THE BURLINGTON WALK/BIKE DECLARATION

THE BURLINGTON, VT WALK/BIKEDECLARATION  --  MAY 2014

For the first time in a landmark document the Burlington Walk Bike Council in what I term the “Burlington Declaration” sets roundabouts and a cycle track network as part and parcel of a generating a safe walkable and bikable context for the City.  While no roundabouts or cycle track (protected/separated bike lanes) exist on a busy City thoroughfare today, these treatments remain indispensible to a safe walk/bike urban street network usable by all residents.  This Declaration, an “advisory” document, calls for a demonstration roundabout and demonstration cycle track (protected/separated bike lanes) in short order. 

Equally important, the Declaration calls for re-design of the $40 million Champlain Parkway because the current design lacks as the Declaration states “reasonable accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians” and calls for including roundabouts and separate protected bike treatments in a re-design.

Finally, the Declaration points to the current North Avenue Corridor Study stating “our expectation that the final recommendations will include substantive improvements to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian concerns, such as protected bike lanes [cycle track] roundabouts...and other bike-ped improvements.”

               Tony Redington     Burlington, VT

                                THE DECLARATION

Burlington Walk-Bike Council

 Go For Gold Priorities

The Burlington Walk-Bike Council strongly believes that Burlington has great potential for increasing walking and biking both for transportation and recreation.  Our goal is to make Burlington a world-class walking and biking city.  Being certified as a Gold Bike-Friendly Community and as a Gold Walk-Friendly Community is one way to measure success towards the goal, although it is not itself the goal.  

The following document includes some of the Walk-Bike Council’s recommended priorities for increasing walking and biking in our community.  It includes a brief discussion of the key elements required for success and the overall goals, a prioritized list of major projects to achieve those goals, and a list of major projects that are already in progress.  The list of projects is divided into three categories - short-term engineering and infrastructure projects, medium-term engineering and infrastructure projects, and non-engineering projects - and Top Priorities are identified in each category.

Elements of Success

While it is important to identify particular projects and priorities, it is important also to identify the key elements essential to any effort to promote walking and biking, These are Safety, Accessibility, and Motivation.

Safety

The primary prerequisite for increasing walking and biking in the City of Burlington (or anywhere) is safety, both real and perceived.  While some people will bike in traffic and will brave even crowded roads, many more people are daunted by current road conditions in many places.  Some of the most important corridors and routes in Burlington do not feel safe to ride on for most people  Safety is also a major concern for people who would like to walk, especially when crossing traffic and especially for those whose mobility is limited.  Another aspect of safety for bikers is having a secure place to store their bikes and gear, protected from theft, vandalism, and weather.  

The primary route to improved safety for both walking and biking is through improvements to infrastructure, including sidewalks and crossings, protected bikeways, roundabouts, and secure bike parking.  In addition, enforcement and education can play a significant role in improving safety.

Accessibility

Another critical element of success for any effort to increase biking and walking is convenient access to biking and walking facilities and to desired destinations.  One of the draws for walking and biking, compared to driving (and public transit), is the ability to go straight where you want to go.  Having to go out of one’s way, in contrast, is a significant deterrent for many people.

Infrastructure improvements must therefore take this into account by ensuring that safe routes for walking and biking are placed where people want to go, and get people efficiently from place to place without significant detours.  This means ensuring that they are continuous (without gaps where bicycle or pedestrian facilities disappear or are reduced), and it may also include adding cut-throughs where travel is currently blocked.  Bicycle storage also needs to be prominently and centrally located.  Sidewalks and street crossings should be frequent, accessible to those with reduced mobility, and conveniently located, and pedestrians should be able to cross with a minimum of waiting time.  Finally, routes should be clearly marked both on the street and on readily accessible maps.

Motivation

Another barrier to more widespread walking and biking is the dominant car culture, in which people are accustomed to driving to get where they want to go.  To increase walking and biking it is thus important to motivate people to change their behavior through a variety of encouragement activities.  These may include special events and programs, Safe Routes to Schools or other promotional campaigns, incentives for commuters, discounts at local businesses, public art and design, historical markers, and many other ideas.

Goals

The overall goal for this effort is to make Burlington a truly walk-friendly and bike-friendly community and to increase the actual number of people walking and biking.  This means substantially improving conditions for walking and biking in the city.  Based on the primary elements of success (Safety, Accessibility, and Motivation), the required conditions for meeting this overall goal include the following:

• A well-maintained continuous city-wide network of sidewalks and pedestrian paths, with frequent, safe, and convenient crossings.
• A well-maintained continuous city-wide network of protected bike routes, particularly on major arteries and in the downtown area, with safe intersection design.
• Abundant and accessible bike parking throughout the city, with an emphasis on secure and weather-protected bike parking facilities at major destinations.
• Policies, education, and infrastructure that encourage safe driving behavior, including appropriate speeds and respect for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• A variety of events, policies, and programs that encourage walking and biking.

