less PDO crashes, a saving of $22,600—or $111,100 per converted intersection per year. An installation of a mini roundabout on a high crash North Street intersection would easily be paid for in savings in about a year, assuming about $50,000 base cost for a roundabout. Some of those savings are to police department costs of incident management, reports, etc., and other City savings include the trips by emergency equipment and personnel to crashes and then to UVMMC. </p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Table 2: Summary Data on All Five North Street High Crash intersections (2012-2016) </b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Total Crashes 90 total all five intersections:</b></p>
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<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>18.0 crashes per year all five </b>intersections</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>3.6 crashes per intersection per yea</b>r —16 injuries in five years, 3.2 injuries per year all five intersections, 0.64 injuries per year per intersection</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>84 property damage only (PDO) crashes</b>, 16.8 PDO crashes per year all five intersection, 3.4 per PDO crash per intersection per year</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Total estimated crash cost for 5 years all four intersections</b>: $2,177,000 ($435,000 per year), $87,000 per intersection per year</p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Note: </b>There are many crashes involving no injury which never “reportable,” i.e., never enter the crash counts by police departments and the state. If estimated total crash is $3,000 or below, no reports are necessary. </p>
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<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Tony Redington February 28, 2022 TonyRVT99@gmail.com</p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-87299151863428949592022-02-23T16:01:00.004-08:002022-02-23T16:01:42.048-08:00Vote No March 1 Ballot Item 4, Burlington Main St: Steve Goodkind, Michael Long and Tony Redington Weigh In<p> 2/22/2022<br /><b><br /><br />Now added February 22, Steve Goodkind, P.E., Decades Long City Engineer, Joins Michael Long’s and My Front Page Forum submission on $30 million Main Street Ballot Item 4 March Town Meeting, March 1 for copying and pasting on your local FPF (about 20 separate areas in Burlington)</b><br /><br />The CH 17 Forum on Ballot item 4 featuring Michael and Tony Redington:<br />https://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/burlington-article-4-borrow-259m-downtown-tif-district-forum<br /><br />January 2022 new National Roadway Safety Strategy based on safety with twin additional objectives of racial and income equity as well as addressing climate change. Approach to roadway investments “Safe System Approach”: https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS <br /><br />City Website with 12-word transportation Great Streets “standard” ( Walkable and bikeable — safe for all modes and all levels of accessibility ): http://greatstreetsbtv.com/downtown-standards <br /><br />Note the key chasm in Great Streets so-called standards is assumption of traffic signals along Main Street—the now obsolete and dangerous technology as traffic lights kill, injure, delay, heat the planet, implement racial injustice/low-income discrimination, and degrade scenic quality. The now standard roundabout (AARP, AAA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Federal Highway Administration advocate them) since 2005 in NY State Department of Transportation is primarily for its superior safety for all modes, but the roundabout also addresses each and every signal defect in a superior fashion! Nineteen of Burlington’s 20 high crash intersections are signalized recording 1.4 injuries a year while five downtown Vermont roundabouts average an injury a decade. The engineer presenting Feb 1 on Great Streets was clearly unaware of the high crash intersections on Main Street and also unaware that roundabouts were the main recommendation of the City’s North Avenue Plan (2014) and Winooski Corridor Plan (2020) for Main/South Winooski, the highest crash intersection in Vermont.<br /><br />North Avenue Corridor Plan (2014) first corridor goal in part: “Achieve a world class transportation corridor that offers quality of service and highest safety for those who walk, bicycle, and travel by motor vehicle or transit.” Landmark plan calls for corridor length sidewalk, protected bike lanes (cycle track) and roundabouts at key intersections. https://studiesandreports.ccrpcvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/FINAL-NorthAve_CorridorReport.pdf<br /> ———<br /> 2/19/22<br /> <br /><b>Steve Goodkind, P.E. Decades Long Former City Engineer Statement on Town Meeting Main Street Ballot Item 4—Public Expense of Addressing Ravine Sewer Not Warranted</b><br /> <br />Having recently read the minutes of the Jan. 10 “public hearing” regarding the proposed TIF authorization vote for March, I am concerned about the information being offered by DPW Director Spencer and his engineers.<br /> <br />Forty years ago, as city engineer, I began efforts to deal with problems with our combined sewer system. At the top of the list was the Ravine Sewer. Installing an alternate large diameter pipe in the city's ROW to divert stormwater flow from the Ravine Sewer was the first project of the overall $52 million upgrades we made to our wastewater systems during the late eighties through the mid nineties. Because of it's location and depth it was not practical or cost effective to entirely eliminate the Ravine Sewer and doing so would not have furthered our goal of dealing with the combined sewer problem. The Ravine Sewer was left in place to continue its' function as a sanitary sewer.<br /> <br />We were well aware that portions of the Ravine Sewer had buildings constructed over it<br />and this could present problems in the future. However, the line appeared to be in good shape and technologies were coming along to rehabilitate buried pipes in place. In the specific case of the former site of the county jail, now a parking lot at the corner of Main and Winooski, future developers would and could design to accommodate it.<br /> <br />The lack of any cost effective options for relocating the Ravine Sewer have not changed. The public benefit is very small and the costs will be extremely high. Rehabilitating in place is by far the best option. This, however, would not help developers.<br /> <br />Relocation solely benefits future developers at great expense to the public, be it local or state education funds paying the tab. Managing the Ravine Sewer within their project is probably much more cost effective overall. We will not have to use public money that could fall on the taxpayers if sufficient development does not occur to pay for the TIF bonds.<br /><br /> ————————————————-<br /><br /> <b> Text of January 10, 2022 City Council meeting <br /> public hearing on Ballot Item Four</b><br /><br /><br />Minutes<br />(omitted minutes text before this item)<br /> <br />6.02 Public Hearing Regarding Downtown Tax Financing District (TIF) Great Streets Project<br /> <br />Director Pine began the presentation by saying that this is a rare opportunity to make a $30 million investment in Burlington’s downtown without impacting taxpayers. He said that this funding opportunity expires if the City is unable to bond for it by next March (of 2023). He said that the improvements would meet the needs of a diverse group of users. He said that the project’s proposed stormwater investments would reduce pollution of Lake Champlain. He said that the project’s proposed utilities investments would be more significant than any other upgrades in the last 50 years.<br /> <br />Senior Engineer Wheelock noted that the project would include 6 blocks of Main Street between Battery and Union Streets. She said that the improvements would provide amenities for all users of the streets, including pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and businesses. She also noted that improvements would occur for water, sewer, electrical, and communications infrastructure.<br /> <br />Mr. White spoke about the financing of the TIF District project. He noted that Burlington has two TIF Districts—the Waterfront TIF District and the Downtown TIF District. He explained the concept of tax increment financing and how it ties public and private investments together to create value and use new taxes to pay for upgrades. He provided a brief overview of the Downtown TIF District’s history, noting that the district was established in 2011, its final date for new debt is March 31, 2023, and its final year to retain the education increment is 2036. He outlined the current finances, noting that $5,420,000 in debt has already been incurred pf the previously-approved $10 million, and $4,580,000 in remaining debt authority still exists. He briefly outlined the private projects that would occur in the district. He noted the district’s projected cash flow, saying that a positive balance is anticipated for the district.<br /> <br />Director Spencer spoke about the public process around the TIF and associated bond vote. He noted that there will be public engagement through March, after which the bond vote will occur. He said that concept development will occur between February and May. He noted the public bodies that will need to be engaged throughout the process.<br /> <br /> Councilor Barlow asked if the sewer is being upgraded or replaced, and asked how the associated costs were determined. Senior Engineer Wheelock replied that they conducted an engineering estimate of the worst case scenario, but said that they need to continue investigating the condition of the pipes and sewer in the spring. Councilor Barlow asked about the education tax increment and its effect on education tax rates. Mr. White replied that the taxes generated by the district would not have been generated but for the public investments in the district (which then lead to private investments and additional tax generation).<br /> <br /> Councilor Mason asked about the ravine sewer and whether it was always anticipated to need to be worked on significantly. Senior Engineer Wheelock said that the ravine sewer is not in active failure, but said that the TIF district has capacity to conduct work to improve it, which would make it possible to develop the surface parking lot that it sits on. Director Spencer noted that in the past there wasn’t the awareness of the ravine and the risks of developing on it that there are now.<br /> <br /> Councilor Carpenter asked about how the ravine could be impacting the fire station on South Winooski Avenue. Senior Engineer Wheelock replied that part of the project would entail looking at how surrounding properties are connected to the ravine sewer. Mr. White added that that fire facility does not meet current Fire Department needs and standards and that dealing with the ravine sewer becomes an important piece of future work on the fire station facility.<br /> <br /> City Council President Tracy opened the public hearing.<br /> <br />Brian Cina expressed support for the Great Streets Project. He spoke about how behavior shapes the environment and vice versa and said that the Great Streets Project would positively impact the community. He said that the current environment on Main Street negatively impacts behavior. He expressed concern that the TIF District could cause rent increases that displace local businesses. Director Pine said that the goal isn’t to increase taxes but to spur private investment in certain properties that may not have otherwise had those investments in them.<br /> <br />Caryn Long expressed concern about parking being taken away in the Great Streets Project. She asked how many parking spaces would be removed. Mr. White replied that some studies have shown that the City actually has more parking than it needs and that it has a parking management problem, not a parking shortage. Senior Engineer Wheelock noted that the concept is not final and that there will be months of public engagement and opportunity for input prior to finalizing the concept. She said that they need to seek funding approval from voters prior to having a finalized concept.<br /> <br /> City Council President Tracy closed the public hearing.<br /><br /> ——————————-<br /> </p><p><b>Michael Long Front Page Forum Submission </b><br /><br /><b>TIF: Free Money Is a False & Dangerous Fantasy</b><br /><br />Gene Bergman’s intentions may be pure, but his thinking is flawed. His ALL CAPS insistence that we must invest immediately in long neglected infrastructure is almost frantic. His support for TIF funding does not add up. When he says, “Property taxes don’t increase to pay the debt,” he may be fooling himself, but we should not let him fool us.</p><p><br />To his credit, Bergman does not claim, as the mayor and other city officials do, that TIF debt is paid exclusively by taxes on new, TIF-inspired development. That claim is false through and through. <br />Gene claims instead that TIF debt “is paid by the revenues generated by the increase in TIF district property value as measured from its 2011 creation.” This is closer to the truth if by “property value” he means tax revenue. <br />The Downtown TIF feeds off the difference between its tax bill in 2011 and its tax bill in 2022 — for every property in the Downtown TIF district. If the TIF district tax bill has increased by 85% — as mine has in Ward 2 — the bulk of that “tax increment” (minus 25% of the school portion) is diverted to pay off TIF debt and interest. Most of these “tax increment” dollars come from routine increases or reappraisals unrelated to TIF inspired development. </p><p><br />And every tax dollar from previously tax exempt properties like the former YMCA (more than $80,000) goes to TIF, aggravating shortfalls. This leaves TIF district revenue for schools and city services far below the levels needed in 2022. The millions lost to TIF — even if the projects funded are worthy — increase property taxes substantially above what they would otherwise be. </p><p><br />And when taxes are increased in response to unacknowledged TIF diversions or for any reason — as they will be if the 5.5% increase in Question 2 is approved — all of those additional dollars in TIF districts are allocated to TIF, further fueling the magnitude of the increase required.</p><p><br />We’ve spent $4.4 million borrowed TIF dollars to “transform” St Paul. Now the City speculates we “need” $31.5 million more (Question 4) for a stretch of Main and a sewer ravine that may turn out to be a black hole of abysmal dimensions. </p><p><br />City officials do not even mention the $22 million in TIF funding previously approved for the stalled mall redevelopment project.</p><p><br />If we really need this money for Main Street before we plan and fund the new high school, we should borrow it directly and honestly — not through a TIF back door. <br />Even when TIF “works” because the funds diverted are sufficient to pay the debt and interest incurred, TIF does not work because it diminishes the dollars available for the Education Fund and city services. <br />That is the simple truth arithmetic reveals. Free money is a false and dangerous fantasy.</p><p></p><p></p><p> ---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><b> Tony Redington Front Page Forum Submission</b><br /><br /><b>Main Street—Vague Ballot item Ignores Safety</b><br /><br />Vote No at Town Meeting on $30 million Ballot Item 4 for Main Street, a boondoggle proposal where the last public meetings were six years ago! <br /><br />In a statement in Front Porch Forum ONE Central community leader Gene Bergman writes: <br /><br />"Our transition to a bike/walk friendly, safer, and carbon neutral transportation system doesn't get cheaper through delay. VTrans data shows Main Street intersections need improvement." <br /><br />Gene Bergman is a leader who supports racial and economic justice. But not here where Mr. Bergman supports a project which does just the opposite, a clear decade long record of the City pursuit of transportation racism and injustice with no signs the Main Street will change the City's pattern. Each week a pedestrian or cyclist is injured and each week two car occupants are injured in Burlington crashes using 2012-2016 averages. <br /><br />Unfortunately Gene Bergman remains dead wrong on the vague Public Works concept for Main Street where 78 injuries per decade occur on just the four high crash intersections (including Edmunds School crossing) without a single word of public discussion of safety, not single word of discussion of climate change impacts, not a single word of the equity for the poverty and persons of color who dominate the 32% of residents of Old North End, Downtown and King Maple neighborhoods without access to a car. <br /><br />While Bergman refers to VTrans he is unaware there are no Main Street detailed scoping studies and analytics which remain a mainstay of roadway projects at VTrans. The new federal Safe System Approach to address the horrific US pandemic death toll contained in the strategy released just last month was never applied to Main Street. ( https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS )<br /><br />Our City Council has strong forward looking policies on Racism as a Public Health Emergency and Climate Change as a Public Health Emergency--and these were never applied or considered on Main Street. <br /><br />No commitment to safety, no commitment to climate change, no commitment to racial justice (just the opposite) means please Vote "No" on Main Street Ballot Item 4 on March 1. <br /><br />Tony Redington <br />Walk Safety Advocate<br /><br /></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-16871380343305463882021-10-29T17:20:00.005-07:002021-10-31T08:18:24.363-07:00Two Year Environmental Justice Rules Application to Parkway Design Results in No a Whisker of Change<p>Frustration and consternation
remains that after 2 years of applying new Environmental Justice
regulations to the obvious current Parkway design injustice to low
income (26 of Burlington residents have poverty incomes, a population
mostly in King Maple and Old North End neighborhoods); and blatant
injustice to the community of color (King Maple largest such community
in Vermont).<span> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span> </p><p>Frustration and consternation the result of two years was nothing of outreach and hearings, etc., and not one design change!<span> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>No recognition even of known degrading of safety, air quality, and
livability, particularly along Pine Street part of the Parkway which
cuts King Maple in two! Not even an admission that in King Maple there
will be more traffic, higher speeds, and degraded walking conditions and
increased pollution are not a bad thing! <br /></p><p>Tweets on 2 year Environmental Justice rules application to the Champlain
Parkway with unanimous opposition at the one hybrid 2021 hearing and not a
whisker changed in the hurtful, obstolete and global heating design!! Here are
some recent tweets in this regard.</p><p> <span> </span>"US Transport Boss Pete/VT Fed Highway chief
Hake/VTrans Secretary Flynn last Friday after 2-year look leaves untouched
Champlain Parkway blatant racial/low-income injustice in King Maple community of
color. South Ender Carolyn Bates montage reflects reactions of many. Add Mayor
Weinberger to this group! #btv #vtpoli"</p><p> <span> </span> "Champlain Parkway 2-year Environmental
(In)Justice work completed a design trifecta of planet heating and upped road
injuries. Add Mayor Weinberger to the non-perform list!. #btv #vtpoli"</p><p><span> </span> "Robust[ed] System of Transportation" says Burlington Public Works director on
WCAX. $100 million spent on 2.3 miles Parkway through the South End and not one
inch of sidewalk, not one inch of safe bikeway/protected bike lane. That
"Robusted!" #btv #vtpoli Go RIGHTway! ] </p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>Red Light for Traffic Signals</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">The current Champlain Parkway design calls for 6-7 new traffic signal systems, a technology considered pause and dangerous in every way.<span> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Here is a tweet announcing Freakonomics feature on roundabouts replacing signals:</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“Tr</span>affic signals in most cases belong in recycling bins (highly toxic for pedestrians!). "Should Traffic Signals be Abolished?" on Freakonomics. City of almost no signals left (about 140 roundabouts, a dozen signals) Carmel, IN Mayor Brainard<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://t.co/vsf4AI7JYK?amp%3D1&source=gmail&ust=1635779712022000&usg=AFQjCNGqcVR4p4Pk1v0-ce9D9NRbwrA9_g" href="https://t.co/vsf4AI7JYK?amp=1" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000e9;">https://freakonomics.com/<wbr></wbr>podcast/roundabouts/</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/hashtag/btv?src%3Dhashtag_click&source=gmail&ust=1635779712022000&usg=AFQjCNFeTgPZuMQer7maXg8e5VHTqcoxEA" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/btv?src=hashtag_click" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000e9;">#btv</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/hashtag/vtpoli?src%3Dhashtag_click&source=gmail&ust=1635779712022000&usg=AFQjCNFQizzDvWpB0VAX6Awx8fpg-dt7Xg" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vtpoli?src=hashtag_click" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000e9;">#vtpoli</span></a><span style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">"</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Burington—A Pedestrian or Bicycle Injury Weekly</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Pedestrian and bicycle injuries are a weekly occurrence in Burlington.<span> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>The Champlain RIGHTway reduces bike/ped injuries versus the increase inherent in the current design.<span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">My recent tweet:<span> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>“Numbers in BTV are clear, about one pedestrian or cyclist injury weekly and two car occupants (from recent 5 year data set). BTV has 20 high crash intersections on state list, each 1.5 injuries/year average. City has not addressed any of these.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/hashtag/btv?src%3Dhashtag_click&source=gmail&ust=1635779712022000&usg=AFQjCNFeTgPZuMQer7maXg8e5VHTqcoxEA" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/btv?src=hashtag_click" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000e9;">#btv</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/hashtag/vtpoli?src%3Dhashtag_click&source=gmail&ust=1635779712022000&usg=AFQjCNFQizzDvWpB0VAX6Awx8fpg-dt7Xg" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vtpoli?src=hashtag_click" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000e9;">#vtpoli</span></a>"</p><p> </p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-31180170498765335862021-09-28T08:16:00.013-07:002021-11-07T08:42:46.726-08:00Roundabouts the Intersetion Standard, RRFBs not a SubstituteLocust Street—Roundabouts on Both Ends of Street? <div><br /></div><div>
Next June we all know a roundabout gets going on the east end of Locust Street, a street home of a church, a church school and a major city playground. Two of the three Three Sisters streets go north from Locust along with another popular residential street, Hayward. The street slopes down slowly from east to west with a rather sharp decline approaching its west end on Pine Street with Parkside Terrace on the north corner and Callahan Park on the southside, a bus shelter on the east side perhaps about 100 feet south of the intersection. Callahan Park also continues a north/south pedestrian way for students who travel to and from Champlain School. </div><div><br /></div><div>Somehow, Locust Street either end has intersections with major change in the last decade. But are they the right changes? And what do the changes mean to safety, particularly for pedestrians? Pedestrians remain the "apartheid mode" with few efforts at high quality safety transportation investments to benefit the pedestrian, more often than not in our urban areas a person of color. </div><div><br /></div><div>We all walk but few bike!)
