The Equality Street--A Step Up from the Complete Street, Accounting for Racial Bias

The Equality Street: Battle for a Champlain Parkway “RIGHTway,”

                      North Street Burlington, and Beyond

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. 

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.

  Pine Street and Two Principal Allies, a Major Victory

    —FHWA Funds Railroad Enterprise Project for $20 million and Likely Moves to the Front Burner 

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). 

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. 

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. 

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. 

  Next Challenge—Achieving Champlain RIGHTway "Complete," “Equality Streets” 

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. 

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. 

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.

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). 

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.

  Parkway/Railyard Enterprise and the Controlled Access Versus a Complete, Equality Street Standard

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. 

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. 

  The “Shared Use” Pedestrian/Bicycle Facility—Second Class, Racial and Low Income Discriminatory

    Accommodation for Bicyclists and Especially Pedestrians

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! 

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! 

  North Street and Beyond 

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. 

Tony Redington 

onyRVT99@gmail.com

Burlington Roundabout Cure for Signalized Intersection Highway Deaths

Burlington Intersection Death List...Our Recent History of Fatal and Serious Injuries...Now Modern Roundabouts Cut Fatal/Serious Injury by About 90 Percent 

The National Picture of Highway Safety

About 9,000 fatals--23% of the over 40,000 annual highway deaths--occur at or near intersections.  Half of all senior driver and pedestrian deaths involve intersections.  For every U.S. fatality there are about seven disabling injuries.  In 2003 U.S. pedestrian deaths and disabling injuries, included in the US highway totals, amount to 20,700 and bicyclists numbers were 6,600.  Unfortunately since 2010 US pedestrian deaths are up 45% nationally.  Once 1st in highway safety in 1990, the U.S. has fallen to 18th.  Based on highway miles driven we now have over 23,000 excess deaths compared to the performance of the top four nations—U.K. (co-leader with us in 1990), Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.   In a recent year highway crashes were the highest cause of death for those aged 4 to 34.  

The Vermont Highway, Gun, Opioid Deaths Data

Current U.S. longevity decline, the only one among advanced nations, coincides with the extremely high rates and numbers of highway, gun and opioid deaths:  over 40,000 highway deaths (2018), 39,800 gun deaths (2017), and 70,000 opioid deaths (2017-2018 average).  Vermont death numbers are 69 highway (2017-2018 average); gun 78 (2016); and opioid 109 (2018).  (Alcohol addiction remains far and above these three causes of death in U.S.)  For highway safety, returning Vermont and the nation to number one would halve Vermont highway fatalities, a reduction of about 35 a year.  Adopting neighbor Massachusetts gun regulation, lowest in nation in gun deaths, would reduce our gun deaths up to two-thirds, about 40 less deaths per year.  Certainly opioid reduction efforts can very likely attain a 50% reduction or 55 deaths a year.  Overall the estimated potential reduction in highway/gun/opioid deaths totals 130 a year.  All three areas require equal, aggressive governmental attention at the local, state and federal levels.  

First and foremost in regard to highway safety the United States and each state—Vermont can take this action now—must undertake a “systematic safety” plan and program, a comprehensive planning and implementation plan which led several advanced nations past the U.S. in highway safety performance and even in many cases continues to widen the gap with the United State.  The local equivalent of “systematic safety” can take the form of a strong “Vision Zero” initiative but to this time Vision Zero initiatives have been at most halfway measures. 

The Burlington Picture of Highway Safety

The Burlington roadway deaths and injuries show a need to address pedestrian and bicycle carnage because these latter two modes not only are more prevalent in urban areas but because there are strong currents to expand these “active transportation modes” for health and environmental reasons.  In addition to safety as the first and overriding concern, consideration of global warming, air quality, and resource constraints are now recognized as a given in transportation investments decision making. 