Also, somehow, the west intersection of Locust, a T junction, is largely untouched by the Champlain Parkway, either in the current controversial design (my personal feelings set aside) or the coalition promoted Champlain RIGHTway (Pine Street Coalition, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and Fortieth Burlington, LLC [Innovation Center]). (Not to say the RIGHTway coalition of three groups are truly all ears for any grassroots suggestions!!)
While most have an opinion about roundabouts or at least know about them, few have given much thought to the City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) increasing use of RRFB’s (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons) installed mostly without even bothering to do much analysis of intersection management choices. So about 2013 or early 2014 during the Mayor Weinberger administration the first RRFBs were installed along Pine Street. I call them fireflies because along Pine Street at night where there are several one sees them light up sporadically like fireflies.
In part because there is no clear priority for pedestrian safety in the City (its’s the apartheid mode remember) not much attention has been given to the RRFB versus the acknowledged safest pedestrian intersection which is the all-way-stop, versus the traffic light which is the true enemy of the pedestrian.</div><div><br /></div><div>Defining the differences, particularly in regard to safety, is important even if one does not care about pedestrian since the City has about a third of its traffic high crash intersections, with our a quarter, 20, on the current VTrans high crash intersection list—those intersections average 1.5 injuries a year. Our five downtown VT roundabouts average one injury a decade (0 bike injuries in 52 years recorded and one pedestrian non-serious injury). Burlington experiences about two car occupants a week and one either a cyclist or a pedestrian injury (2012-2016 data).
The RRFB
The RRFB started as proprietary product and owed much of its success to a great extent from advertising and public relations activity (something roundabouts and all-way-stops lack!). </div><div><br /></div><div> Traffic engineers for three generations have lived off traffic signals installations and their management—many without much knowledge of RRFB performance have apparently succumbed to their allure—and cheapness, about a tenth the cost of a traffic signal (about $175,000 median price).
What do we know about the RRFB? The 2008 first research mostly centered on its first use for mid-block crossings—BTV is doing this too. A more recent study, 2020 is fairly comprehensive but still centers on mid-block or mid-block with a significant private entry: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Programs/ResearchDocuments/SPR814Final.pdf
As an aside, it would nice if DPW began to seek research and analytical support in their decision making. Too much of Burlington transportation—Regional Planning too but to a lesser extent, staff as well as consultants—remains cookbook and ignoring major changes, sometimes rapid like bicycle treatments evolution at roundabouts, now proceeding. </div><div><br /></div><div>What we should ask and demand is transportation investments based not just on comprehensive cost benefit (sill in its infancy here in Vermont), but also on the “science,” transportation research. In a word we need a Fauci overview, the science, in our transport decisions. The 2020 Racism as a Public Health Emergency and 2019 Climate Change Emergency, both new City policies, must be afforded more than check the box response at DPW and CCRPC.
So, privately promoted RRFBs are new, little research is available, particularly on use at intersections. It is true that mid-block crossing use may have benefit cost benefits versus very expensive ($1 million on up) HAWK and Pelican treatments—which do better than RRFBs but not when benefit cost is involved—still a tradeoff of cost for pedestrian injuries which is still involves careful thoughtful decision.
RRFBs at the Locust St intersection. First, the Pine Street RRFB intersection treatments apply mostly to crossing Pine Street but not along Pine crossings themselves—i.e., Marble, Locust, Howard marked crosswalks. Second, we have no thorough research on RRFB versus the normal and equally highest level of safety all-way-stop and roundabout. We must analyze alternatives because single-lane roundabout with central islands can be quite expensive, but mini roundabouts (recommended up and down Pine Street by Dan Burden in the AARP 2014 Pine Street Workshop report with preliminary feasibility designs provided for Pine/Maple Street intersection on page 1) can be quite cheap and obviously superior in safety (and most everything else!).
Consider the fact that within the first few months of installation, there was a critical pedestrian injury at the Locust Street/Pine Street RRFB—more serious than any pedestrian injury (the one!) in a half century of downtown VT roundabouts tabulated. One critical injury does not mean we should reject RRFBs, but it jogs the mind and connects the new roundabout at one end of Locust, the mini recommendation of Dan Burden (58th on the list of great urbanists in recorded time) for every intersection south of Main Street, and, yes, the very fact the intersection has been unaddressed in the Champlain Parkway over half a century.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, first, does an all-way-stop make sense at Locust/Pine as that is the traditional traffic engineer correctly staged most safe for pedestrians. Actually we have an all-way-stop at both Pine/Maple and Pine/King about seven blocks away—it is safe for the many pedestrians (most students using to access school buses a.m. and p.m. are persons of color). And yes, there is no anecdotal of pedestrian crashes there. But for sure anyone who travels, works, or lives along Pine Street knows at traditional drive time p.m. experience regular 4-7 minutes queues to clear the Maple Street intersection northbound. That would likely be duplicated for the downtown bound stream at Locust as well. The alternative roundabout here because of tight space, the mini-roundabout. First, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) lists the roundabout as the only pedestrian safety “proven countermeasure” and is the only intersection type on the list—FHWA might consider adding the all-way-stop to pedestrian proven safety countermeasure list.
Yes, Roundabouts at Each End of Locust Street
Since an all-way-stop means unacceptable addition at busy intersections of more queuing with vehicle delay and increased climate heating in violation of our 2019 Climate Change Emergency policy—the roundabout becomes the default choice—which in addition to pedestrian safety equal to the all-way-stop (signals FHWA tells us generate a 20% higher pedestrian crash rate than either all way or rounds) also results in sharply lower crash rates for vehicles, reductions in climate change emissions and pollutants, drops in vehicle delay and motor fuel consumption, lower maintenance cost and not eventual replacement costs (signals have a limited lifespan, even RRFBs), improved scenic quality, and certainly some safety benefit for cyclists if only through traffic calming of speeds two-three blocks in all directions. </div><div><br /></div><div> At Locust/Pine most of the land, at least on three quadrants of publicly owned (the Park and either City and/or Burlington Electric Department on the westside assure no right-of-way acquisition issues. So, the costs of a mini-roundabout would be low and development time a few weeks of design and public review process followed by construction in the next normal season—usually installing (like at Shelburne Street Roundabout) in June after both elementary schools are closed. Price would be mid-five figures likely. Certainly for costs, comparing mini to RRFB, the roundabout wins easily. So let’s proceed with a scoping of a mini-roundabout at Pine/Locust and provide the safest street in the City with a roundabout at either end?—for a lengthy roundabout dogbone round duo!!
RRFBs at Shelburne Street Roundabout? Why?
For some reason RRFBs are to be installed at the Shelburne Street Roundabout in spite of the fact that not a single pedestrian has every died on the 9,000 US/Canadian roundabouts on a marked crosswalk through 2020 (two deaths on marked Burlington the roughly 75 traffic signal crosswalks since1998). </div><div><br /></div><div>If one were concerned about improving pedestrian safety at a roundabout which cuts serious or fatal injury upwards of 90% there are certainly better, cheaper engineering choices one would be expected to take. First, one could narrow entries/exits to 10 feet (see Keck Circle in Montpelier or Grand Union in Manchester Center) versus the practice of VTrans of 12-15 feet wide entry and exit lanes. In other words, reduce area of pedestrian exposure—a principle often and thankfully employed by our DPW. No costs involved but certainly some resulting reduced speeds beneficial to pedestrian safety. Second, one could employ raised crosswalks which has been done in a few cases elsewhere. Again, no cost. The problem is if you get roughly about a 90% average decline in pedestrian safety, then additional expenditures need to be carefully considered and not controversial. Narrowing entries and raised crosswalks do not engender anything negative. A signal without some scientific support? Raises serious concern the signal could increase ped injury rate.
RRFBs which are not the best practice at an intersection and where there is no science to support it, is very questionable at a roundabout (why at a roundabout, for example, but not at an equally performing safe intersection type, the all-way-stop?).
I myself avoid where I possibly can ever using an RRFB at an intersection, instead of venture carefully onto a crosswalk, making sure a vehicle driver sees me and yields, then halfway across repeat with traffic in the opposite direction. The reason? Like at a roundabout (sans signals) its safety depends not only by design (medians restricting crossing to one direction of traffic at a time, vehicle speed constraints) but also by making safe crossing include an alert pedestrian self-protecting and a driver yielding—neither with any distraction like a signal. Those are absent at a traffic signal—any traffic signal which interferes with accountability of driver and pedestrian, therefore accounting for the relatively poor signal pedestrian performance and the superior roundabout pedestrian performance. </div><div><br /></div><div> Locust/Pine Roundabout and Bicyclists</div><div><br /></div><div>Right now the Locust/Pine intersection provides no treatments applicable to the bicyclists. The Locust/Pine roundabout would provide significant safety improvements. First, a standard ramp—off on approach and ramp-on at the outgoing leg would be provided—same as at the Shelburne Street Roundabout. This “choice” of take the roundabout lane or shift to pedestrian mode and benefit from the safer pedestrian crossings is a safety improvement over the current configuration. The cyclist entering Pine Street from Locust clearly gains as a stop is no longer necessary, reduced speed conditions mean easier integration to traffic, etc. For bicyclists traveling south the roundabout offers an easier left turn against slowed northbound traffic and the off-on ramping now absent. </div><div><br /></div><div>Final Note </div><div><br /></div><div>My TonyRVT.blogspot.com includes a recent monograph application of roundabouts along North Street which is termed the most dangerous community street in Vermont and through adoption of mini roundabouts potentially becoming the safest. In addition there is the archive the monograph and walkability Burlington which first saw the light of day as a six part series here on the BWBC listserv.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tony Redington
September 19, 2021
TonyRVT99@gmail.com
TonyRVT.blogspot.com
@TonyRVT60</div>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-11087513339589033122021-09-08T05:41:00.020-07:002021-11-08T09:05:06.977-08:00The Equality Street--A Step Up from the Complete Street, Accounting for Racial BiasThe Equality Street: Battle for a Champlain Parkway “RIGHTway,”<div> North Street Burlington, and Beyond</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Pine Street Coalition battle in the South End for a Champlain RGHTway moves to a new level as the City Council may well shortly approve building the Railroad Enterprise Project (REP) before any current pending Parkway is built—this would assure the King Maple neighborhood gets immediate relief from current levels unsafety, traffic, pollution and congestion instead of an additional onslaught of traffic from the City’s’ current obsolete, unsafe Champlain Parkway design. </div><div><br /></div><div>The REP was always wanted by the City as the Parkway route through to Main Street (Alternative 1 in the 2009 environmental document) instead of through Pine. REP extends from Kilburn St/Curtis Lumber on Pine Street to Battery Street so the Parkway route effectively bypasses King Maple neighborhood. King Maple has the lowest median income in Burlington, over 80% low and moderate income population and highest Vermont concentration of persons with black and brown skin.</div><div><br /></div><div> Pine Street and Two Principal Allies, a Major Victory</div><div> —FHWA Funds Railroad Enterprise
Project for $20 million and Likely Moves to the Front Burner </div><div><br /></div><div>The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) promised to walk away from the now $100 million project unless the Parkway cut King Maple in two and increased Pine Street traffic there 22-37% through King Maple to Main Street. The Parkway current design through King Maple degrades pedestrian safety and delay with two traffic signals replacing all-way-stops at Maple and King thereby raising speeds and pedestrian injury rates by 20% (all-way stop or a roundabout equal in their pedestrian safety superiority). </div><div><br /></div><div>Mayor Kiss and City Council rather than losing all funding accepted the current route under the duress in 2009 in spite of long time community opposition. The grassroots group Pine Street Coalition began in 2015 and following the leadership of the Burlington Walk Bike Council and undertaking community outreach, adopted a set of Parkway re-design guidelines, little changed to this day. The basics: (1) full sidewalk and separate bikeway along the entire route (none now, not an inch); (2) retaining connectivity between Pine Street and Queen City Park Road Kmart Plaza versus the current design dead ending Pine short of the Parkway; (3) use of engineering “best practices” including safest-for-all modes and climate change prevention champion roundabout (the one and only FHWA pedestrian safety “proven countermeasure” intersection); (4) cutting 1.5 miles of expensive excess lanes miles of roadway; (5) preservation and protection of Englesby Brook, the City’s largest stream entering Lake Champlain which the Parkway would stuff into a long pipe; and (6) accepting the Parkway as an ordinary City street and dropping full controlled access restraint at Pine/I 189 intersection. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Pine Street Coalition re-design guidelines and challenge documents issued in April 2018 clearly led to a change of heart by FHWA which suddenly offered the City the REP it rejected in 2009, and later even sweetened the offer with a better financial deal for the City after Pine Street Coalition went to US District Court on D-Day, June 6, 2019. Thanks to Pine Street’s long time partner (they were there before Pine Street) Fortieth Burlington, LLC owner of Innovation Center on Lakeside Avenue and joined by the second Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) in summer 2019 during the now ending Environmental Justice two-year-plus outreach—a direct result of the Pine Street lawsuit—REP has now moved from a $20 million initial reluctant offer by FHWA toward front burner status. </div><div><br /></div><div>One cannot overstate the importance of the Environmental Justice process for the education it brought to all in detailing the blatant transportation racism and injustice not only in King Maple now acknowledged, but also the special core role the safest pedestrian design plays in avoiding disproportionate negative impact of roadway projects on communities of color and low income. That core safest pedestrian design when twinned with the best accommodation of bicycles is the very definition of an “equality street” in all senses of descriptive—from transportation equity for all modes to racial equity for communities of color with their far higher dependence on the walking mode. </div><div><br /></div><div> Next Challenge—Achieving Champlain RIGHTway "Complete," “Equality Streets” </div><div><br /></div><div>Very simply, an equality street is first and foremost a busy street with sidewalks and roundabout intersections which also contain either on-street cycle track (protected bikes lanes) and/or a separate safe two-way bikeway. There now is not a single inch of “equality street” along the existing Champlain Parkway and Rail Enterprise Project design! Quite the contrary the current Parkway and REP design are clearly racially and transportation unjust and discrimination by the inferior treatment of those who walk and bike versus those who travel by motor vehicle.
Burlington actually established a landmark “equality” street model in the North Avenue Corridor Plan (2014) which contains three basics—sidewalks and roundabouts at key intersections, and end-to-end cycle track. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was the Parkway Environmental Justice process and leadership of VRJA, its director Mark Hughes and their staff, that led over the last two years which led to the expanded and deepened definition of an equality street. Expanded in the sense of applying directly to the lexicon of racist transportation practice where a community of color or low-income neighborhoods are present or affected. Deepened in clearly defining sidewalks and either all-way-stop or roundabout intersections as the minimum standard of pedestrian design of busy streets. It is the Parkway converting of two all-way-stop intersections with many pedestrians to traffic signals which set up the real life conflict which has arisen in the Parkway Environmental Justice process. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Parkway environmental document of 2009 and previous public process ended two years before the Vermont Complete Streets Law (2011) enactment which calls for consideration of safe accommodation of pedestrian and bicycle modes in road projects. Even a cursory examination of that law along with Burlington practice and plans shows the use of a shared use path treatment in the Parkway and REP fails the Vermont legal standard and is inconsistent by mixing two modes to the detriment of both as well as in an unsafe manner.
Key to understanding the equality street definition, particularly the need for a pedestrian sidewalk treatment, is recognizing that neighborhoods of low income and communities of color are in fact disproportionately dependent on safe walking facilities because they are significantly pedestrian and transit dependent. In Burlington’s King Maple and Old North End neighborhoods fully 30% of residents lack access to a car. Burlington Public Works Commissioner and UVM professor Pablo Bose is not only a researcher in this regard, he is also active in assisting New Americans and others lacking a car obtain necessary transportation services.</div><div><br /></div><div>Further, the pedestrian mode has always been pretty much ignored in transportation by government. For example there have been incentives and tax breaks for solo commuter drivers to give up their annual $2,000 parking garage spaces and $600 surface parking lot space, incentives for van group participants, incentives for taking transit to work and incentives to bicyclists—but never any formal incentive to the sizable walk-to-work set who cost the employer the least and do so in a healthy way! In a word, the pedestrian mode is the apartheid transportation mode, the right-turn-on red allowed today which kills about 30 pedestrians being the most obvious outrage of transportation discrimination not to mention the 50% increase in pedestrian deaths since 2010 (two such deaths in Burlington). </div><div><br /></div><div>In the larger picture of discrimination, people of color die at 50-90% higher rates per population than white-non-hispanic (Native Americans 2 to 3 times the lower "white" rate). We must assure the highest level of quality and safe pedestrian facilities in our urban neighborhoods, particularly where there are numbers of low income and persons of color—something totally lacking in the current Parkway and REP. With tabulations showing a bicycle or pedestrian injury weekly in Burlington (plus two car occupant injuries) and a bicycle or pedestrian death every five years, safety on our streets is major concern.</div><div><br /></div><div> Parkway/Railyard Enterprise and the Controlled Access Versus a Complete, Equality
Street Standard</div><div><br /></div><div>The Parkway and Railyard Enterprise Project are a vestige of 80 year old ring-road around Burlington concept with the circle to be closed from I 189 by the Parkway through the South End, through the waterfront and Old North End to the VT 127 Beltline which dates from the 1980s— finally the completed circle via the Circumferential Highway from Colchester through Essex to VT 289 and interchange with I 89. The Circumferential Highway was effectively canceled by Governor Shumlin in 2011 and the waterfront/Old North End section of the ring road was discarded decades before. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pine Street Coalition has assumed from a the start the “controlled access” of the interstate is relaxed, ending at the I 189/Pine Street/Queen City Park Rd/RIGHTway interchange intersection. From that intersection pedestrian and bicycle facilities as well as additional intersections (like one at the City Market South End parking access, for example) could be installed as the RIGHTway onward becomes an ordinary busy street following the Vermont Complete Streets Law (2011) which calls for safe accommodation of pedestrians and bicyclists, a step now better described as employing the “equality street” model contained in the City’s North Avenue Corridor Plan or the Pine Street/VRJA/Fortieth Burlington, Champlain RIGHTway design guidelines necessitated by the presence of a community of color and a number of safety considerations, pedestrian safety paramount. </div><div><br /></div><div> The “Shared Use” Pedestrian/Bicycle Facility—Second Class, Racial and Low Income
Discriminatory</div><div> Accommodation for Bicyclists and Especially Pedestrians</div><div><br /></div><div>The current design of the Parkway and REP both utilize either nothing or a shared use path (REP) exclusively thereby mixing high speed bicycles and e-bikes with on foot children, families, and those who move either temporarily or permanently by cane and walker. In a rural setting this might be satisfactory but in a busy metropolitan center like the South End of Burlington with practically unlimited space for a sidewalk and separate 2-way bike lane through out the REP and Parkway use of a shared use path considering the community of color is nothing but straight, blatant racial discrimination and injustice! </div><div><br /></div><div>It can be expected the REP/Parkway which connects at either end with the Burlington Bikepath (a recreation path) will bring a large number of visitors and City residents making a “circle” tour—Bikepath and "South End Bikeway”—as Pine Street supporters envision thereby aiding the South End economy. Further the longer term promise of a full service bikeway from the north tip of ONE south to Queen City Park Road is moved ahead with the “South End Bikeway.” South End residents during public meetings on the REP expressed the importance of their using the REP to access the Bikepath—now with only two South End at grade connections—one via Austin Drive/Oakledge Park and the other at Harrison Street opposite Sears Lane. Note the “new” Parkway roadway sections with right-of-way acquired decades ago (including Road to Nowhere) are about 100 feet in width to accommodate the early planned four lane divided highway, now to be two lanes requiring less than half the 100 foot width. Spending $100 million where there is more than sufficient right-of-way and getting not a single inch of sidewalk or separate bikeway is pathological and discriminating street design! </div><div><br /></div><div> North Street and Beyond </div><div><br /></div><div>Burlington has a major task before it addressing the 20—all but one signalized—intersections on the State high crash list, 18% of the 111 statewide and averaging 1.5 injuries a year. The 19 signalized intersections (not all were tabulated in the statewide report) represent over one in four of Burlington’s traffic signals which total about 75. Not surprisingly many of the high crash signalized intersections are in the Old North End (ONE), including four of the six on North Street between North Avenue and North Union. North Street with its many commercial businesses is truly a “community street” and it can easily and cheaply be converted from perhaps the least safe Vermont community street to the most safe using the knowledge developed in the South End RIGHTway, the Environmental Justice process now ending, and the North Avenue Corridor Plan endeavors. The inexpensive mini roundabout first suggested in the AARP Vermont Pine Street Workshop (2014) is particularly adapted to the narrow right of way along North Street. So, the many lessons learned during the past several years can be applied to problem streets and intersections throughout Burlington. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tony Redington </div><div>onyRVT99@gmail.com</div></div>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-58296660917470487412021-08-28T13:47:00.004-07:002021-11-12T18:29:26.096-08:00Easy Converting Burlington's Most Unsafe and Dangerous VT Community Street to Safest!Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-66472993064594319012021-06-20T07:01:00.000-07:002021-06-20T07:01:10.090-07:00Burlington High Crash Intersecitons "BTV Crash-20"
“BTV Crash-20”: Burlington's 20 Intersections in
the Vermont High Crash Location Report 2012-2016
Note: This paper is a substantial expansion of a paper developed earlier.
Twenty of Vermont's high crash intersections reside within Burlington—20 or 18% of the 111 tabulated high crash intersections statewide in the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VAOT) 2012-2016 report containing five years of data. They are the “BTV Crash-20” in Burlington averaging at least one injury a year. These 20 intersections on average generated $3.2 million cost per year in injury and property damage as well as assumed police, emergency and other related costs. The cost of a roundabout—the one proven safety countermeasure type intersection—to prevent or cure a high majority of serious and fatal injuries as well as overall crash reductions—can be as little as a few as $20-$50,000 in the case of mini-roundabouts. Roundabouts can be design and built in the case of mini roundabouts in a matter of weeks.
Burlington's BTV Crash-20 averaged 1.5 injuries each per year—and received an overall rating taking into account injury severity and other factors. A roadway fatality occurs in Burlington about every three years. Four of seven recent Burlington fatalities were a pedestrian or bicyclist and all but one occurred at a signalized intersection (never the standard for safe intersection traffic management).
Not only did Burlington hold six of the top 20 high crash slots (30%) on the statewide list, the BTV Crash-20 list did not include the Shelburne/St. Paul/Locust/S. Willard intersection, locally known as the “intersection of death” because it is scheduled to be a roundabout in 2022 under a 100% federal highway funding program for safety investments. In addition there are likely several more high crash intersections but only intersections on the State’s “federal aid system” are tabulated in the state report.
Note the average cost per crash per year provided in the State report ranged in 2014 dollars from a low of $11,300 to a high of $110,720. The bulk of the 20 cost per crash were in the range of $20,000 to $30,000, a total of 12 of the 20. So, for example, where an inexpensive mini roundabout the payback in reduced crash costs would be about two years. The AARP Vermont Pine Street Corridor report (2014) recommended minis along Pine Street where ages old development precludes larger roundabouts, quite similar to the North Street corridor containing four high crash intersections.
Based on four of recent intersection fatalities a pedestrian (3) or bicyclist (1), a pedestrian or bicyclist occurs about every five years here. Nationwide the growth of pedestrian fatalities, over 45% since 2010, led to the highest number of pedestrian deaths in 2018, over 6,000, since 1990. Note that six of the last seven Burlington fatalities were at signalized intersections—the two 2018 fatalities were a pedestrian at an unmarked crossing at North Avenue/Poirier Place and a car occupant at Shelburne Street/Home Avenue, site of a pedestrian fatal in 1998.
Roundabouts according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2001 report reduce serious and fatal injury crashes by about 90%. While the “Burlington Transportation Plan” issued in 2011 states safety as a “critical” element for transportation improvement there remains not a single “safe” intersection, aka roundabout, built on a busy public street in the City or in the County. Note the $47 million Champlain Parkway project will introduce six new obsolete and unsafe traffic signal installations which promise a backward step in Burlington safety by increasing injuries and crashes in Burlington's South End. (It must be noted in view of the climate emergency a roundabout instead of a signal reduces global warming emissions 22- 29% amounting to from 3,000 to over 10,000 gallons of gasoline reduction along with associated global warming emissions compared to a signalized intersection—the higher the traffic volume the higher the reduction in gasoline use and global warming emissions.)
Federal Highway Administration safety website for “Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/
This one page summary in turn refers to “Proven Safety Countermeasures”:
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/
The four paragraph “Proven Safety Countermeasures” lists 20 treatments in graphic form and states in part:
“This list of Proven Safety Countermeasures has now reached a total of 20 treatments and strategies that practitioners can implement to successfully address roadway departure, intersection, and pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Among the 20 Proven Safety Countermeasures are several crosscutting strategies that address multiple safety focus areas.”
20 measures Only intersection “traffic management system” “proven safety countermeasure”: Roundabouts. Another proven safety countermeasure are “Medians and Pedestrian Crossing Islands” are an integral part of any roundabout design.
Burlington High Crash Intersections—Mostly Signalized
All but one of the BTV Crash-20 intersections are signalized—the one sign controlled high crash intersection is North Street/North Union with three-way stop sign control. The BTV Crash-20 are about a quarter of Burlington's total of about 75 signalized intersections. Burlington's share of high crash locations has been going up over the last three reports, from 14.5% in 2006-2010 to 18% of high crash locations 2012-2016.
Burlington also features the number one highest crash rate in Vermont, the intersection of Main Street and South Winooski Avenue. Main/South Winooski in the five year period experienced 11 injuries—over two a year—98 crashes total with 90 crashes property damage only (PDO) (no injuries resulting).
Based on frequency, just about every household has a member involved in a roadway crash every decade in Burlington or elsewhere. With about 150 injuries a year in the City and 1,400 property damage only crashes--about 16,000 crashes each decade mostly involving two vehicles or the equivalent of 30,000 affected households in a City of 16,000 households. Those fortunate not to be affected by a highway crash certainly observe a crash each decade or know those affected by a roadway crash.
The BTV Crash-20 costs can be calculated from value of types of crashes provided in the State report—it comes to $2.5 million a year, $12.4 million for the five years of data tabulated. These costs go into the costs of auto insurance policies for vehicle owners.
The BTV Crash-20 represent about 10% of all injuries each year and a similar proportion of property damage only crashes. Finally, note the Vermont report uses a fairly conservative estimate for the economic cost of a fatality and injury. The $1.5 million for a fatality
Burlington High Crash Location Intersections Data 2012-2016
Base Data from Current Vermont High Crash Report
Data from“High Crash Location Report: Sections and Intersections 2012-2016” Vermont Agency of Transportation
--6,840 PDO 2013-2017. 1,368 per year Citywide. 696 PDO 2012-2016 at 20 high crash locations, each year 139—10% of all PDO citywide!
--per decade approximately Citywide: 13,700 PDO crashes, 1,500 injury crashes; about 15,000 crashes overall Citywide per decade—equivalent to about one crash per decade per household in Burlington. About one third of all annual injuries or 50 injuries are a bicyclist or pedestrian, about equally divided.
2012-2016 High Crash Location Report
--“The average economic costs in 2014 as used in the report are: Fatality (Death)
$1,500,000; Injury (Disabling Injury) $88,500; No Injury Observed $ 11,300 [property damage only, PDO]. P 6 [Note the U.S. Department of Transportation uses a value of life method, right now a life is valued in excess of $10 million.]
--20 BTV Intersections: 1 fatality, 147 injuries [1.47 injuries per intersection per year],
29.4 injuries/ 20 intersections per year--equals 19.6 of all roadway injuries recorded yearly (~150 based on recent survey)
--All are signalized except North Street/North Union
--111 Intersections reached threshold for high crash status, then are ranked
--the 20 BTV intersections are 18.0% of the 111 high crash intersections tabulated; 21.8% of the highest 87 crash ranked intersections
--696 property damage only (PDO), 139 PDO crashes per year, 7.0 PDO crashes per
intersection per year
—cost of Burlington High Crash intersections (2014 dollars)
Fatality $1,500,000 (1)
Injuries 3,000,010 (147)
Property Damage
Only (PDO) $7,864,800 (696)
Total: 5 Years: $12,364,810
Cost per Year: $2,472,962
Source: “Vermont High Crash Location Report: Sections and Intersections 2012-2016.” 2017 VTrans
https://vtrans.vermont.gov/sites/aot/files/highway/documents/highway/Formal
%202012-2016%20High%20Crash%20Location%20Report.pdf
Since the 20 Burlington high crash intersections are about 10% of all crashes and injuries recorded a rough approximation of the cost per year of highway crashes and injuries is ten times the cost per year figure of the high crash intersection, $2,472,692 or $24,700,000 annually in 2014 dollars, $31,616,000 in 2021 dollars. The costs developed for individual crashes by type include public costs for emergency, medical, police, etc., costs but not intangibles like pain and suffering, effects on neighborhood quality of life, etc.
2010-2014 High Crash Location Report
--19 of 132 intersections tabulated or 14.4%
--169 injuries 33.8 injuries per year, 1.8 injuries per intersection per year
2012-2016 High Crash Location Report
Tabulated Burlington Intersections—19 signalized, 1 3-way stop control (dollars per crash)
#1 S. Winooski/Main (Alternate US 7) 0.990 5 years/98 crashes/11 injuries/90 PDO
($20,311/crash) Total Crashes (per year): 98 (19.6)
#5 Colchester/Barrett 0.990 5 years/34 crashes/7 injuries/1fatality/26 PDO
($71,312/crash) Total Crashes (per year): 34 (6.8)
#11 South Prospect/Main (US 2) 0.220 5 years/72 crashes/9 injuries/65PDO
($21,264) Total Crashes (per year): 72 (14.4)
#14 South Willard-US 7/Main 2.110 5 years/65 crashes/9 injuries/58 PDO
($22,337/crash) Total Crashes (per year): 65 (5.4)
#15 Colchester/East Ave 0.430 5 years/44 crashes/9 injuries/35 PDO ($27,091) Total Crashes (per year): 44 (8.8)
#20 North Union/South Union/Pearl 0.000 5 years/19 crashes/5 injuries/15 PDO
($32,211) Total Crashes (per year): 19 (3.8)
#23 North/North Champlain 0.220 5 years/43 crashes/12 injuries/17 PDO
($30,219) Total Crashes (per year): 45 (8.6)
#24 Main/St. Paul 0.250 5 years/39 crashes/7 injuries/32 PDO
($25,156) Total Crashes (per year): 39 (7.8)
#25 Pearl/South Prospect/Colchester 0.930 5 years/40 crashes/12 injuries/34 PDO
($33,633) Total Crashes (per year): 40 (8.0)
#31 Battery/Main 0.220 5 years/45 crashes/8 injuries/38 PDO
($25,276) Total Crashes (per year): 45 (9.0)
#32 VT 127 Beltline 1.340 5 years/5 crashes/6 injuries (Location ?)/2 PDO
(110,720) Total Crashes (per year): 5 (1.0)
#38 North Winooski (Alternative US 7)/Pearl 1.310 5 years/61 crashes/13 injuries/51 PDO
($23,489) Total Crashes (per year): 61 (12.2)
#40 Park/North 0.280 5 years/19 crashes/4 injuries/16 PDO
($28,147) Total Crashes (per year): 19 (3.8)
#46 North Winooski (Alternate 7)/North 1.620 5 years/19 crashes/3 injuries/16 PDO
($23,489) Total Crashes (per year): 19 (3.8)
#47 US 7 North Willard/Pearl 2.420 5 years/57 crashes/13 injuries/47 PDO
($29,502) Total Crashes (per year): 57 (11.4)
#52 Main/South Union 0.520 5 years/37 crashes/9 injuries/30 PDO
($30,689) Total Crashes (per year): 37 (7.4)
#64 US 7 North Willard/Riverside Alternative 7 3.050 5 years/27 crashes/5 injuries/23 PDO
($22,337) Total Crashes (per year): 27 (5.4)
#76 Swift/Shelburne Rd. (S. Burlington/Burlington) 1.720 5 years/60 crashes/1 injuries/59 PDO
($12,587) Total Crashes (per year): 60 (12.0)
#87 North Union/North 0.300 5 years/15 crashes/0 injuries/15 PDO (3-way stop)
($11,300) Total Crashes (per year): 15 (3.0)
#110 North Avenue/North 0.180 5 years/20 crashes/4 injuries/17 PDO
($27,305) Total Crashes (per year): 20 (4.0)
Tony Redington
Safe Streets Burlington ( SafeStreetsBurlington.com )
TonyRVT99@gmai.com @TonyRVT60
TonyRVT.blogspot.com
June 10, 2021 Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-83512962692036535022021-06-15T05:18:00.005-07:002021-06-15T05:18:44.757-07:00Pine Street/VT Racial Justice Call for Railyard First, then RIGHTWAY to cut King Maple up to 59%!!Pine Street Fights for Environmental Justice, Safe Walk and Bike Accommodation, and Economic Growth in a Champlain “RIGHTway Street and Street Design
Pine Street Wins Key Change in Parkway:
Still Miles to Go!
…first build Railyard connection to Battery Street
slicing current traffic in King Maple by 59%, then build
a redesigned the Parkway to a complete “RIGHTway”
by safe accommodation of pedestrians and bicyclists,
employing “best practices” for minimizing injuries for
all, preserving Englesby Brook and slashing 1.5 lane-
miles of excess roadway.
“Stop it! Stop it Now!…We’ll be back!”
Mark Hughes, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance
Parkway Hearing, July 29, 2020
Two years ago—June 6, 2019—the grassroots Pine Street Coalition stopped the 1950s South End still gargantuan highway proposal in its tracks by filing a lawsuit in federal court. That lawsuit caused the feds to apply new Environmental Justice regulations to the 2009 Parkway route which today cuts in half the King Maple community of color and 26% residents with poverty incomes! Lower upscale Pine Street traffic drops 76% while stressed King Maple gets flooded with 37% more cars and trucks! Suddenly after lawsuit federal officials who in 2006 dismissed the City fight against the King Maple routing retreated saying OK, you can bypass King Maple as originally advocated by our Mayor and Council with a connection between Battery Street and Pine Street adjacent to Curtis Lumber. The “Railyard” project now in planning cuts King Maple traffic by upwards of 59% while still cutting the majority of traffic along Pine below Flynn Avenue. Still, federal and Vermont officials want to build the current design first with its full bore devastation on King Maple only to come back at some as yet unknown future year “cure” the Parkway harms. Bypass King Maple now! Kill the Parkway through King Maple! A “RIGHTway” design saves millions in cost in a project now topping $100 million!