Burlington clearly is not immune to deaths and injuries at our intersections.  Burlington recently averaged 150 roadway injuries yearly including a pedestrian and car passenger fatality in the 2014-2018 period.  About a third of annual injuries, about 50, comprised those on foot or bicycle in roughly equal proportions.  Most pedestrian injuries occur at intersections.  Two of the three pedestrian fatalities in Burlington dating from 1998 were at a signalized intersection as was the one cyclist fatality.  A survey taken as part of the PlanBTV Walk Bike adopted in 2017 found (2011-2015) found 17 intersections (“the dirty 17”), mostly signalized, averaging one injury a year—again including a pedestrian fatality in the survey period.  Burlington has three of the highest current Vermont Agency of Transportation (VAOT) crash intersections in Vermont—Colchester/Barrett/Riverside US 7 (#1); Main/S. Prospect US 2 (#16); and Pearl/ N. Willard US 7 (#27).  The only reason the Burlington intersection Shelburne/Locust/S. Willard/St. Paul is no longer on the list is because it is set for construction as a roundabout.   

Burlington from 1998 through 2018 recorded seven road fatalities, about one every three years.   All but one of the seven occurred at a signalized intersection: three car occupants (two drivers and a passenger); three pedestrians; and one bicyclist.  With 150 injuries a year in a five year survey period, it fair to conclude that about one fatality occurs here for about every 450 injuries.  Again, six of seven fatalities occurred at one of the City's approximately 75 traffic signal intersections.  Finally, it is the pedestrian and bicyclist who suffers disproportionately when it comes to fatalities versus the car occupant who retains the protections of a motor vehicle—while pedestrian and cyclist injuries in Burlington are one third of all injuries, when it comes to fatalities they are the majority, four of seven.   

The Modern Roundabout Cure

The modern roundabout, the 53 year-old powerful technology composed of stone age materials, cuts about 90 percent of fatalities and serious injuries as well as injury severity  (Insurance Institute for High Safety [2000]).

Below find added information on Burlington fatal crashes at intersections, only some of the recent fatalities statewide and a small fraction of critical injuries at Vermont intersections.  The signalized intersections appear good candidates for roundabouts. Vermont passed the first US state legislation in 2002 calling for a transportation department to aggressively pursue installing roundabouts at dangerous intersections. 

Roundabouts in downtowns and village centers in Vermont are a proven safety treatment.  The five Vermont downtown roundabouts (Manchester Center, Middelbury and Montpelier) in their first 52 years of performance recorded zero bicycle injuries, one pedestrian suffering bumps and bruises and four minor car occupant injuries—one injury (none serious) a decade.

Several jurisdictions—states, Canadian provinces, counties and cities—have adopted “roundabouts first” policies.  NY State Department of Transportation is certainly the most prominent with its “roundabouts first policy” in place since 2005.  

In a 2011 report, AAA called for a White House Conference of all interests and adoption there of a “zero fatality rate” goal on the nation's highways.  That AAA study done by the reputable Cambridge Systematics found highway fatality and injury social costs twice the cost of congestion in all but the smallest metropolitan areas—and higher in all metro areas.  The Federal Highway Administration uses a highway fatality social cost as $6.1 million and an injury $126,000 (2009 dollars).  

Burlington Intersection Death List  1998-2018

Linda Ente, 48, Winooski (Home Avenue/Shelburne Road, signalized).  Pedestrian killed in car crash (1998).  Employed at adjacent supermarket. 

Charles Burch, 72, Burlington (Manhattan Drive/VT 127, signalized).  Bicyclist killed in car crash (2004).

Raymond Herbert, 23, Vergennes (Main Street/Spear Street, signalized).  Driver killed in two vehicle crash (2005).

Kaye Borneman, 43, Burlington (Main Street/St. Paul Street, signalized) Driver killed in two vehicle T-bone crash (2010). 

Bruce Lapointe, 63, Winooski (Colchester Avenue/Barrett Street/Riverside Avenue, signalized).  Pedestrian killed on motor vehicle crash on crosswalk (2012). 