Our all volunteer Pine Street Coalition, now about six years old, is composed of about 200 citizens. Pine Street is an outgrowth of Burlington Walk Bike Council analysis and concerns 2014-2016 over lack of safe, separate walk and bike accommodations anywhere along the Parkway base route, and a larger community opposition which caused a complete rewrite of the planBTV South End to include a future vision of the South End with and without the Parkway as then designed. Add the numerous laws, policies and plans now in place since the 2009 now rescinded environmental document--plus the one the ground changes like the South End City Market Coop Store, Blodgett Oven moving out being replaced by a generator space type development, etc. Those laws, policies and plans include, among others: Vermont Complete Streets Law (2011), new Environmental Justice regulations, federal requirements that highway funds decrease serious and fatal injuries, and our own City plans and policies which include our the Climate Change Emergency (2019), Transportation Plan (2011), Racism as a Public Health Emergency (2020), and our landmark and regularly revised Climate Action Plan which dates back to
the 1990s.
Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and Fortieth Burlington
(Innovation Center)
Pine Street expanded last fall by joining with the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) which together with a long standing association with Fortieth Burlington, LLC (Fortieth) creates a larger group in a common cause. Fortieth owns the former 1800s manufacturing complex now reborn as a modern office complex, Innovation Center on Lakeside Avenue. Without the appeal of the Act 250 permit to the Vermont Supreme Court by Fortieth, the current atrocious and harmful Parkway design would be in place today with devastating impacts on the King Maple community of color and a harmful bubble covering the entire South End!
So, our Pine Street Coalition formed a joint effort with VRJA and Fortieth last fall and individually and jointly continue initiatives along a common set of accepted re-design guidelines originally developed in a community process years ago which continues today with little change--see the new "one-pager" which describes our common design elements we seek in a re-designed, Railyard first built modern transportation facility. It is this "Railyard first" which means an immediate and permanent reduction in traffic, stress and pollution in King Maple which has come to the fore in our thinking and advocacy over the past three months!
Our common cause separate, parallel and joint actions. Both VRJA and ourselves are proud of the Vermont Sierra Club inaugural Transit Equity day award early this year, a joint award which recognizes our common cause efforts to address racial equity in the King Maple neighborhood as well as a quality, safe, “equality” streets Parkway design.
We here at Pine Street mark with sadness the recent passing of a founding member of our "presentation team", Charles Simpson, also a long time member of Neighborhood Planning Assembly 6 Steering Committee, and retired SUNNY Plattsburgh professor, expert in community land use and urban development!
Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-23716007248119831202021-06-15T05:12:00.003-07:002021-06-15T05:12:41.139-07:00Pine Street and Vermont Racial Justice Call for Champlain RIGHTway cutting King Maple Traffic 59%!Pine Street Fights for Environmental Justice, Safe Walk and Bike Accommodation, and Economic Growth in a Champlain “RIGHTway Street and Street Design
Pine Street Wins Key Change in Parkway:
Still Miles to Go!
…first build Railyard connection to Battery Street
slicing current traffic in King Maple by 59%, then build
a redesigned the Parkway to a complete “RIGHTway”
by safe accommodation of pedestrians and bicyclists,
employing “best practices” for minimizing injuries for
all, preserving Englesby Brook and slashing 1.5 lane-
miles of excess roadway.
“Stop it! Stop it Now!…We’ll be back!”
Mark Hughes, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance
Parkway Hearing, July 29, 2020
Two years ago—June 6, 2019—the grassroots Pine Street Coalition stopped the 1950s South End still gargantuan highway proposal in its tracks by filing a lawsuit in federal court. That lawsuit caused the feds to apply new Environmental Justice regulations to the 2009 Parkway route which today cuts in half the King Maple community of color and 26% residents with poverty incomes! Lower upscale Pine Street traffic drops 76% while stressed King Maple gets flooded with 37% more cars and trucks! Suddenly after lawsuit federal officials who in 2006 dismissed the City fight against the King Maple routing retreated saying OK, you can bypass King Maple as originally advocated by our Mayor and Council with a connection between Battery Street and Pine Street adjacent to Curtis Lumber. The “Railyard” project now in planning cuts King Maple traffic by upwards of 59% while still cutting the majority of traffic along Pine below Flynn Avenue. Still, federal and Vermont officials want to build the current design first with its full bore devastation on King Maple only to come back at some as yet unknown future year “cure” the Parkway harms. Bypass King Maple now! Kill the Parkway through King Maple! A “RIGHTway” design saves millions in cost in a project now topping $100 million!
Our all volunteer Pine Street Coalition, now about six years old, is composed of about 200 citizens. Pine Street is an outgrowth of Burlington Walk Bike Council analysis and concerns 2014-2016 over lack of safe, separate walk and bike accommodations anywhere along the Parkway base route, and a larger community opposition which caused a complete rewrite of the planBTV South End to include a future vision of the South End with and without the Parkway as then designed. Add the numerous laws, policies and plans now in place since the 2009 now rescinded environmental document--plus the one the ground changes like the South End City Market Coop Store, Blodgett Oven moving out being replaced by a generator space type development, etc. Those laws, policies and plans include, among others: Vermont Complete Streets Law (2011), new Environmental Justice regulations, federal requirements that highway funds decrease serious and fatal injuries, and our own City plans and policies which include our the Climate Change Emergency (2019), Transportation Plan (2011), Racism as a Public Health Emergency (2020), and our landmark and regularly revised Climate Action Plan which dates back to
the 1990s.
Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and Fortieth Burlington
(Innovation Center)
Pine Street expanded last fall by joining with the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) which together with a long standing association with Fortieth Burlington, LLC (Fortieth) creates a larger group in a common cause. Fortieth owns the former 1800s manufacturing complex now reborn as a modern office complex, Innovation Center on Lakeside Avenue. Without the appeal of the Act 250 permit to the Vermont Supreme Court by Fortieth, the current atrocious and harmful Parkway design would be in place today with devastating impacts on the King Maple community of color and a harmful bubble covering the entire South End!
So, our Pine Street Coalition formed a joint effort with VRJA and Fortieth last fall and individually and jointly continue initiatives along a common set of accepted re-design guidelines originally developed in a community process years ago which continues today with little change--see the new "one-pager" which describes our common design elements we seek in a re-designed, Railyard first built modern transportation facility. It is this "Railyard first" which means an immediate and permanent reduction in traffic, stress and pollution in King Maple which has come to the fore in our thinking and advocacy over the past three months!
Our common cause separate, parallel and joint actions. Both VRJA and ourselves are proud of the Vermont Sierra Club inaugural Transit Equity day award early this year, a joint award which recognizes our common cause efforts to address racial equity in the King Maple neighborhood as well as a quality, safe, “equality” streets Parkway design.
We here at Pine Street mark with sadness the recent passing of a founding member of our "presentation team", Charles Simpson, also a long time member of Neighborhood Planning Assembly 6 Steering Committee, and retired SUNNY Plattsburgh professor, expert in community land use and urban development!
Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-36138976448498737262021-05-29T08:46:00.002-07:002021-05-29T08:46:33.107-07:00What if Burlington City Council Does What NYC City Council did with Veto Proof Vote to Suddenly Spend 6% of Budget for Fed Housing Vouchers
The VT Housing Finance Agency vhfa.com seeks comments on $1.5 million to be spent on covid relief
without addressing the underlying income gap. Below are my comments submitted today, May 29, and the address for anyone to submit comments, etc.
https://www.vhfa.org/news/blog/dhcd-seeks-public-comment-recovery-housing-plan
COMMENTS:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Plan for use of federal recovery funds received by Vermont.
This opportunity to comment was provided by a VHFA tweet in the last day.
First and foremost as anyone knows who even takes a cursory look at Vermont governmental activity in the area of housing, there is no comprehensive housing plan and the
pandemic has held up a Agency of Human Services doing even a plan for older Vermonters. The housing "problem" is summed by the Center for Budget Priorities as a need for
an additional 16,000 fed type "affordable housing assistance" (shelter security at 30% income max rent) for Vermont (not including homeowners and mobile homes on rental sites) with 14,000 units in place serving on in five renters.
Vermont so-called "affordable housing" (tax credit non-profit and Burlington "inclusionary zoning') is best described in the annual HUD report of tax credit housing where 24% of households pay in excess of 30% of income and 6% pay over half their income for rent.
So, no plan for Vermont and a need which is clearly not addressed. The use of any public for funds for homeownership makes no sense while the 1,000 households, for example, sit on the Burlington Housing Authority waitlist, for example.
New York City's City Council remarkably this week passed a veto proof budget with 6%--for the first time--set for affordable fed type Section 8 assistance vouchers (30% income max rent). There really are no such City budgeted units like this today! Vermont and BTV also do zilch here while doing "pretend" short term treatments, sort of like having an emergency room of housing with no wards for longer term treatment. If Burlington employed 6% of their general fund for fed type vouchers it would create about 600 vouchers, end homelessness overnight and address a good chunk of our Housing Authority waitlist. It is also time for Vermont state government to stand up and act like an adult in the room.
The 30% requirement for a household income needs to be dropped to 25% as it was until the Reagan administration--30% if frankly confiscatory and exploitive of the lower income classes.
The entire are of providing transitional assistance where there is no promise of longer term assistance is in itself cruel and unusual aid--depressing to those who administer the funds and those who received them. We must--as then Sen. Harris' Rent Relief Act called for--make Section 8 type aid as universal and not dependent on the drugs you do or do not consume. Drug addiction is a health issue not a housing issue.
Finally I would refer you to Mathew Desmond's book "Eviction" and particularly the 60 or so pages of notes which comprise a graduate course in housing policy--and note that he like myself subscribe to universal vouchers--when we reach that point the behavior issues can be handed off where they belong--in the human services and health fields!
Thank you for the opportunity to comment and this program design--it is not a plan. There is no housing plan for Vermont or the City of Burlington. That must also be addressed!
Yours truly, Tony Redington
Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-44031286565328176952021-05-25T05:14:00.002-07:002021-05-25T05:14:45.258-07:00Some Comments on Transportation, etc. to the VT Climate Council--Motor Fuels, Walk, Transit, Rail
VERMONT CLIMATE COUNCIL PUBLIC INPUT FORM
https://anrweb.vt.gov/ANR/ClimateCouncil/PublicInputForm.aspx?PKID=2633
Below are comments submitted today, May 20, 2021
Good Day All:
My comments--as former transportation policy development chief for VAOT writing its first two policy plans incuding Act 200--centers on transportation but also from my experience as a statewide housing and rail planner in NH as well as a director of the NH Housing Commission there.
VT in transportation is really in an enviable position compared to our northern NE neighbors even considering we had an unexpected growth of population 2010-2020 according to first Census reporting. Immediately below note that going into 2020 when we know there was a sharp drop in vehicle miles (13% nationwide while road deaths increased 8%) we only needed to drop motor fuel consumption 16% to each a goal of 1990 motor fuel consumption. We likely came within a percent above or below motor fuel consumption of 1990 this past year--though this creates a lot of pressure to maintain that in 2021!
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2019/mf202.cfm (FHWA, Highway Statistics, Series)
Net Motor Fuel Taxed (000 gallons)
State
Vermont Maine New Hampshire
Year
1990 329,543 709,799 550,014
1995 391,512 732,829 626,638
2000 411,065 856,796 770,059
2005 415,386 895,578 812,635
2010 388,988 850,450 803,334
2015 379,108 974,479 808,211
2019 381,931 914,922 835,032
NH: 2019 versus 1990 +51.8%
Maine : + 28.9%
VT: +15.9%
No reason to jump for joy, but an clear indication that CAFE standards and beginning efforts at demand management and other actions to reduce driving have had a substantial impact creating a downtrend in motor fuel usage for a decade in Vermont!
The major cause of Vermont and national sprawl has been federal and state subsidies of car use and homeownership--yes, we have such subsidies, Canada does not have federal housing and transport programs and has half again urban densities as a result. Electric cars will not overcome Vermont sprawl, only a stop to federal and state subsidies for auto ownership and operation, and misguided tax homeownership policies. This must be part of any climate solution policy set!!
We live in a period of a highway fatality and serious injury pandemic---now 21,000 excess deaths in America (30 in Vermont) yearly versus the top four nations average (Norway, Ireland, Switzerland and UK now on top, US now number 18, we being with UK number 1 in road safety in 1990!).
Vermont needs to adopt a program of replacing hundred of the approximately 400 traffic signal systems with modern roundabouts. Each roundabout will aid in reducing sprawl, reduce engird consumption the equivalent of 3,000 to 20,000 gallons of motor fuel use, and enable safety walking and bicycling in our downtowns and urban centers, the exception not the rule (think Middlebury and Manchester Center) today. AARP, Geico, AAA, and Insurance institute for Highway Safety--all advocate converting signals to roundabouts for safety.
There is an equal reason, cutting climate change emissions!
Vermont has no transport policy in the area of safety or climate change. This vacuum must end.
Evidence of change toward walkability and bikeability can only be measured by the number of roundabouts found in downtown, mixed urban areas, etc.--and miles of cycle track installed. Note that our Vermont downtown roundabouts in 52 years of data did not record a single bike injury, just one non-serious pedestrian injury and average one injury a decade versus, for example, 20 Burlington high crash intersections which avenge 1.5 injuries per year!
There is an equity issue at play which has been ignored as walkability remained in the vineyard of apartheid transportation. Those living in poverty including much of the population of Vermonters with black and brown skin are disproportionately dependent on walking and transit as 30% of residents of Burlington's Old North End and King Maple neighborhoods lack access to a car. Nationally pedestrians with Black skin die at almost twice the rate of white, Hispanic persons about 50% higher and Native Americans at two-three times of white pedestrian fatality rates. When spending to help well-to-do to own e-vehicles, we must also invest heavily in walkable urban and near town centers, particularly along transit routes (safe routes to the bus stop!) and locations with multi-use land development.
National and Vermont transportation investments can be characterized as malign neglect and if we make safety the first consideration--as USDOT Peter Buttigieg espouses--the walking and bicycling investments will be made so incentives to use transit, walk and bike, will have a fertile context rather the lumps of coal now mostly in place.
You will find my commentary on the role of light rail and commuter rail at my blog, TonyRVT.blogpost.com
In short, we need to install a light rail network in Chittenden County (about 3 years to do as the $6.3 billion Cdn. begins operation next spring to be supplemented already another $10 billion Cdn. being pumped in on Montreal island. We could do a light rail system here in three years too. Intercity and commuter rail should also be on the table which when connected to Greyhound and VT Translines and our regional transit operators brings an entirely new system, lower levels at low fare and fare free, for moving around Vermont in our daily car-free!
Yours truly,
Tony Redington
Walk Safety Advocate
125 Saint Paul St Apt 3-03
Burlington
Also cited SafeStreetsBurlington.com website
Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-32541992996495390492021-04-20T10:56:00.002-07:002021-04-20T10:56:40.719-07:00Fritz Mondale, Some New Hampshire Politics, and Start with Dwight Eisenhower4/20/2021
Some Personal History of Fritz Mondale, Presidential Politics, and New Hampshire
Walter “Fritz” Mondale and his family represented the kind of caring and community committed politics we see (for many including myself surprisingly) embodied in Joe Biden this year.
First saw Mondale at a Democratic state convention about 1968 in Maine a the “Democratic” noontime reception in the downtown hotel, the Sheraton Eastland, owned by the Dunfey family which would also would own the Sheraton in Bedford, NH which for many years also was the home of all would be presidential contenders from the 1970s through the end of the century—you would even see at lunch the likes of Pat Robertson who ran in the Republican primaries once. At the Sheraton in Bedford, NH experienced locals would shun the presidential parade which always seems a sideshow except, of course, for the candidate you and your family supported!
Fritz was a young looking 40ish at that point with a crewcut and relaxed manner (did Mondale every have a different look?) as moved around with fellow and far more senior Senator Ed Muskie of Maine who was moving towards a presidential candidacy of his own. This immediate post-Great Society period had shifted to the Vietnam War as an increasingly dominant issue—and Muskie’s campaign lost the anti-Vietnam college fuel ultimately causing his campaign to hit the rocks. Muskie’s plan for the 1972 presidential nomination was derailed, a victim of the anti-Vietnam insurgency and Democratic Party structure upheaval which hit the simultaneous ceiling and rock bottom with Nixon landsliding into re-election followed by a first ever resignation of the presidency from massive personal and White House staffers lawbreaking. Senator George McGovern, the 1972 Democratic candidate, was as honest and forthright as Nixon was the opposite.
Mondale went on to be vice-president under Carter who lost to Reagan in 1980. During the 1980-1984 period my encounter with Mondale shifted to my home state of New Hampshire. I saw Mondale, by then a former vice-president, in a noontime speech to a social service event in Washington, DC while on a conference. Living in Concord, NH then 7 miles away in Allenstown from 1976-1988, was active in Democratic politics. Allenstown located mid-way between Manchester and Concord was a mix of the two communities, half with roots from Concord’s English population heritage and the half Franco-Canadian which dominates Manchester. Not only was Allenstown the poorest in the state in terms of property valuation per student in the schools, it was considered a bellwether in politics, as Allenstown went in elections so would the State of New Hampshire as it contained a cross section of the State’s population—particularly that of the Democratic Party! My one elective office, a ten-year term representing Allenstown in the mandated NH Constitutional Convention was of note for my initiative on behalf of Allenstown to have the Constitution require the State to fund half of all local public education and half of the cost of state colleges. It lost, of course, but garnered a significant vote of about 40%. It would be years after that the NH Supreme Court required equal funding for each public school student—still a difficult task to carry out by the legislature.
In the 1984 primary campaign I was involved in what was then a questionable role in unions from several states providing funds aiding the election of Mondale delegates—it is chronicled in the Germond and Witcover book “Wake Us When It’s Over.” Even as a life-long union person, it is my least proud actions in politics before or since. At the Democratic State Convention in 1982 to the best of my recollection Mondale was in full steam ahead mode for the 1984 nomination. I distinctly recall approaching him on behalf of a petition group seeking support for a state issue. To my surprise, Mondale took the petition placed on the adjacent table and carefully read it in its entirety leaving me quite nervous thinking it meant I would fail my appointed task. At that time I certainly was naive to think a former vice-president would simply sign any ordinary petition! Suffice to say the petition language satisfied the vice-president and he added his John Hancock. To say in those days seeing dozens of candidates for the Democratic nomination in the proverbial living room chats at the home of Mary Louise Hancock in Concord, former state planning director and state senator from Merrimack County, candidates for president were considered ordinary acquaintances and approachable and wanting to be approached like a super friendly young dog. New Hampshire voters were the candy they sought—everyone had their presidential candidate run in and story to tell. My Mom would often relate the time when she was a teacher in Colebrook, NH—she was as lifelong Republican—meeting as she was walking along Main Street Ronald Reagan and saying that she was not very much impressed by him.
In fact my first in-person presidential contact came when during Boys State in 1955 we were bused to Concord from UNH to see President Eisenhower. We know now that was a campaign visit in preparation for the primary election election in early 1956. Eisenhower won the New Hampshire Republican Primary—the first ever— beating the party leader Robert Taft, himself the son of President William Howard Taft. That Eisenhower victory was crucial in his getting the Republican nomination in a process still strongly controlled by party leaders in most states. Of course I was only 17 at the time and would not be voting in the 1956 elections—21 was the voting age at that time.
As an aside, I did receive an autograph on a Norwich University commencement luncheon program about 1950—my Grandfather George Lovell got it, perhaps I was there I do not recall—the General wrote, “Good Luck Tony, Dwight Eisenhower.” Must admit his autograph may have been clairvoyant.
But, of course, Mondale did not win the New Hampshire primary—but he did carry Allenstown by about seven votes including two from my household. Supporting Mondale also meant phone banking in Allenstown and that brought both Mondale’s wonderful wife Joan and her daughter Eleanor to a long time community leader for a weekend of calling. I met them and their commitment to him helped energize us all. And on election day it was driving snow and sleet which by late afternoon was 2-3 inches deep as our volunteer crew went door to door in the February dark to pull voters who had not been tallied out to vote by our “poll watchers.”
And, of course, some of us had gone to the speech by Gary Hart on the Friday night before the election in Concord, outside across from the State House on an unusually warm evening. We saw first hand the charisma and strength of Hart and could feel the momentum sufficient to carry over the finish line—he would likely and did upset Mondale. Even in those days the last weekend of a presidential primary were well known to result in shifts of 20-30 points and more from poll predictions. So, while I was on the Mondale slate of delegates to the national convention I would have gone only if he won by a large margin.
Then came 1988 with work for Michael Dukakis in Allenstown and Jerry Brown in Montpelier, VT—but that is a story for another time, and Ted Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter and being key in winning a Maine governorship.
All in all, Walter Mondale contributed a sense that one could be for all that is good, all that can benefit all of society and also do so with integrity and honesty.
Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-12111661378000290712021-04-10T06:17:00.001-07:002021-04-10T06:17:24.275-07:00Bringing Renewal to the Historic Burlington-Winooski Axis, Now Vermont's Povertyville Section4/9/2021 Draft
Burlington-Winooski, the Two Centuries Old Historic Economic Axis Engine Declines to Vermont’s Povertyville Section—Ready for Renewal from the 1980-to-Date Devolution towards a String of Urban Pearls for the 21st Century?
…A future Burlington-Winooski as a Shining 15-Minute Shangri-La
Urban Corridor
“The gods of the valleys are not the gods of the hills”
Ethan Allen 1770
“There must be a radical redistribution of political and economic
power in this nation and in this town”
Mark Hughes, director of the Vermont Racial Justice
Alliance speaks as Burlington officials and 30
organizations declare “Racism a Public Health
Emergency” July 2020
The Current Burlington-Winooski Axis Decline Extends Back
Decades
Since the early 1980s about every Vermont major economic indicator save the education export economy crept slowly down or stagnated in Vermont. This mirrored the trends of loss of good paying manufacturing jobs which spurred the post-World Ward II economy upward ending about 1980 then moving to decline—what significant real growth incomes occurred in the last four decades in the slow-growth states of the northeast and mid-west rust belts tilted to the well-to-do.
This recent trend impact on the historic economic centuries old engine of Vermont represented by the Burlington waterfront to Winooski City riverside “axis” has been most pronounced and profound. During both the post-World War economic boom ending about 1980, subsequent decline population and wealth shifted away from built-up Burlington and Winooski to the suburbs and rural Chittenden County towns. For almost two centuries the two cities remained the economic engine of Vermont but since the 1980s their role faded.
For Vermont, the 1960s investments by then Governor Hoff in being the first state in the nation to buy their critical major rail operator (the Rutland Railroad) and literally birthing the ski industry with two unprecedented major speculative public ski road investments—helped the state avoid the empty storefronts and dominating skeletons of former manufacturing facilities as the 1980s and 1990s progressed. Springfield in 1960 was the home of a major portion of the machine tool industry of the nation! A critical player in the manufacturing industry of the day. The Springfield incomes of a unionized workforce were the highest in the state and the slow but sure economic decline as the industry atrophied left the community begging a state prison to rescue its depressed economy. Compared to northeastern New York and all Maine except for the area a two hour drive from the Boston metro, Vermont faired relatively fairly well only because of the ski/tourism and educational economic sectors growth until the plateau of the ski economy in the 1990s followed by education plateau in student numbers beginning in 2010.
For Vermont that buffering of economic and social stagnation arose from the baby boom education bulge in its colleges during the 1990s and first decade of this century which plateaued in 2010 and now succumbs to the demographic collapse of college age population. And yes that boomers boomers were the first ski generation. The education industry future seems even more murky as record lows in birth rates in the northeast and nationally continue. Not even mentioning distance learning and the competitive disadvantage of norther New England state universities with the highest tuitions in the nation.
Private St. Michael’s College, for example, planned ahead for the student bust and carefully with full participation of the college community managed the 16% decline from 1,900 students a decade ago to the 1,600 today. UVM and the State colleges systems did not plan—as is obvious now—as educational bankruptcy measures are in place for the state colleges and UVM’s modest 3% drop in students in fall 2020 signals the first statistical slight downtrend dating back to the peak year 2010. UVM’s current approach to the future appears unplanned and undirected. The drop of direct employment by IBM in Essex Junction of about 8,000 at its peak in the 1980s to now about 2,300 at successor Global Foundries—still the State’s largest private employer—gives the best evidence of the past and continued manufacturing decline. UVM rates as the largest Vermont employer excepting state government itself.
The pandemic has given all a pause to reflect on our economic and social history, and ask the question where do we in Burlington Winooski “axis” go from here in a predominantly rural state where among many challenges is the requirement to sharply reduce non-renewable resources to stop global warming? Of course, Vermont never really possessed non-renewable energy resources in the first place. Note that over half the Vermont non-renewable resource consumption centers on petroleum fuels used to power the motor vehicle dominated transport sector.
Longer History View and Recent Arrival of “Povertyville”
To ask the question where do we go from here, consider Vermont and most important the driving engine throughout our history being primarily the story of the economy of Burlington and Winooski. Those two communities began with transportation centered along the Burlington waterfront accessing markets by water and Winooski riverside manufacturing production driven by the Winooski River waterpower. The Burlington waterfront where transportation to markets occurred was centered—first just to the lake and northward to Canada, then with the Erie and Champlain Canals accessing markets south the New York City and the west in the 1820s, then amplified by the arrival of the railroads in the mid-1800s, finally redirected into the “modern” highway oriented economy with the completed interstates here in 1982.
That original economic engine spread from the Burlington waterfront to the Winooski falls area—more or less defined today by the King Maple neighborhood and Old North End (ONE) in Burlington onto really the entire geographically small Winooski City itself, where former manufacturing along the riverside drew from the immediate residential areas fanning outward to that City’s borders.
It is fair to say that Burlington/Winooski with its waterfront as a harbor for exchange and movement of goods along the the manufacturing along its own and adjoining Winooski mills not only became the “economic spine” of the Vermont economy during Ethan Allen era ending about 1800, but also became a permanent dominant economic fixture of the state. First, reflecting the changing economy during the era of waterborne traffic until the railroads came into prominence, then the auto age emergence early last century followed by the interstate. Ironically, the completion of the interstate coincided with the overall crest and shortly thereafter relative stagnation of the Vermont economy which endures today—the Burlington Winooski axis being the primary victim.
From the beginning of the interstate era the historical “spine of the Vermont economy,” Burlington and Winooski population and influence declined. Once the majority of Chittenden County population, Burlington now amounts to less than a quarter—both Winooski and Burlington populations outside of Burlington’s New North End have been in decline for decades. Again, a surge of students population growth from 1990 to the present day helped to mask this population downtrend trend. From 2000 to 2010, the Burlington population small population growth was entirely attributable to the increase in the college age numbers along with a small but important immigrant population of New Americans.
The slow deterioration in Vermont through suburban carcentricity was mirrored by the decline of historic built-up Burlington and Winooski into a poverty belt. Today Census data shows King Maple/Old North End/Winooski City feature poverty rates of residents of 26-29% compared to under 12% for Chittenden County and Vermont. This poverty belt seems an unlikely candidate for a caterpillar to butterfly transformation—but that is the very opportunity which appears to exist through undertaking some key public investments today. These investments do not differ a great deal from the kind of investments which led to the successful transitions in the past, including those of Ethan and Ira Allen period themselves. And one must not forget the native American population which Ethan himself engaged with in his full lonely winters near Salisbury trapping furs to take back each spring to sell in order to support his family back home in Massachusetts. (Little wonder Allen stood up for his Indian allies when all were captured in the ill-fated foray to capture Montreal and his subsequent imprisonment as an enemy combatant by the British.)
Housing
The renewal of the historic Burlington-Winooski corridor remains central to this thesis in order to repair, remediate and expedite a natural economic and community potential ignored for decades. That both transportation and housing elements are key to this process can no longer be ignored. The decision to expand bike lanes and shift road space away from parking has been well underway now for years. Those changes are significant and show a change in community viewpoints but still incremental—in the right direction but only point to the larger issue of community renewal requiring a far more extensive change in transportation infrastructure combined with changes in housing. Housing programming must address the low and moderate income. Housing is not a subject here but the raising of the issue nationally and in Vermont to a priority is a clear indicator that transportation change must also be matched by making safe and sanitary housing available to all regardless of income. That President Biden and Vice-President Harris who proposed universal housing vouchers (30% income rent max) is an encouraging sign of kind of movement critical in the housing area.
Enter the 15-Minute City Approach to Urban Design, Urban Life
Transportation and land use go together—it was the lake as a transportation mode and waterpower of the Winooski River as a power source for manufacture that created with the presence of developable land adjacent the Burlington-Winooski axis in the first place. Consider for a moment past compact community design thinking in town and city planning. Creating complete new towns and idealized city designs became a cottage industry in the late 1800s in England with “Garden Cities of Tomorrow” by UKer Ebenezer Howard the leading proponent and movement leader who actually built more than one “new town.” Several more have been built since in a practice that can be found now scattered across the globe in one form or another. Reston, VA near Washington was one such American “new town” experimental community developed in the 1960s. Howard ’s base design involved a circular community with a one-mile radius featuring a public “white palace” and park in the center with rings outward of retail/commercial, housing, and heavy industry with rail—passenger and freight—at the periphery. All told 30,000 residents would live within the “garden city”—slice off the New North End, compact the rest around the waterfront here in Burlington and that is not so far off from the “garden city” concept and population.
What is important is the garden city was accessible to just about everyone on foot, easily accessible when you add provision today for light rail and bicycles. Cars which consume about 25% of urban lands today in satisfying parking and road street needs prevented compact development worldwide. Just the opposite, particularly in America. The car age and pro-car policies and subsidies for homeownership jointly produced American sprawl since World War II. Canada is a perfect counterpoint as their urban areas are at least half again more dense, explained in great part because Canada does not subsidize either homeownership or cars. Canada levies a $1 Cdn per gallon of gasoline, a national tax used for general fund purposes—it has no federal highway program. It has no significant homeownership help. The U.S. has used its under 50 cent gas tax to support the highway system! The U.S. sprawl was created by intentional public policies and expenditures!
The garden city from an urban planner perspective really is the pre-cursor to the “15 minute city” ideas advocated by urban planners today—to the extent feasible meet as many human needs within a 15 minute walk/bike/transit trip within a small geographic area (see https://www.15minutecity.com )
Burlington-Winooski: Pedestrians, Environmental Justice,
Remediation and Structural Redesign
There exists a confluence of forces making the Burlington-Winooski poverty corridor, Povertyville, ripe for a hoped for community transformation and renewal. The corridor already has in place a significant density, an historic rail network radiating in three directions from the Burlington waterfront. Except for re-establishing light rail in a configuration not that dissimilar to that of a past trolley history, a safe walkable/bikable/transitable area is easily installed. The major barriers to transportation the in Burlington and Winooski “poverty corridor” remain like most older urban center lack of walkability, about century removed from trolley service, and presence of numerous, dangerous/delaying new fangled traffic signals. Until this century with the late in the game U.S. use of the modern roundabout technology using stone age materials, little was done to repair the car-ravaged urban environment of modern America. Simply for decades to accommodate the car we wiped out existing urban space, much of it to park cars and build parking garages. Older urban space increasingly became the home of low income and BIPOC populations—symbolized by the traffic signal which when compared to a modern roundabout, especially kills, injures, delays pedestrians and overall pollutes, uglifies and heats the planet.
The forces today at work include emergency demands for reductions of non-renewable resources both because they are unavailable in states like Vermont and because of commitments at all governmental levels to reduce consumption of them in order to stop the increasing world temperatures rising with just the continuation of status quo. That half Vermont use of non-renewables sits in the transport sector dominated by the car and clearly reigning in car subsidies—particularly parking and general government funds—means transportation will be a continuing dominant element of public policy in regard to global warming. Cutting car subsidies and homeownership subsidies which promulgated sprawl are not enough. There must also be a commitment to safe, energy efficient transportation—read transit, walking and bicycling which only thrive in relatively dense corridors and communities.
The old urban areas and corridors have all the ingredients to respond to the demands and opportunities for a reduced carbon life—in a word the densities already exist there. High densities, transit services such as they are, and potential for walkabilitating through use of roundabouts are obvious. Except for the Church Street Marketplace neither Burlington or Winooski score particularly well on walkability—the 20 high crash state intersections mostly in the Old North and downtown alone testify to that. It was the very threat of cutting King Maple in two with the Champlain Parkway which led to our understanding of how the traffic signal in built up areas becomes a weapon of economic, social, and racial injustice—and the converse principle—how to reverse the historic destruction of livability forced onto the urban fabric by accommodation of the car through traffic signals which in turn literally injures the low income/BIPOC residents at higher rates than whites and embodies the context of both unlivable urban space as well as heightened incentives for use of motor fuels on most to move to lower density areas. In a word transportation inefficiency—read poor walking, biking and transit conditions—worked and works now directly opposite to efficient density and energy/resource use reduction which only density can provide! So the now two-year process of Environmental Justice discussion of the Champlain Parkway leads to an understanding of both the opportunity to renew Povertyville, but also its absolute necessity. That absolute necessity does mean a makeover of transit too, primarily in the form of light rail infrastructure! Without light rail combined with density there can be no successful economic renewal and only a continued shift of population to other northeastern metro areas who will have solved the transportation/energy equation.
Nationally in a slow but sure fashion light rail has begun to return to major urban areas. It is the arch enemy of the car! Nearby, when Vermonters are allowed in Montreal again they will see nearly completed light rail line ready for use next year, the current $6 billion project already is set for a $10 billion expansion! Beginning in 2022 one no longer will have to drive onto Montreal island, no longer have to braves the wilds of to get to Trudeau International Airport. Just jump on the automatic light rail line at the large retail complex the Vermont side of the Champlain Bridge and safely, quickly, and comfortably travel to downtown, Trudeau Airport and a dozen other locations.
See map and schedule—Brossard southern terminus to downtown set to open in 2022: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau_express_m%C3%A9tropolitain Base information:
https://rem.info/en/light-rail Already being expanded: https://www.rtands.com/rail-news/extended-light-rail-line-in-montreal-will-be-one-of-the-longest-in-the-world/
Burlington along with adjoining towns went through a light rail study in the 1990s with an agreed on first step a line between the waterfront and UVM/UVMMC via the Marketplace. Extensions to the airport and University Mall and even to Essex Jct. via Winooski were examined. The base cost of the first section from waterfront to UVM/UVMCC was about $80 million—not much different than the current $109 million planned investment in the Champlain Parkway.
So, initial studies were undertaken and preferred routes determined for light rail in the 1990s. Has anything changed in the City since? Economically, socially, population, etc. Other than the trends outlined here what have been the changes—(1) increase, plateau then declines in college students; (2) stagnant “povertyville corridor” population and incomes; (3) regular decline in primary tech jobs reflected in transition from IBM to Global Foundries; and (4) Chittenden County population growth almost entirely outside Burlington and Winooski cities boundaries. One other trend is important to note. While senior population remained about 12% of the Vermont population through 2010, the major change in demographics—senior population doubling to 1 in 4 residents by 2030 and non-senior population declines (only in Chittenden County does non-senior population remain relatively constant). The statewide population rapidly slowing growth turned shifted into a slight decline 2010-2020. The implication is quite clear, only bringing in a significant change in direction of public investment can one expect these trends to suddenly change—particularly as far as the historic Burlington-Winooski corridor. Systemic change was demanded at inflection points the 200-plus years of the Burlington/Winooski axis and systemic change is required today. There must be a working with neighboring towns, a collaborative effort to change the economic and community structure of the still dominant economic driver of Vermont, the Burlington-Winooski axis.
Some Thoughts on Light Rail Routes
A complete background on Burlington trolley services history, the 1990s study and future potential along with exploration of the “bus rapid transit” (BRT) fad, can be found here in a paper prepared at the time of the last City Transportation Plan (dated 2011). https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/sites/default/files/Burlington_Streetcar_Briefing_Report_FINAL.pdf (BRT is notoriously expensive, energy inefficient and consumes wide swaths of urban land.)