Lul Ali Gure, 29, Burlington (Home Avenue/Shelburne Road, signalized).  Car occupant killed in two car crash (2018). 

Jonathan Jerome, 61, Winooski (North Avenue/Poirier Place, sign control).  Pedestrian killed crossing North Avenue in a car crash (2018).

Tony Redington

Safe Streets Burlington   

TonyRVT99@gmail.com September 9, 2019

Colorado Group Against Highway Safety?

While checking google alerts on press roundabout construction activity one finds some where one cannot stop oneself from commenting.  It is particularly poignant living in Chittenden County and Burlington with numberless busy streets which are unsafe for all modes. 

Drive underway to stop Redlands [CO] roundabout

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/drive-underway-to-stop-redlands-roundabout#

The United States once #1 in highway safety collapsed to #19 recently and we record 12,000 excess deaths (of over 30,000 fatalities a year)--19th was before the highest jump, 7%, in U.S. highway fatalities last year, the greatest increase recorded in a half century. Pedestrians and bicycle fatalities increased at a greater rate last year and for several years before compared to vehicle occupant deaths. The roundabout, the safety belt of intersections cuts serious and fatal injuries about 90%--the U.S. lags most nations in adopting modern roundabout technology (built with stone age materials). Finally, this year the Obama administration took action--it requires States and metropolitan agencies (MPOs) to record current car occupant fatalities/serious injuries and separately the rate for walk bike rates per mile of travel. The state highway agencies and MPOs then must set a target for reducing serious/fatal injury rates and then measure their results--this is a must to continue to receive federal highway dollars. Sweden, #1 i highway safety, has more roundabouts now than traffic signals and moves to reduce their traffic signal numbers another 40%. You can imagine my view of a petition to stop a roundabout being installed for increased safety.

Tony Redington @TonyRVT08 TonyRVT.blogspot.com  

Difficult Shelburne Street Roundabout Project Moves Along--2020 "Likely" Install Year

BURLINGTON, VT—June 30, 2016 The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) project manager calls the Shelburne Street roundabout project the most difficult in his 17 year career because of the “spaghetti” of utilities underground.

Engineer Michael LaCroix, P.E. gave a “very likely“ roundabout installation for 2020 at the high accident list intersection where two pedestrian injuries were recorded during 2011-2014. when it rated within the 17 highest pedestrian crash locations in Burlington. LaCroix said he checked the crash performance of the three Route 15 Lamoille County roundabouts (Cambridge, Hyde Park, and Morrissville) and found a 50% reduction in crashes. He pointed out that because of the lower speeds at a roundabout that crashes which do occur are less severe on average than those at signs or signals. The project construction takes two years with the “hoped for” start in 2019 devoted to the utilities work and 2020 the actual construction of the roundabout.

About 20 residents and Department of Public Works (DPW) staff attend the June 29 meeting where LaCroix agreed to periodic updates at the request of City Councilor Karen Paul who explained that the project which goes back to 2008 has been very difficult to get information about since. In the most recent AOT report the intersection recorded 50 crashes over five years.

LaCroix said once the utilities plans are worked out with each utility expected over the next months the regular steps of acquisition of right-of-way occurs in 2017 and 2018 along with final design elements take place.  LaCroix stressed the project is a collaborative one with DPW where Laura Wheelock is project manager.  LaCroix's unit is doing the design work. He said the project is an “absolute” priority and continues as first or second among the dozen projects assigned to his unit.  LaCroix who meets with DPW every three months saw no reason that updates on project status can be done regularly. 

Travel time may be somewhat longer for those traveling St. Paul/Shelburne Streets but less for those entering from the other three streets, Locust, Ledge and South Willard.

About half the cost of the $2-$4 million project involves underground utilities work. Utilities include water, electric, at least two cable lines, and Vermont Gas—all with various connections and locations at the intersection involving five streets. Added to this work are what might be termed pockets to take storm water runoff and treat if before joining a pipe which directly enters Lake Champlain.