The original trolley routes were, first, Burlington waterfront to Winooski along North Winooski and Riverside which for the first few years in the 1880s were horse drawn then electrified. A line was added out along North Avenue to Ethan Allen Park, a Main Street line to UVM, and the Winooski line eventually extended to the rail connection at Essex Junction.
The 1990s study included a connection to the airport as an important potential line. The study was very much in isolation without consideration of economic trends, demographics or the faintest hint of a non-carcentric community design—the idea of light rail was an add-on, a very expensive extravagance.
Discussions during both the Railroad Enterprise District, recent Pine Street Coalition outreach on Champlain Parkway design and the North Avenue Corridor Plan process found significant support for a north-south light rail line, something not considered in the 1990s plan.
In purely historical and community development, the prime high rail line would repeat the Burlington waterfront to downtown Winooski. That would directly address the Burlington-Winooski axis, i.e., Vermont Povertyville. The “Winooski line” would move through the Marketplace via College, then along North Winooski Ave, Riverside Ave and at Colcheter turn left to Winooski downtown. The natural waterfront to UVM-UVMMC also starts for a block or so with the Winooski line then ascends. The question is whether this line is shifted over to Main Street (a 1990s route suggested) and onto University Mall and new South Burlington “downtown.” The third line would follow the suggested north-south route from Flynn School at the north end to the South Burlington border at Pine street then very likely along Perimeter Road southward through KMart Plaza, Palace Theater, etc.
Walkability, Racism and Remediation of ONE, King Maple and
Winooski Downtown
Light rail for the Burlington-Winooski axis is not an add-on but part of a larger multi-modal redesign starting on walkability and safety on the streets. The pedestrian mode remains the apartheid mode when it comes to street engineering and the task of remediation of this in Povertyille remains very much both a transportation undertaking and one to repair decades of transportation racism still a daily experience for the BIPOC and low income who comprise a large segment of this and other older Vermont urban spaces.
Weekly in Burlington a pedestrian or cyclist suffers an injury in a car crash in addition to two crash injuries to car occupants. Nationally the U.S. road fatality pandemic amounts to 21,000 excess deaths in a nation once first, now 18th in highway safety—Burlington experiences one fatality on its streets every three years, the majority since 1998 pedestrians (3) and cyclists (1). Discussed elsewhere, the 20 high crash Burlington intersections, all but one signalized and concentrated in Povertyville each average 1.5 injuries yearly and account for 28 injuries a year while five downtown Vermont roundabouts, the new standard intersection, record about one injury a decade, all non serious in the first 52 years recorded. The point is the renewal of the Burlngton-Winooski corridor depends on both integration of a light rail network but also reparations and remediation to the area which has suffered decades of pollution and high rates of pedestrian, bike and vehicle injuries. And the victims in Povertyville of discrimination in the apartheid mode, walking, continue to be disproportionately people with black and brown skins.
Tony Redington
TonyRVT99@gmail.com
@TonyRVT60 TonyRVT.blogspot.com
A walk safety advocate, Redington is a policy development specialist with 20 years experience with the NH and VT state transportation agencies, author of several transportation research papers including some on the subject of modern roundabouts, and five years as a statewide housing planner and director of the New Hampshire Housing Commission. Since moving to Burlington in 2011 has lived car free.
An Aside—Mostly Living the 15-Minute City 1976 to Date
Except for about four years 1980-1984 when residing in suburb 6 miles from Concord, NH, have lived the 15-Minute City life in Concord, NH, Montpelier, VT, San Francisco (North Beach), Montreal (adjacent Atwater Metro, cycle track network) and now Burlington (within a block of the Marketplace). In all locations shopped within two-three blocks from just about all basic needs ranging from food stores, shopping, schools, employment, etc. In all that time generally never used a car to travel to work, most all vacations from 1990s on via Amtrak and extended public transit (mostly in Canada’s metro areas), and mostly (like today) within a few feet of a bus stop, a few blocks to a transit center. In Burlington, Montpelier, San Francisco and Montreal presence of a major supermarket or two was critical to the 15-minute life along with a job. In all four cities a car was not only no needed, it was relatively useless and not cost effective. Yes, the bicycle fills in the “mobility” need year round except in 0 degree weather. And as important our family learned the 15 minute life experience in Montpelier, how to use public transit, and how to live carless. Living and modeling the 15-minute City life can be inherited!
So to me, the 15-minute City has been most of my adult life—it certainly was the bulk of my life growing up in Keene, NH where most years I lived within a few blocks downtown and all schools including high school. My favorite grades 1-2-3 were spent about 2 blocks from two doors north of Union Street to Court Street to School Street. Home to middle school was about six blocks and to high school varied from a couple of blocks to a half mile. All Keene home addresses were less than six blocks from the central shopping district on Main Street. Until college except for one year in the suburbs, the 15-minute life! Interestingly Keene is now home to five going onto seven roundabouts likely the highest concentration of any New England city. The historic traffic circle there—Central Square—is now bounded at the other end of the commercial/retail Main Street by a neat two-lane roundabout which acts as a gateway to the downtown and Keene State College with a the post office on one corner and the College on another—downtown three north south Main Street sidewalks on its way to renewed walkability.
Tony Redington
Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-75729156243953429182021-02-17T09:06:00.001-08:002021-02-17T09:06:24.593-08:00Walkability Commentary Series--Addressing Unwalkable Burlington (VT)
A Burlington Walk Bike Council Walking Mode Commentary Series
—Addressing Unwalkable Burlington
The following Walking Mode Commentary Series (Commentary) of six parts was placed over the last several weeks on the Burlington Walk Bike Council (VT) listserv. The commentary arose as a necessary exploration of what is safety for those who walk and what does a safe walkability comprise of in a basic urban neighborhood? The necessary exploration ties directly to the approximately two year Environmental Justice process undertaken in regard to Burlington’s Champlain Parkway focused on the King Maple neighborhood which is identified as a minority neighborhood by the Parkway project administrators, the Federal Highway Administration, Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and City of Burlington.
The black and brown skin residents of King Maple neighborhood which is over 20% minority, according governmental assessment, is part of a City where 26% of all residents live in households who have below poverty level incomes (Census) and where about 30 percent of King Maple and adjacent Old North End overall households lack access to an automobile. Lack of a car mean mobility is highly dependent on walking and transit which in turn is accessed by foot.
So the question is what is walkability, how do you measure it and what makes for a safe walkability environment? As one can guess those who are walking dependent—generally those in poverty and/or Black and Hispanic—also experience high rates of pedestrian injury fatality, exactly the case based on national figures. Rates of Blacks population pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population are almost twice the rate of whites, Hispanics 50% higher than for white, and the Native American rate several times that of white.
The concluding section 6, “Burlington Neighborhood Renewal—Attaining True Walkability and the Centrality of Conversions of Signalized Intersections to All-way-Stops and/or Roundabouts in that Endeavor” takes the lessons learned from the walkability series and applies them to North Street in the Old North End, the historic shopping and institutional center of the neighborhood—which just happens to have four intersections on the high crash VTrans current listing of 111 statewide.
The series attempts to stay away from complicated research and analysis and tries to translate new findings of pedestrian safety and treatments in a non-technical manner.
1. Walkability
2. The Centrality of the Sidewalk—Safety
3. Speed—the Major Determinant of Pedestrian Injury
4. The Fourth Factor of Street/Neighborhood Walkability: Ease of Crossing Intersections
5. Walkability: Reach Principle, Transportation Racism and Low Income Discrimination
6. Burlington Neighborhood Renewal—Attaining True Walkability and the Centrality of Conversions of Signalized Intersections to All-way-Stops and/or Roundabouts in that Endeavor
1. Walkability
This commentary will address “walkability” and how each of us can measure the walkability of our street and neighborhood whether you live on the flats of the Addition or the sharp grades of the Hill Section.
Let’s first consider what a “walkable” street or built up area is and how to measure basic walkability. BTV has been rated fairly low on walkability scores compared to other American cities. Except for the Church Street Marketplace—clearly walkable and the ideal—our streets have not been rated highly, 59 overall in this difficult to interpret scheme https://www.walkscore.com/VT/ . San Francisco is ranked highest in walkability, second only to New York, but also has a quite high pedestrian fatality rate. (this site provides a list of scores and how they are determined—
https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/ https://www.walkscore.com/VT/ ) My view is San Francisco hills are about was walkable as Mount Everest while the flatlands along the Embarcadero from Giants stadium to Fisherman’s Wharf onto the Golden Gate Bridge are marginally pedestrian friendly because of signalized intersections and pedestrian congestion.
My preferred rating of walkability employs the 1000 Friends of Oregon study in Portland, OR as a basic approach for determining/scoring walkability:
Score Each Factor 0 to 3
Presence of sidewalks
Presence of interconnected sidewalk network
Ease of crossing intersections
Degree of grades
A score of at least 9 gets a rating of “walkable.” Walkable means from a land use perspective existing and proposed development can assume an attractive and efficient pedestrian mode thereby moderating if not reducing vehicle travel demand. As important the only one of these four factors in obtaining an acceptable walkability score which we cannot correct with public investment and management is physical grades—we cannot flatten our city!
Regarding sidewalks we are most of the way to a score of 6 already. Presence of sidewalks and a network of sidewalks is almost universal in Burlington and so a score of 3 is likely for each in the majority of cases—already two-thirds of the way to a “walkability” score of 9. If there is a sidewalk on only one side of the street or if maintenance level is poor a lower score might be considered. Certainly practically all streets get a “3” for presence of a sidewalk network and a 2 or 3 depending mostly on the sidewalk condition.
We can apply this formula to any street in town including those in our neighborhoods. Church Street from Pearl to Main Street gets a perfect 12 in my book—sidewalks in the form of a dedicated pedestrian space, no significant grades, and intersections easiest/safest in town to cross. One notes overall downgrade from Pearl to Main is highest in the College to Main block and perhaps tests the 3 rating. For examples: Depot Street ranks 0 on grade in my book, College Street between South Champlain and Battery a 1 and College between South Champlain and Saint Paul a 2. This scheme can be turned in degrees of grade and then applied citywide with streets, neighborhoods, etc., getting ratings for this factor.
So, except for hilly sections of the City much of Burlington achieves a score of 9 without consideration of the “ease of crossing” intersections. Intersections do present a challenge. Next, ease of crossing intersections and consideration of a Walking Level of Service (WLS) and Walking Mode Safety.
2. The Centrality of the Sidewalk—Safety
Why the Sidewalk, the Major Key to the Walk Mode?
Clearly the common sidewalk along with degree of grade comprise three of the four factors which best describe walkability of a street, area or neighborhood—the fourth factor is ease of crossing intersections.
The standard sidewalk is set on a different plane than the roadway, generally about six inches above the roadway and most importantly separated by a six inch barrier, mostly the typical curb. Historically city sidewalks were built to prevent the invasion of the daily deposit of horse drawn exhaust which in turn was cleaned up overnight by public works crews—road slop in rain storms and snow were not something which enable pleasant walking along City canyons.
With the advent of the car the sidewalk and curb barrier took on a more important role: safety. The curbed sidewalk reduces pedestrian crashes about 88%. The Burlington policy of installing sidewalks on the few streets lacking them is, essentially, a safety program.
But differential between the quality of the street surfaces and sidewalks grew-and continues unabated—to mark why the pedestrian gets second class treatment in most everywhere including Burlington. I term this bias in treatment of pedestrians on their most important facility, transportation apartheid. It is rare if not impossible to find a pock marked, broken paved road in the City. Sidewalks? Just go outside anywhere and one can on average find some cracked, humped, potholed sidewalk. In a word transportation discrimination, particularly for those who travel by scooter, with a cane or walker, or the large proportion of the population who bicycle on the sidewalks because of the lack of cycle tracked (protected bike lanes) busy streets. Add to poor quality sidewalks the winter water and ice-pooling and inadequate snow dispersal and you have a picture total opposite to the smooth, groomed and snow cleared road travel ways and in most cases parking spaces too.
There are places where grade separation of pedestrian space is not necessary. One obvious example is the Church Street Marketplace. Along the Marketplace there is no need for curbing and is fully dedicated to the pedestrian—the very definition of a pedestrian street. Also check out a similar, spectacularly beautiful, pedestrian way from Main Street to Maple Street that winds through the Champlain College campus.
City Market is unique in Burlington for having a form of “shared space” at the Cherry, Bank and College Streets intersections where cars and pedestrians mingle. Not perfect as cars are given stop signs instead of yields and do not get the message that once stopped at the sign does not mean then “go” to full 25 mph speed, though the presence of pedestrians and experience means minimal conflicts with pedestrians—watching the set of buses of Green Mountain Transit handle the intersections gives one a sense of how shared space can work quite nicely. One UK City center with 20,000+ daily traffic numbers (think Pearl-Winooski intersection) and lots of trucks works quite nicely every day with shared space.
In sum, the sidewalk is first and foremost a safety device and the sidewalk and sidewalk network which comprise half of a walkability score represent a dominant factor in a systematic scheme of pedestrian safety.
Now onto the fourth factor—in addition to sidewalks, a sidewalk network and degree of grades: ease of crossing intersections.
3. Speed—the Major Determinant of Pedestrian Injury
While a sidewalk, network of sidewalks and degree of grade represent three of the four determining factors of a walkable street or neighborhood, a short diversion to speed and pedestrians must be made before dealing with ease of crossing intersections.
The sidewalk reasonably protects pedestrians from injury—an 88% reduction of streets with sidewalks versus those without—injuries and fatalities do occur on sidewalks, some from cars which for whatever reason jump curbs and hit, mostly pedestrians who are unable to avoid injury in such circumstances.
Speed and pedestrian injury are a basic element at pedestrian crossings from one sidewalk to another either at or between intersections. All pedestrian safety research finds one common element in pedestrian crash rates and injury severity: the speed at which crashes occur. Second, older crash victims are far more likely to die than young individuals in a given pedestrian crash. In Burlington in the most recent five year tabulation there is a pedestrian injury every two weeks, about 25 yearly. Pedestrian deaths occur once a decade with the last three, two on signalize pedestrian crossing and one at an unmarked crossing (Poirier Court on North Avenue) site of a similar fatality in the past. Nationally, the pandemic of 21,000 excess highway fatalities as the U.S. fell from first in highway safety in 1990 to its present slot, 15th, includes since 2010 a 50% increase in ped deaths (2 in Burlington), now about 6,000 yearly similar to the number in 1990. Most pedestrian deaths of adults 25-45 involve WUI (walking under the influence of drugs).
Certainly there is also a relationship between “exposure”—total pedestrians and total vehicles—in a given stretch of roadway or intersection and pedestrian crash rates. However, differentials in speeds have a major effect on actual pedestrian injury rates at a given exposure. When it comes to pedestrian injuries it is all about speed.
Managing speeds along streets and at intersections mostly involves traffic calming techniques. The safest intersections for pedestrians are—no surprise—intersections where vehicles are required or forced to reduce speeds: all-way stops, roundabouts with median crossings, and shared space.
Why are signal unsafe for pedestrians? In a word signalized intersections are a higher speed environment than all-way stops, roundabouts, and traffic calmed intersections (including shared space). Drivers at signalized intersection must give attention to signals, operate in many cases with jack rabbit starts or stops, and fact other distractions—all contributing to a higher pedestrian crash rate and more server injuries when crashes occur at 20-25 mph (above 25 mph the majority of pedestrian crashes are fatal). Walking guru Jeff Speck references the on-the-ground proof of signs versus signals pedestrian safety which occurred when Philadelphia converted a series of traffic signals in the build up areas with all-way-stops
with a sharp drop in pedestrian injuries resulting.
In fact, traffic signals are so dangerous for traffic management they are, in effect, a method of trading off injuries for operationally efficient, a process called “warrants.” Until the advent of the modern roundabout and use of traffic calming techniques dating from 1956 in the case of the roundabout (U.K.) and traffic calming practice emerging in the 1980s in Europe, the only traffic management techniques were signs and signals. Most nations which passed the United States in highway safety in 1990 employ traffic calming and roundabouts (they cut serious injuries by about 90% overall) to a far greater extent than do US cities.
Now onto the fourth factor in walkability—ease of crossing intersections.
4. The Fourth Factor of Street/Neighborhood Walkability: Ease of Crossing Intersections
Ease of crossing intersections seems innocuous to most people as a key walkability factor as it does not seem to pose the same threat to health and safety as the opioid crisis, climate change or the new Burlington “Racism as a Public Health Emergency.” Believe it or not, for the pedestrian, there is a direct connection between ease of crossing intersections and all three of these commonly held public concerns.
A sidewalk on a street, a sidewalk network and grade plus ease of crossing intersections comprise the four factors used to measure the presence of a walkable street, area, or community. As outlined earlier, a built up community like Burlington already sports sidewalks on practically every street and therefore also meets the second factor without further consideration, a system or network of interconnected sidewalks. The third factor, presence of a significant grade while beyond our control is compensated for in an urban area like Burlington by public transit—think of the free College Street Shuttle (right now and perhaps ongoing, all Burlington transit is fare free). Thousands of tourists use the shuttle—now a regular larger route and until the pandemic free only between the waterfront and UVMMC—to go back and forth to the Marketplace and the waterfront.
Transportation research tells us mid-block crossings, particularly on busy streets, are more problematic than intersections in terms of both safety and service (no pedestrian priority of any kind). Intersections remain a major safety problem and the location of almost 20% of all road fatalities, almost half in the case of senior driver fatalities.
As discussed, all-way stops, shared use (think Marketplace) and roundabouts represent practically zero delay for pedestrians and the top level of pedestrian safety. A large number of research and studies confirms this. Burlington has commendably employed all-way stops in large numbers throughout the City and this makes some small areas safe and walkable. Still, our major intersections are mostly signalized.