The 130 foot diameter roundabout will have on/off ramps for bicyclists on each approach/exit to shared space with pedestrians so a cyclist has the “choice” of taking the circular travel lane or switching to pedestrian mode to move through the crossings then ramping down onto to the street level again.

Tony Redington, a member of the Technical Committee on the Walk Bike Master Plan noted the two pedestrian crashes in four years at the intersection and compared that to one crash in 50 years recorded at five downtown Vermont roundabouts. “One would expect only about a pedestrian crash once a decade with a roundabout,” said Redington, also a roundabout expert and representative of Safe Streets Burlington. He asked everyone to be careful walking at a roundabout as with about 5,000 in place in the United States and Canada not a single pedestrian fatality has been recorded to date.

There are 12 public main streets and roads roundabouts in Vermont dating from the first in 1995 but none in Chittenden County.  The U.S. roundabout 2001 key safety study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found a decrease of about 90% in serious and fatal injury rates after conversion to roundabouts.  AARP advocates conversion of signals to roundabouts because of the higher rate of senior drivers fatalities at intersections compared to non-senior drivers. The average "busy" signalized intersection converted to a roundabout reduces pollutants, gasoline consumption and global warming gases generated at the intersection traffic by about 30%.  

More Vermont Roundabout Corridors Arriving!

More Roundabout Corridors Coming to Vermont!

Roundabouts, about 3,500 strong now in the U.S. and Canada, now arrive in bunches, 3, 4, 5, and even more. Three or more roundabouts along a mile or two qualifies as a “roundabout corridor” and Vermont's first in Manchester completed in 2012 soon gets company with two planned and others in the offing. The first five roundabout corridor along Brattleboro's Putney Road corridor now reaches the design stage with VTrans. The commercial retail will include full walk/bike facilities along what amounts to a business strip of retail and food outlets. The business community wanting to compete effectively with nearby Keene, NH pushed for making the corridor an attractive, congestion free environment for all modes.  (Keene, NH boasts five going on six roundabouts in the City including one just outside on the road to the airport.)

Roundabouts cut serious and fatal injuries about 90% according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study. And a recent study of over 50 U.S. roundabout corridors in place found little difference in through traffic travel times as reduced delay at intersections overcame the positive result of reduced speeds through the corridor.  Burlington's North Avenue Corridor Plan adopted last October converts at least three signalized intersections to roundabouts along a mixed use corridor. Four intersections comprising all of Montpelier's Main Street in the downtown found roundabout feasible include the oldest roundabout in the northeast, Keck Circle at Main and Spring Streets and a second intersection at Barre Street in pre-design, an intersection which enables final connection of Winooski East and Winooski West transportation paths (bikepaths fully lit and plowed in the winter).

A second three roundabout corridor planed along Depot Street (VT 11) in Manchester has an anchor roundabout at the Main Street over the Batttenkill River. This corridor would complete making Manchester reaching signal-free status.

In Burlington an AARP Vermont workshop report and the Burlington Walk Bike Council supports a roundabout corridor along both Pine Street and the Champlain Parkway overall about ten roundabouts.  

               

"Intersection of Death" Lives at Least until 2021

Shelburne Street Roundabout--Burlington, VT

A contact Monday (September 14, 2015) with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) section handling the design and construction of the Shelburne Street Roundabout at the “rotary” intersection in Burlington finds the Chittenden County's first roundabout on a busy public street now scheduled for construction 2020-2021.  The project is for safety improvement as the intersection has a high accident rate history.

As this intersection is one of the "dirty 17" in Burlington identified this year averaging one walk mode injury per year, the period from the time base design was completed in 2010 to actual roundabout constructed, 2021 about six individuals crossing the intersection will suffer injuries.  