Traffic Signals and Un-Safety
The traffic signal arrived in the 1930s and beginning in this century the traffic signal increasingly has been discarded as a useful technology. This is primarily because on average the traffic signal fails compared to the new standard, the modern roundabout, in every performance area, particularly in safety. On average the traffic signal increases serious/fatal crashes up to about 900% (a roundabout replacing a signal reduces serious/fatal injuries about 90% compared to alternatives). In the past all way-way stops and shared space also perform better in safety, but the most popular, the all-way-stop does cannot move traffic as efficiently. The now 30-year old North American experience with the modern roundabout is smaller and much safer than the outdated older predecessor, the rotary, i.e., the older roundabout dating from the start of the last century (think National Lampoon European Vacation).
There is one not very well designed (but excellent safety record) modern roundabout in Chittenden County—the one on Maple Tree Place between Bed Bath and Beyond and Best Buy. Many are familiar with only a rotary or old style roundabout, not much different than the the traffic circulator in Winooski which is a high crash facility. Three of the first scheduled Burlington roundabout at the Shelburne Street “rotary” fits inside the Winooski traffic circulator with plenty of space left over. The Winooski oval is a quarter mile, equal to the Thunder Road raceway in Barre Town. Note race driver Governor Scott clearly has been aware of the safety and performance of the roundabout. Governor Scott was allied with the late Senator James Jeffords who placed the word “roundabout” in the U.S. statutes for the first time, inserted on a list of eligible safety treatments receiving 100% federal funding—exactly the provision where 100% funding comes from for Burlington’s Shelburne Street “rotary” roundabout!
The first adoption of roundabouts in place of signals were the NY State Department of Transportation in 2005 followed by two Canadian provincial transport ministries, British Columbia followed by Alberta.
Ease of Crossing
So, what intersection traffic management system—signals, signs, roundabouts, traffic calming measures, or a combination—best meets the test of “ease” of crossing an intersection for pedestrian, an in doing so also responds to pedestrian comfort and safety? Which crossing meets a minimum acceptable level? What scores 0, 1, 2, or the maximum for the factor, 3?
There are three types of intersections which feature 0 seconds of delay as well as a reasonable level of pedestrian comfort and safety—all-way stops, shared space (think of Marketplace) and roundabouts. All traffic signals delay pedestrians—about 20 seconds or more. All traffic signals cause pedestrian injuries—about 20% more than the equally safe roundabout and all-way stops, according to Federal Highway Administration.
It is important to view the traffic signal from the standpoint of the pedestrian. From a pedestrian viewpoint the traffic signal kills, injuries and delays pedestrians. Here in Burlington which sports 18% or 20 of the high crash intersections in Vermont, all but one are signalized. In fact, because installing a signal knowingly involves a tradeoff of some user injuries for vehicle movement efficiency, there are engineering tests mostly related to traffic volume called “warrants” which must be met in order to install a signal. A signal is an injury generating technology! AAA calls for converting signals to roundabouts as 30% of its proposed set of six treatments reduction of tens of thousands of deaths and fatalities. Sweden signal to roundabouts efforts means more roundabouts there than signals and Sweden is now converting another 30% of remaining signals to roundabouts. The Burlington 75 signals would be about 40 roundabouts and 35 signals in Sweden today with another 12 signals scheduled for roundabout conversion. Even the rather meek and mild AARP promotes converting signals to roundabouts.
For those who walk our Burlington streets and/or bicycle them for any significant time, a near serious injury or possibly fatal crash with a vehicle—or an actual one—is very likely. So, too, is the likelihood over time of observing a pedestrian or bicycle crash which occur on average once a week in normal times. Walking across traffic signal intersections is perhaps the most risky behavior one experiences in Burlington day to day.
Normally, a planning process would evaluate existing busy intersections and prioritize conversions to roundabouts based on expected injury reductions and other benefits ranging from environmental, racial, and income equity as well as climate change. This will be discussed further.
Data from Vermont urban roundabouts confirms the high level of performance of pedestrian safety. The five town center roundabouts—Montpelier, Middlebury and Manchester Center (3)—in a half century service recorded one bumped and bruised pedestrian and 0 bike injuries. (Four non-serious car occupants were also recorded.)
In terms of scoring, a roundabout, shared space and all-way stop intersection would normally receive a score of 3. A two-way-stop-control and signals with a good safety record might score 0 or 1 in a few cases.
Next a discussion of intersections relationship to the new City policies of the Climate Change Emergency and Racism as a Public Health Emergency. Spoiler alert—the traffic signal does not fare well and all-way stop, shared space and the roundabout come out on top.
5. Walkability: Reach Principle, Transportation Racism and Low Income Discrimination
The context of walkability factors—sidewalks, sidewalk network, grade and ease of intersection crossing have been outlined. There are walkability principles along with newly discovered application of transportation justice and equity in the form of racism and low income discrimination placed on neighborhoods where walkability is sacrificed for the sake of vehicle priority treatment.
Principle of Reach
One tool to determine walkability of a location or neighborhood involves applying reach—that is, the distance a pedestrian can travel in a fixed amount of time measured in minutes. For example, how far can a pedestrian travel from the top the Marketplace in ten minutes at Pearl Street/Marketplace (Church Street) intersection starting at the Unitarian Church side of the street? Assume it takes an average of 20 seconds for a pedestrian to get a walk light at an intersection and the pedestrian travels at a speed of 3 miles per hour. One can draw a diagram showing the area the pedestrian can “reach” in all directions—north along Clarke or Elmwood Ave, south on Church, west toward to the Transit Center and Battery Park and east toward North/South Union, the Willards, etc. With a string of 20 second delays from signals along Pearl it is clear the “reach” of the pedestrian is further on Church toward Main Street and north along Elmwood Avenue, etc. Each signal cut reach about 60 feet. Suddenly the walkability of a street—like Church Street with shared use, no delay intersection to Main Street—enables a far longer trip in a given time span that east or west on Pearl Street. Also, easterly to reach Willard and Williams a slight but increasing grade will affect the reach number. So, reach for a pedestrian depends on streets and intersections with all-way stops/roundabouts/shared space will always provide greater reach than a street with signalized intersections. Plus signals cause more injuries at a 20% greater rate over all-way-stops and roundabouts.
Obviously reach is reduced by hills and grades—think the aptly named Hill Section of the City. Or, consider the reach at the waterfront intersection of Lake and College Streets. The sharp grade to the Marketplace easterly reduces the distance a typical pedestrian can cover in ten minutes time versus a trip along the Bikepath or south on Buttery Street. Add to this equation an older pedestrian, a person with a cane or walker and delays at intersections loom an eagerness greater factor in their reach diagram.
Racism as a Public Health Emergency and Walkability in Burlington
The 2020 Burlington City adoption of Racism as a Public Health Emergency aimed at identifying and eliminating racial as well as its corollary low income discrimination connects quite directly with walkability. This is new territory for folks in transportation—racism language and application to projects is new. While I have always described the pedestrian mode the apartheid mode, that term was used to describe the relationship of policies and investments in our urban areas which clearly discriminate, i.e., segregate the pedestrian versus vehicle based travel and to a lesser extent, though still a factor, bicycling. When the US adopted Right Turn on Red (RTOR) late in the last century that policy (New York City and Montreal the exceptions in North America) kills about 35 pedestrians a year and seriously injures a far larger number. RTOR clearly discriminates against pedestrians. But also—we now come to understand largely through the new City policy on racism and the now two year Environmental Justice process instigated by the Pine Street Coalition. Pine Street documented in 2018 racism is part and parcel of the current Champlain Parkway design. As leaders of the Vermont racial justice community turned their attention to the Parkway and the King Maple minority black and brown skin residents, the specter of racism became evident to all.
Yes, it was known that in the Old North End and certainly in King Maple about one third of the population has no car access, but it takes a second step to recognize that pedestrian and transit dependent population very much is both minority and low income with both traffic as well as added pedestrian injury rates and delay jumping in King Maple. Given the pedestrian downgrade with the current Parkway design one get sa grasp on the clear racial injustice harm.
The harm comes directly from shifting from no-delay all-way-stops today on Pine in the King Maple neighborhood to high pedestrian injuring and delay imposed on pedestrians by the Parkway new traffic signals at King and Maple intersections. Even a member of the survey of top urbanists in recorded history told Mayor Weinberger to his face replacing the all way stop at Pine and Maple Streets would be a “huge mistake” (Dan Burden on a street audit at the 2014 AARP Pine Street Workshop). Burlington normally experiences a pedestrian or bicyclist injury weekly and a fatality every five years. To be clear, the VTrans forced the City against the opposition of two Progressive Mayors—Clavelle and Kiss—and City Council as well as the neighborhood to cut King Maple in two with the Parkway. Our incoming US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg explained last month his first priority is safety, then climate change then equity—racial justice—as he condemned the use in the past of road money to cut minority neighborhoods in two, exactly the way the current Parkway design does! Hopefully the tide is turning on this but it is important to stress that it is the hurt to low income and minority pedestrians the current Parkway design entails only came to light through new federal laws, laws a grassroots group and racial justice leaders brought forcefully to the attention of City, State and Federal officials, including through a federal court lawsuit filed in 2019 by the Pine Street Coalition.
The lesson here is walkability is especially critical to neighborhoods in our City, a City where 26% of it residents live below the poverty line, and a large number of low-income and minority (like the 24% minority in King Maple) lack a car and must travel by foot and transit.
The next and last section of this commentary series will look at how we can apply walkability principles outlined in other sections of Burlington.
__________________________________________________________________
An Aside from the Walkability Series: Burlington and America Walk
and Bike Share of Transportation Trips Abnormally Low
It fair to say, what difference does it make for a quality safe walkability environment in Burlington and urban America? Why should walkability be a concern if we are a typical nation where walking and bicycling are common. But that is not the case. Quite simply the share of walking and biking trips of all transportation in Burlington and rest of the nation is abnormally low—11% are walk and bike trips, 10% walk and 1% bike. The 10% of trips by foot in America is less than half the average of ten European nations. (Bike trips in America, 1% of all trips compares to the average of 9% in ten European nations surveyed where percentages ranged from 2% to 26%.)
John Pucher of Rutgers University has authored individually or jointly with others the comparative walk and bike studies from the early 1990s to date. The paper “Walking and Cycling in Western Europe and the United States Trends, Policies, and Lessons” (2012) features a number of graphic pictures of how other modern nations have far higher walk and bike mode shares.
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/
So walkability—a context of safe, quality walking environment of our City —is a critical factor if we wish those who walk today, and hopefully more tomorrow, are provided that opportunity. With a Climate Emergency much less the potential health and air quality aspects, encouraging walking and bicycling cannot be overemphasized. And given that walking is disproportionately the choice by necessity of BIPOC and low income, the failure to provide a quality, safe context for walking now know is one of racial and income equality.
So, the total United State walk share of all trips—11%—is about than half—21.3%—of average of 10 European nations ranging from 16% to 25%. (Bicycling is even worse—1% America, 2-26% 10 European nations with 9.3% average.)
Yes, walking is the apartheid mode. Walkability of our City, i.e., a safe, quality walking environment remains a major transportation policy problem that has been left in the ditch for far too long.
_________________________________________________________________
6. Burlington Neighborhood Renewal—Attaining True Walkability and the Centrality of Conversions of Signalized Intersections to All-way-Stops and/or Roundabouts in that Endeavor
With some of basics of walkability examined, the question must be asked, how can we bring walkability to the Burlington’s older downtown neighborhoods, namely the Old North End and King Maple where until the last decade or so workable engineering choices other than signal or sign control remained nonexistent. Besides much of pedestrian service and safety never came to the fore in the period of multi-modalism ushered in with federal highway funds pouring in starting in 1991 (Intermodal Safety Transportation Efficiency Act or ISTEA)—the other ignored mode, bicycling, received deserving attention but with its historic built in strong advocates kept walkability, the pedestrian mode, more or less in the background. One can argue bicycle advocacy delayed adoption of new and better technology for all modes, primarily the roundabout, from reaching critical mass as it has in other nations, in great part because other nations pursued safety for all transportation users. In a word while the car still retained its crown, however dulled and both transit and particularly the cycling modes received investment and attention the pedestrian mode remained as in the past, the “apartheid” mode here in the Untied States, segregated with the possible exception of support for a sidewalk network of often poor quality and surface condition to this day (number one complaint in the ONE study survey under way). Even many roundabout proponents and practitioners failed to give attention to the roundabout as central to walkability in North America.
Enter the now two year outreach and analysis of Champlain Parkway, a re-examination under new federal rules for Environmental Justice. The re-examination was caused by the Pine Street Coalition filing a lawsuit in June 2019. City, VTrans and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) findings preliminarily identified the King Maple neighborhood of about 25% black and brown skinned residents (the highest such population in Vermont) in a City with the highest percentage of population living in poverty—26% according to Census. Add the characteristic that in both the Old North End and King Maple neighborhoods having about 30% of households have no access to a car. Both these neighborhoods therefore are strongly pedestrian and transit dependent, both have high numbers and proportions of residents living with poverty incomes—with the King Maple area residents not only poor and lacking car access, but also about a quarter with black and brown skin. In these neighborhoods safe routes to the bus stop, shopping and all services—to all destinations— are equally important to safe pedestrian routes for their children to school!
What community advocates found in King Maple Environmental Justice was simply not only increased traffic—the obvious negative of the Parkway—also combined with the conversion of all-way-stop intersections to signals to constitute a major deterioration of the residential and transportation environment. In addition, this obvious blight and increased injury rate new context clearly disproportionately impacts on the predominately poor and pedestrian dependent BIPOC populations! One goes from of pedestrian no-delay/safe all-way-stops to higher pedestrian injury rates, substantial pedestrian delay where there is none today, and even higher levels of air pollution impacting on the health of pedestrians of all ages on the streets as well as all living in the adjacent and nearby housing. Based on the principle first “do no harm” then any shift from the current all-way-stops on the two central intersections (Pine/Maple and Pine King) to traffic signals would be, as Dan Burden said in a 2014 AARP street audit on Pine, a “huge mistake.” We must praise the efforts of former Mayors Clavelle and Kiss and their Department of Public Works and engineers for opposing the Parkway cutting the King Maple neighborhood in two and retaining any and all all-way-stops within King Maple neighborhood. FHWA and VTrans imposed the King Maple Parkway route in opposition to DPW, Mayors and Council by open threats to discard the project altogether unless the Pine Street connection to Main Street alternative was chosen. At the time there was no Environmental Justice regulation to intervene in the FHWA and VTrans demands.
Dan Burden, 58th on a list of greatest urbanists of recorded history (Jane Jacobs tops the list), lead transcontinental bike tours as a young man from Alaska to Chile, but later placed first providing a safe walking environment, hence the name of his company for decades “Walkable Communities.” He was also the first State bicycle and pedestrian coordinator hired by the State of Florida to cut the more than thousand yearly pedestrian deaths there when he began. For Burden the priority has not vehicle communities, not bicycling communities—it has been walkable communities. His approach has been to address the needs of the pedestrian, if that is done he seems to imply all else can be resolved for other modes. For Burden it is pedestrians first!
We know as a given Burlington records about one pedestrian injury every every two weeks, a pedestrian fatality every seven years, and 19 of 20 of its State high crash intersections are signalized. We also know applying roundabouts would reduce injuries for all modes per year per high crash intersection now 1.5 a year downward 72% to about 0.5 on average per high crash intersection. Historically, all-way-stops gave way to traffic signals in ONE and King Maple during the decades after World War 2 because all-way-stops could not and cannot handle the high traffic numbers without endless traffic jams (think of the 5 minute wait now experienced at Pine/Maple intersection in a afternoon normal times peak hour). The roundabout dating only from 1990 in North America provides not only the same two critical benefits of and all-way-stop—highest pedestrian safety and no pedestrian delay—but also about doubles the traffic capacity of signals, attains about a 30% reduction in traffic signal health harming pollutants as well as climate change emissions, about a 90% overall reduction in serious and fatal injuries across all modes, lower ongoing maintenance maintenance costs (the list of roundabout benefits goes on and on). Burlington’s first roundabout, Shelburne Rotary Roundabout also addresses a State high crash intersection termed the “intersection of death” by the neighborhood—it is 100% funded with FHWA safety monies at the intersection with an elementary school and church adjacent.
In addition to the findings in King Maple in the Environmental Justice process, so too are there clear similarities in a current Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission funded study of grassroots community transportation needs of transit and pedestrian dependent being led by Laura Jacoby of Old Spokes Home. Preliminary findings identify similar Environmental Justice issues for those pedestrian dependent in ONE including high speed streets (North, Park, North Champlain Streets, etc.) as a problem of pedestrian safety and mobility, as barriers to shopping, accessing medical services, etc.
Again, until the early 2000s Department of Public Works (DPW) engineering like all through North America had no choice but to shift to signals from all-way stops when traffic congestion reached unbearable levels, even though that choice inevitably increased pedestrian injuries and reduced pedestrian mobility. Yes, it was a necessary tradeoff between the car mobility increasing and decreased pedestrian safety and mobility. So today of the six busy intersections along ONE’s North Street between North Ave and North Union—the “shopping” street of ONE—four are on the State’s high crash list—North Ave, North Champlain St, North Winooski Ave, and North Union. The other two—signalized Elmwood/Intervale and Park Street—with high traffic numbers are not currently on the high crash list. Much of that traffic is north-south between the New North End and downtown areas. All major cross intersections mentioned except North Union, a 3-way all-way-stop, are signalized.
Roundabout technology has been the standard in NY State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) since 2005 and in a nation like Sweden (actually slipped to fifth place in international highway safety, US once 1st, now 15th) where there are more roundabouts than signals 30% of the remaining signals there are slated for conversion to roundabouts. As newly minted US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says of US transportation “…one of these areas where Americans have been expected to settle for less and we shouldn’t…” So, too, we can now study the North Street corridor—something suggested some years ago to the ONE Arts and Business Network (ABN) with the knowledge now there are truly effective and fairly low cost investments for transportation renewal along North Street. Already two DPW pilot roundabouts are planned for North and North Winooski intersection this year and a second intersection one block further north on North Winooski. Money is always an issue, but the likely roundabout design applicable to North Street intersections (Pine Street also) is the inexpensive mini-roundabout format which costs about a third of a signal and have no maintenance costs compared to a signal. Mini roundabouts cost at most about $50,000 while a standard signal system approaches the $200,000 level.
(The Pine Street Coalition and the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance are battling to stop the Champlain Parkway cutting King Maple in two, the current design. The two groups received one of five inaugural awards by the Vermont Sierra Club chapter on the first Transit Equity Day held February 4, 2021. In their thanks for the award Pine Street explained their grassroots work as a battle against “blatant environmental injustice” of the Parkway on the King Maple neighborhood.)
So the Environmental Justice process on the Champlain Parkway has brought forth an approach to how we can today provide true walkability to North Street in ONE as well as applying the various elements outlined in this series throughout the neighborhoods of Burlington. The key starts as Dan Burden has often said with addressing pedestrians first!
Tony Redington
TonyRVT99@gmail.com
February 15, 2021Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-41569442091751358872021-02-17T09:01:00.003-08:002021-02-17T09:01:48.744-08:00Pine Street Coalition and VT Racial Justice Alliance receive joint Transit Equity Day award by VT Sierra Club Chapter
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
4 February 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tony Redington, Coordinator Steve Goodkind
Pine Street Coalition bludriver@aol.com
802-343-6616 802-316-6045
tonyrvt99@gmail.com
Pine Street Coalition and Vermont Racial Justice Alliance Receive Transit Equity Award for
Champlain Parkway Environment Justice Fight
Burlington. VT. -- The Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club today issued its first Transit Equity Award to the Pine Street Coalition and the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance for their collaborative work fighting the Champlain Parkway highway project in Burlington on environmental justice grounds. The award is part of the Sierra Club’s Transit Equity Day taking place on Rosa Parks’ birthday to highlight the need to transition to more environmentally-sound transportation including increased public transit.
The Pine Street Coalition is a grass-roots group advocating for safer, greener transportation, particularly for bicyclists and pedestrians, in Burlington’s vibrant South End. The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance is an advocacy organization focused on dismantling racism in Vermont with a priority on public policy regarding housing, education, employment, and criminal justice.
The two groups intersected over the City of Burlington’s plan to run the Champlain Parkway highway project through the middle of the Maple-King neighborhood, increasing traffic volume and speed through this predominantly Black and immigrant community.
“The City’s own numbers state that their project would decrease traffic in the predominantly white, more affluent neighborhoods further south, but at the expense of increasing traffic in the Maple King neighborhood by 37 percent. More traffic and higher speeds significantly increase the safety risk to people walking and biking in this neighborhood, especially children and elders,” says Tony Redington, coordinator of the Pine Street Coalition and a prior transportation planner and policy analyst in Vermont and New Hampshire.
The Pine Street Coalition filed a federal lawsuit in 2018 to stop the Champlain Parkway. Among their challenges to the project was environmental justice. The Federal Highway Administration agreed with the Coalition’s contention that environmental review had not fulfilled requirements to analyze the project’s effects on non-White and lower-income residents. The federal court case was put on hold so that the City could evaluate environmental justice impacts.
Coordinating with the Racial Justice Alliance as well as Fortieth Burlington, LLC, owner of Innovation Center office complex on Lakeside Avenue, the Pine Street Coalition engaged expert witnesses from Burlington’s academic community and submitted substantial comments detailing the racial harm inherent in the City’s highway design.
“As a matter of public policy, undesirable public works are often shifted to low- income neighborhoods as the path to least resistance in overcoming public objection,” said Pine Street Coalition expert Lionel Beasley, professor of Race and Media at Champlain College. “The decision to extend the Champlain Parkway along Pine Street to the Maple-King neighborhood represents the continuation of long-standing patterns that trace their origins to Urban Renewal programs and the placement of highways beginning in the late 1940s.”
The City’s highway design “smacks of racism” according to retired Burlington City Engineer Steve Goodkind. “If there is any doubt about this, just imagine if the situation was reversed and downtown and affluent neighborhoods were being asked to accept greater traffic volumes in order for traffic to be reduced in the King/Maple/Pine neighborhood. There’s not a chance in hell of that happening, and we all know why,” he said.
Working with the Racial Justice Alliance and Fortieth Burlington, owner of the Innovation Center on the Parkway’s path, the Pine Street Coalition developed a solution called the Champlain RIGHTway, a re-routed alternative to the Parkway which would bring traffic relief to the Maple-King community as well as more affluent South End neighborhoods, while increasing safety, decreasing environmental impacts, and costing far less. The Racial Justice Alliance, with support from the Pine Street Coalition and Fortieth Burlington, presented the Champlain RIGHTway proposal to state and federal officials three weeks ago, who have as of yet failed to respond to their demands for environmental justice.
The Sierra Club granted the award acknowledging the unique collaboration between Pine Street Coalition and the Racial Justice Alliance because it “believes that these types of partnerships are what is needed to challenge systemic racism and institutional poor transportation planning.”
www.SafeStreetsBurlington.com
https://www.facebook.com/SSBPineStreetNOW
Stop Transportation Racism! Redesign the Champlain Parkway!Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-20301522409660099372020-12-23T04:08:00.003-08:002020-12-23T04:08:37.524-08:00Housing for All--Guns, No Rental Help for All Vermonters<p><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b><span class="s1" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b></span><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Housing for All!</b></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b></b></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="color: #141414;">Housing Act of 1949 declares a need for establishing a national housing goal of “a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.” </span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #141414;"> </span><span style="color: #141414;">(Note “environment” held a meaning tied to slum housing rather than clean air and free from contamination of today.) From this beginning we now have 14,000 units “affordable housing assistance” comprised of Section 8/Public Housing/Housing Choice Vouchers/etc.,one in five renters here in Vermont today--all pegged at 30% household income rent max rents (Reagan raised it from 25% to 30% and we need to go back to 25%). </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Leahy has been able to get about 300 units yearly of affordable housing assistance in the Trump years and this should expand significantly in the Biden administration. The one in five renters enjoy 30% income max rents today--about half the need. VP Harris proposed bill last year (Rent Relief Act) would make 30% income rent max universal for low income through a monthly tax credit check like senior food benefit going directly into a checking account--homelessness erased overnight. Can switch COTS to an urban youth hostel!</p><p class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Cost of this is cheap, now about $100 million a year for 14,000 of the low income units now, so another $100 million a year would do it--about equal to the homeownership subsidies which have little justification. </p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Still do coops, ADUs and other good things knowing all can avail themselves of such units--and avoid the ghastly specter we now see before us in City Place (current status), and the already built rich folks housing of Redstone, etc. </p><p class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Compared to the $336 million yearly Vermonters are shouldering in defense this year versus the last Obama year, $100 million to meet the needs of low income for affordable rental homes is really a piece of cake.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Military needs have significantly declined with withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b></b><br /></p><p class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #141414; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b></b><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>US MILITARY BUDGET AND VERMONTERS ANNUAL SHARE<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>OF THE INCREASE UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP 2020 <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>COMPARED TO THE LAST YEAR OF THE OBAMA<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>ADMINISTRATION IN</b></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Federal Fiscal Year<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Total Spending</b></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2016 <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span>767.6<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Last Obama budget)</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2017<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>818.9</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2018 <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>890.8</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2019<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span>904.3</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2020<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>935.8<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Appropriation</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">2021 <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>933.8<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Budgeted</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Increase during Trump<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>2016 to 2020:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>168.2 billion/year higher in 2020 than in last Obama expenditure in 2016.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>VT per capita share of <b>increase</b> ($2 million/billion): $336 million/year additional per capita support versus 2016 last Obama budget.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Cost of 14,000 HUD 30% household income max per month rental program (about 40% of need) ~$104 million</p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p><p class="p5" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Source:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Balance <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320"><span class="s2">https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320</span></a></p><p class="p6" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br /></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-33195126235792816402020-11-25T08:39:00.000-08:002020-11-25T08:39:12.097-08:00Burlington Senior Population Climbs Sharply 2010-2019, Now 12% of City Residents <p><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Burlington Senior Population Jumps 2010-2019</b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">While Burlington remains forever young with<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>some 15,000 college students from UVM, Champlain College and Saint Michael’s residing here, the greying of Vermont seeped into its population since 2010. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">If Census 11.7% of Burlington’s 2019 estimated population of 42,819 is 65-and-over gets confirmed by the Census this year, then the 5,010 senior population 2010-2019 growth jumped 1,024 or 25.7% from the 3,986 2010 number.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Burlington senior population actually declined 104 between 2000-2010. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">Still, while Census estimates the City gained 402 residents 2010-2019, the 1,024 senior growth more than doubles that number--this means 2010-2019 non-senior (under 65) population declined, about 622 residents!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">So from 2010 to 2019, the percentage of senior population in the Queen City increased from 10.3% to 12.2% of all residents.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Meanwhile, statewide Vermont is in the process of a 2010-2030 senior growth leading its share of total population from 12% to 24% during the period.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Averaging the two official state projections, each year during the 2010-2030 period a town size of Stowe, about 4,000, senior population is added to the state population while a town the size of Johnson, 3,000, decline occurs in the under 65 age population. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As far as overall population is concerned from 2010 to now statewide there has been a slight decline and little increase is expected as of now through 2030.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Early in this decade another set of 20 year projections can be expected to be commissioned by the State.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Chittenden County area is the only showing any population gain since 2010 but even here the entire growth, about 8,000, is composed of seniors 65-and-over with little change those below in age.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-57687796938389164492020-10-14T06:52:00.001-07:002020-10-14T06:52:25.332-07:00No Affordable Shelter Provided by Vermont or Burlington for the Low-income and Homeless who Must go Wanting<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The mythology of non-profit “affordable” housing by the State of Vermont and organizations like Champlain Housing Trust and the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, is just that: a myth. Only federal “affordable housing assistance”, 30% income max rents, provide truly affordable housing through thick or thin, household income or no household income. Vermont “affordable” is middle class housing mostly with rents of $1,000 or more and no protection for downturns in income as has occurred for many in the pandemic. Burlington's “inclusionary zoning” requiring 10-25% of privately developed housing have a rent—now $1,200 monthly for a one-bedroom rent maximum—solidly a middle class housing type.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is some modest good news statewide on the federal assistance for low income, now dominated by Housing Choice Vouchers in the hands of the low-income household or Section 8 units attached to a few or all of new construction projects with a 27-year contract to assure the units follow 30% income rent max and enable public and/or private financing.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities update recently numbers fed “affordable housing assistance” 30% income max rent units increased from 13,000 to 14,000 units, some of that increase occurring, apparently, during the Trump administration. https://www.cbpp.org/research/housing/federal-rental-assistance-fact-sheets#VT The 14,000 units equal 13% of the 2010 renters in Vermont, about one in five rental households. Based on the 75,100 rental households in the 2010 Census, 14,000 fed units now in place represent 18.6% of all renters, almost one in five. As Vermont has a substantial number of college students in private rental housing, particularly in the Burlington and surrounding towns, the estimate of one in five renters receiving “affordable housing assistance” is a fair one.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still, while the number of federal units have increased by 1,000, during the same period the need estimated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities increased from 15,000 to 16,800, an increase of 1,800, so Vermont fell another 800 units behind in “affordable housing assistance” units needed. As the Vermont non-senior population is in decline as the 2010-2030 senior population doubles, the priority must be tilted towards older Vermont rental housing assistance.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Taking these estimates one step further, the 2010 75,100 renters in Vermont less 15,000 federal rental assistance units leaves 61,100 households with 16,800 or 27% of the current non-assisted renters in need of fed rental assistance. The wait lists in Burlington area—1,000 at Burlington Housing Authority and an equal number at Cathedral Corporation which serves older and disabled Vermonters with age-restricted housing mostly, overall 2,000 on the wait lists—confirms the scale of need in the Center's estimates.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It must be kept in mind that there is not overall Vermont housing plan, and neither the State or Burlington provide a single unit of fed type assistance, i.e., rental units where a family or individual pays 30% of gross income max for shelter including all utilities. Still, the Coalition of Vermont Elders (COVE) the lobbyist group for older Vermonters seeks a state needs analysis for the first time for continuum of housing and housing assistance needs from rental, homeownership, in-home assistance, assisted living, etc.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do the Vermont, City and non-profit programs help? Yes, they do help provide a needed housing supply and do directly subsidize mostly the middle income rental costs. Do State programs deal with housing assistance needs or alleviate increasing income inequality in the housing area? Likely just slightly opposite in net in the absence of low-income housing assistance programming.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180155742492166913.post-77749021224034771832020-08-04T11:16:00.004-07:002020-08-04T11:16:53.076-07:00Burlington North-South Corridor: Separate Bike Facility, Light Rail and Sidewalk! --A Burlington Green Transport Corridor!<br /><div><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Create a Multi-modal Sustainable North-South Burlington Corridor by Adding Companion Light Rail to:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The “Burlington Bikepath” Gets a City Length Twin, “Ethan Allen Bikeway”?</b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><b></b><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>—the Burlington “North-South Multi-mode Corridor”: sidewalk,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>separate bike facility and light rail<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><b></b><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Within a day or two of proposing a north-south separate/safe bikeway it became clear from feedback one needs to add a companion which came up in discussions of various planning and development undertakings including the North Avenue Corridor Plan, the Rail Enterprise Project (REP), Sinex’s initial public meetings on City Place and various Pine Street meetings on a workable Champlain Parkway:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>a north-south light rail line.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>To use a name to start (community must make the final one) let’s call it the “Burlington Green Corridor” (BTVGC).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The BTVGC features a north (from Flynn School) to South (continuing into South Burlington from Pine St/Queen City Park Rd/I 189-Parkway) a sidewalk, a separate/safe bicycle facility and a light rail line (like the new system opening this year in Montreal and found in Toronto, Sacramento, San Francisco and my other North American cities).</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Most Burlington recent transportation planning centered on connecting the waterfront, Marketplace and UVM/UVMMC—that was the route chosen in the 1990s in a light rail study.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In Sinex’s City Place I even suggested a north-south and waterfront—UVM line would intersect in an underground station. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">So, a multi-modal north-south corridor composed of light rail, a separate and safe bike facilitation (protected bike lanes [cycle track] and two-way bikeway, and a sidewalk.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A plan process can get us ready for a sustainable future in the Queen City, the Burlington Green Corridor!</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Here is the bike corridor put out over the weekend.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Please excuse the name “Ethan Allen”—any name should be something determined by the Burlington community at large—Alexander Twilight and Abenaki have been mentioned—Montpelier went through a public process in naming Stonecutter’s Way and the East West Bikepath, Siboinibe.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><b></b><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>——————————</b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><b> </b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">A series of unrelated planning, policy, and advocacy processes weave a new and very possible bikeway route from Plattsburgh Ave in the New North End to the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>South Burlington border at Queen City Park Road and Pine Street—the “Ethan Allen Bikeway” route.</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The “Ethan Allen” features 100% protected bike lanes (cycle track)/or a separate 10-foot wide two-way dedicated bikeway.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The difference between the “Ethan Allen” and the “Burlington Bikepath” (Bikepath) is two fold: first, the Ethan Allen is for cyclists only and, second, it is a fully lit, year-round maintained transportation facility. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">There are at least four key sections which have been discussed separately: (1) the North Avenue Corridor Plan (2014) which calls for cycle track end-to-end, Plattsburgh Ave to North Street; (2) the North Champlain two-way bikeway between Manhattan Drive and Pearl Street though the heart of the Old North End; (3) the City Place reconnection of Pine Street between Cherry and Pearl Streets; and (4) in its latest iteration, the Pine Street Coalition redesign guidelines in the form of New Street ( <a href="http://SafeStreetsBurlington.com"><span class="s1">SafeStreetsBurlington.com</span></a> ) developed this spring which extends a separate bikeway from Curtis Lumber/Kilburn Street through to Home Avenue even further on the Parkway to connect with Queen City Park Road and Pine Street, the interchange with I<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>189.</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Two planning documents completed in 2017 provide a backdrop to the Ethan Allen outlining parts of it as protected bikelanes or a bikeway: PlanBTV Walk Bike adopted by the City Council and “Active Transportation,” the plan completed by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission.</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Here are some further important “connectors” necessary:</p><ol class="ol1"><li class="li2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Starting from Plattsburgh Ave, there would be a link from North Ave to the North Champlain Bikeway via Ward St and Manhattan Drive, or North Street.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></li><li class="li2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">A one-block “jog” occurs between North Champlain at Pearl Street and Pine Street—likely by protected bike lanes.</li><li class="li2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Pine Street from Pearl to Main Street involves addition of protected bike lanes and the necessary re-design of the restored Pine Street through City Place which currently has no provision for quality, separate, bicycle accommodation.</li><li class="li2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As everyone knows, there is not a single inch of protected bike lanes along the existing design of the Champlain Parkway—a key reason (along with a net loss of sidewalk and not a single inch of sidewalk along the Parkway route, no roundabouts, etc., etc.!!) the Walk Bike Council endorsed the Pine Street Coalition Redesign Guidelines in 2016.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At that time the separate two-way bikeway from Kilburn St/Curtis Lumber ended at the Home Ave/Parkway intersection.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Thinking has evolved in part from new Coalition members from the “borderlands” residential areas both in South Burlington (Red Rocks, for example) and Burlington’s southwest corner area.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So the idea came forth to extend the bikeway right down to Queen City Park Rd/I 189/Pine Street Parkway interchange.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This also recognizes the importance of City Market South End as a major attraction of walk/bike trips in a wide area.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Of course, New Street provides an at-grade connection between Ethan Allen and Bikeway at Sears Lane/Harrison Ave at Lakeside Terrace.</li></ol><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The above presents an outline with details that need to be filled in along the entire route through a full corridor planning effort—but if the Parkway can be redesigned to accommodate all cyclists and the City Place Pine Street altered to add dedicated cycle service, an Ethan Allen is a very real possibility!</p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Tony Redington</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="mailto:TonyRVT99@gmail.com">TonyRVT99@gmail.com</a></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">August 4, 2020</p></div>Tony Redingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15892888730690000377noreply@blogger.com0