VTrans engineer Michael Lacroix explained there will be some exploratory work related to underground utilities at the Shelburne St./So. Willard St./St. Paul St./Locust St. shortly but that work does not signal construction. The intersection project also addresses easing entry and exit to Ledge Street just three or four car lengths south of the roundabout as designed. The 100% federally funded roundabout with safety program funds involves a single contract for construction with the first year, 2020, re-configuration and any new/upgraded various utilities which criss-cross the intersection, and 2021 the actual construction of the roundabout. Lacroix said there is no truth to a recent rumor in Burlington that a design contract send out to bid found no takers.

In fact the project with the roundabout design completed in 2010 following the final public meetings and reports in 2008 still requires time consuming right-of-way acquisition before the bid plans are prepared, the bidding process takes place, contractor selected and construction begins. Interestingly the first northeastern U.S. roundabout in Montpelier took three years from authorization by the City of a committee to opening for traffic, development period which included a twelve month pause for addition of funds to the City budget for the project.

At the present pace the project, first discussed and began its development process in 2002, will be completed after 19 years. Meanwhile the high level of walk, bike and vehicle injuries and crashes the roundabout chosen to address continue. In the four year period 2011-2014 two pedestrian crashes occurred. The intersection ranks among the “dirty 17” with highest walk mode injuries in a draft report from the planBTV Walk Bike master planning project now under way. The average frequency of walk mode injuries at the “dirty 17” intersections reaches almost one per intersection per year. A single lane roundabout based on Vermont roundabout experience and research findings can be expected to reduce injuries for those who walk, bike or travel by vehicle—particularly serious and fatal injuries—by about 90%.

WINOOSKI'S TRAFFIC CIRCLE (A ROUNDABOUT...NOT!)

WHEN IS A ROUNDABOUT NOT A ROUNDABOUT?  WHEN IT IS THE WINOOSKI TRAFFIC CIRCLE!

WCAX-TV ran a story on the Winooski, VT city center traffic circle, erroneously titling the piece “roundabout” as the huge 500 by 200 foot circle could easily contain three to four normal size roundies.  The story outlines efforts to improve walk mode safety by discontinuing the signals mid-oval crossing and improving crosswalks.  Unfortunately this is less than a halfway measure—my comment on the story posted today:

First, the story describes the traffic status circle well--the WCAX newsroom with the block letters on the circle photo "ROUNDABOUT" completely fouled up.  The Winooski traffic circle is just that--a traffic circle which some regional planners call a "traffic circulator."  Second, a roundabout--like those in downtown Middlebury, Montpelier and soon on Burlington's Shelburne Street (all one laners) are 120 feet in diameter or less compared to the 400-plus feet top to bottom and about 200 foot-plus width Winooski circle, a size easily containing all three of the Middlebury/Montpelier/Burlington roundies with lot of room to spare.  Unfortunately, serious and probably fatal injuries at the large Winooski facility will continue--the only answer is to reconfigure the entire central area, install two normal size roundabouts, and allocate the large amount of additional space for use by businesses, wider walkways, and greenspace at the perimeter.   Those who walk now be forewarned of the continued danger at the current circle.

FOR A CHAMPLAIN PARKWAY WITH QUALITY AND SAFE WALKING AND BICYCLING FACILITIES

FOR A CHAMPLAIN PARKWAY WITH QUALITY AND SAFE WALKING AND BICYCLING FACILITIES

A December 27 letter to the Burlington, VT Department of Public Works Commissioners—below--asks the City to convert new and other affected intersections on the Champlain Parkway (Parkway) project to roundabouts.  The $29 million cost requires a 2 percent City match, about $600,000 overall.

The safest single-lane roundabouts were recommended to the Commission several years ago by an independent engineering panel, but the Commission rejected the recommendation.  Single-lane roundabout properly configured for walking and bicycling really amount to an “intersection safety belt” for all users.

The goal here of quality infrastructure for all users cannot be sacrificed because it might cost a year or two—Burlington, its citizens and businesses deserve only the best quality transportation facilities.  In a way we are fortunate that this project delay brings us to the point where we can add innovative walking and bicycling designs which came to the fore only in the last decade or two.

The decades old project (pre-dating the first modern roundabout in the world in the U.K. in 1966!) needs updating.  Right now the “new” roadway section includes signalized intersections at Home Ave., Flynn Ave., and Lakside, Ave.   The “new” roadway includes a shared off-street path similar in approach to the one on Riverside Avenue.  In addition to the basic changes for walkers and bicyclists contained in the letter below, a widening of the shared path similar to that on NY 9 at the south edge of Plattsburgh needs to be considered thereby providing a separate pathway for bicyclists and walkers.   This change along with cycle track along adjacent approaches to the Parkway, particularly along Lakeside Ave., completes the basis formula for walking and bicycling treatment.  Fair and equal treatment of all modes along the Parkway route means bicycle and walker infrastructure usable by all regardless of age, skill, and gender. 

---------------

                       

December  27, 2013

Dear [Burlington Department of Public Works]…Commisioners:

This letter respectfully requests a Champlain Parkway design adjustment with the following changes: (1) new intersections at Home, Flynn and Lakeside Avenue be changed to single lane roundabouts; (2) any other projected construction involving intersections, particularly Pine Street and Lakeside Avenue, be revamped to roundabouts; (3) that each roundabout be designed to include shared or separate walking and bicycling pathing (see Dutch CROW design approaches and also that of NYSDOT at Plattsburgh NY 9 intersection at City’s south edge); and (4) provision for Lakeside and Pine Streets of either one-way cycle tracks or a single two-way track configuration. 

The key point remains: the City can get for little or no money (over 90% federal funds) walkable and bikable infrastructure—what the City cannot afford from the current Parkway design is more unwalkable and unbikable streets, the kind that with the exception of the Marketplace permeate the busy City streets. 

In support of these project revisions please consider the following:

1. As you are well aware, the original “value engineering” study by a third party engineering panel identified roundabouts as a cost saving measure for the project which your Commission then decided to reject.  Your re-consideration of this action at this time for cost savings alone deserves consideration.  But, in addition, as your Commission and staff are well aware, the roundabouts at the three key intersections—all single lane roundabouts—assure a reduction in serious injury rates for vehicle occupants and walkers of about 90%, something beneficial to the Commissioners themselves, the Public Works Department staff, and all who travel to and along Lakeside Avenue itself. 

  

Commission Chair Alberry           December 27, 2013                   Page 2 of 3 Pages

2. This year a vital connection between safe bicycle infrastructure and roundabouts suddenly became important as the cycling community abandons bicycle unfriendly and bicyclist-unsafe bike lanes for protected cycle lanes (cycle track).  UVM’s Prof. Luis Vivanco, a Local Motion Board member, in his new book, “Reconsidering the Bicycle” from the first paragraph onward charts the sudden change to cycle track because it enables everyone regardless of age, skill, and gender to safely and comfortably bicycle busy streets.  The Dutch who built cycle track rapidly starting in the 1980s to address literally young bicyclist carnage on their streets as car traffic grew after World War 2

now have 18,000 miles of cycle track—the Burlington equivalent is 45 miles and the only Vermont cycle track, about two miles, can be found along Dorset Street, So. Burlington, between Williston Road and Kennedy Drive.  (Both the walker and bicyclist fatality rate per mile of travel are four times the average of the Dutch and German rates and our U.S. injury rate per miles of travel for bicyclists is 25 times (twenty-five times) that of the Dutch/German average.

The key point regarding the Parkway is any provision of bicycle accommodation along Lakeside Avenue and other segments of construction (the Parkway itself has a shared sidepath) requires either a sidepath treatment and/or cycle track for bicyclists.  Examples of cycle track include those in place in downtown Montreal in 2007.  A google search yielded this site showing well over 100 examples plus typical designs:

https://www.google.com/search?q=cycle+track&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=bvCDUt76EMX12wW31ICQBw&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=615

You may find the landmark study showing cycle track safety by Stowe Bikepath creator, now Dr. Anne Lusk, Harvard School of Public Health, in the American Journal of Public Health July issue apropos: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301043

3. The newest—and most noteworthy consideration—involves safe accommodation of bicyclists at intersections since sidepaths or cycle track provide a superior level of safety and service for every one along street segments.  General consensus in the engineering and transportation policy community exists regarding the far superior performance of roundabouts for walker and car occupant safety, particularly at single lane roundabouts where research is conclusive—it is the reason that four states, including New York since 2005, and two Canadian provincial transportation departments operate on a “roundabouts first” policy for intersection investments  Meanwhile for decades some leading bicycle organizations and bicycle experts found sidepaths unsatisfactory since increases of bicycle crashes at intersections cooled any safety gain along street segments.  But two unconnected studies—one Dutch and one by Sweden’s highway research agency (VTI)  http://www.alaskaroundabouts.com/Nordic2safety.pdf

reveal this issue resolved and confirm single lane roundabouts giving a cyclist the choice of “taking the travel lane” or going off to a separate or shared path with walkers

Commission Chair Alberry           December 27, 2013             Page 3 of 3 Pages 

and using the crosswalks leads to major improvement in safety, i.e. a sharp injury reduction moving from an overall of about 60% towards the walker reduction versus signals/signs of about 90% lower injury rates.

Therefore the need to switch intersections from signals to roundabouts (something AARP policy calls for since about half of all older citizen fatalities occur at intersections) includes not only the gain for car occupants and those who walk, but also because only through the combination of cycle track and “pathed” roundabouts can we attain a similar safety and comfort gain for bicyclists of all skills, ages and gender!

Finally, again, changing designs at this point costs little or nothing for the City, but pays huge dividends in every aspect ranging from reduced pollution, gasoline consumption, improved scenic quality, reduced delay for all, to the known safety gain for all modes for decades to come. 

The deaths at 25 mph intersections here—for examples, Dealer.com employee Karen Borneman driving the intersection in sight of City Hall, Sam Lapointe crossing  a marked cross walk at Barrett and Colchester Avenue, and Charles Burch bicycling at Manhattan Dr./VT 127—need to give us pause as to the price we pay for poor, inadequate walking and bicycling infrastructure.

 

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Respectfully,

Tony Redington

TRAFFIC SIGNALS KILL IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE--TRAFFIC LIGHT RAGE VICTIM

The Burlington Free Press today bottom page 1 headline said a woman was shot and killed in St. Albans.  The story inside told of an incident at busy signalized intersection at Lower Newton Road and Main Street where the victim turning north on Main Street was almost hit by a car driving north on Main Street reported as running a red light.  The woman then followed the offender about four hundred yards, apparently accosted the driver, they both got out of the car and after some words he shot her several times and she died at the local hospital.

This was not midnight incident--it happened in daylight during the afternoon drive time, about 5:30 p.m.  The weather was fair and sunny, a beautiful early fall afternoon.

The newspaper report termed it a "road rage" incident, but the truth is a roundabout at the intersection would have avoided this fatality--it was clearly a case of a "signal rage" killing. The fatality will never show up on the highway fatality list--as did the death of a young father crossing on a crosswalk some years before and being hit and killed while with his young son.  Both the victim and the alleged shooter yesterday were relatively young adults.  A highway fatality is rated by the Federal Highway Administration as a $6.1 million in total social costs (1999 dollars).  

Roundabouts are a traffic calming treatment, but as a slow speed intersection it creates a social interaction between users--the positive kind of social interactions not the rage and killing kind.

So when the question of whether to roundabout or not to roundabout, keep in mind the kind of killing that takes place at signals, the kind that never gets reported in the road fatality reports.