Top Priorities

While Burlington has already made significant progress in achieving the goals identified above, there are still many gaps and needs for improvement to the existing conditions.  The Burlington Walk-Bike Council has therefore identified a number of Top Priority strategies, projects and actions for achieving the overall goal of a walk-friendly and bike-friendly community, divided into three categories by type and time-frame.  

Strategies for promoting walking and biking are often divided into 5 categories, known as the 5 E’s: Engineering & Infrastructure, Encouragement, Education, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planning.  Because of the importance of Engineering & Infrastructure in meeting the goals of the Go For Gold project, we identified two separate lists of Top Priorities in that category, in both the short term (1-2 years) and medium term (3-5 years).  We have also identified our Top Priorities among the many other types of non-engineering projects, including Encouragement, Education, Enforcement, and Evaluation and Planning.

Improvements in Engineering and Infrastructure - short term (1-2 years)

• Demonstration Projects: Perform at least one long-term demonstration project each of cycle track and roundabouts to show and test how they work, and to build support for their inclusion in more comprehensive upgrades.
• Secure Bike Parking:
• Install Secure, weather-protected Bicycle Parking (lockers) at the new Transit Center, at the Airport, and at other transit hubs, and
• Modify zoning codes to require secure bike parking for residential and commercial developments.
• Sidewalk Repair: Increase the sidewalk repair budget and capacity to erase the current backlog of sidewalks requiring repair

Improvements in Engineering and Infrastructure - medium term (3-5 years)

• Attended Bike Parking: Establish an indoor, secure, Attended Bike Parking facility located close to Church St. and the transit station, with capacity for 150 bicycles, lockers, and shower.
• Crosswalk Spacing: Create a standardized precedent for the maximum distance between two crosswalks. Add crosswalks as needed once the standard has been set, including bumpouts, RRFB flashing signs, or HAWK signs as appropriate.
• Main St. Improvements: Complete Corridor Study for Main St., and follow up by making recommended improvements, incorporating ideas from Plan BTV, protected bike lanes, roundabouts, sidewalk upgrades, safe crossings, traffic calming, and other bike-ped improvements.

Improvements in non-Engineering Categories

(Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation and Planning)

• DPW Bike-Ped Staffing: Increase staffing levels for Bicycle-Pedestrian Planning at the Burlington Department of Public Works to provide additional capacity for planning and management of improvements to infrastructure for bicycles and pedestrians
• Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan: Develop a comprehensive Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan, either stand-alone or as a part of the overall city transportation plan
• Transportation Demand Management (TDM): Encourage more employers to create walk/bike-to-work incentives if they do not have them already.

__________________________

Priorities Already In Progress

The following high priority projects have been left off of the main BWBC Priority list because it is our understanding and expectation that these are already underway.  It is critical to ensure that all of these projects are completed as expected in order to meet our goals for improved walkability and bikability in Burlington.  

Bike/Ped Accommodations on the Champlain Parkway

The existing plans for the Champlain Parkway do not currently include reasonable accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians.  However, it is the BWBC’s understanding and expectation that the plans will be revised in short order to incorporate improvements for bicycles and pedestrians. Examples of key elements include roundabouts at some intersections, signalized crosswalks, and a separate bikeway end-to-end, either as sidepath and/or cycle track.  Updating the plans must take place immediately if the Champlain Parkway is moving forward.  If the Champlain Parkway is NOT built, then the city should establish a plan for making these bike-ped improvements on the Pine St. corridor.

Corridor Studies and Improvements

• North Ave.: A Corridor Study for North Avenue is currently underway.  It is our expectation that the final recommendations will include substantive improvements to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian concerns, such as protected bike lanes, roundabouts, sidewalk upgrades, safe crossings, traffic calming, and other bike-ped improvements.   It is further our expectation that the Study will be followed up by implementation of these recommended improvements.
• Colchester Ave.: It is our understanding that CCRPC has recently granted funding for implementation of the recommendations from the Colchester Ave. corridor study regarding the intersection of Colchester Ave., Riverside Dr., and Barrett St.
• Winooski Ave.: It is our understanding that the City is initiating a Corridor Study for North and South Winooski Ave.  It is our expectation that the final recommendations will include substantive improvements to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian concerns, such as protected bike lanes, roundabouts, sidewalk upgrades, safe crossings, traffic calming, and other bike-ped improvements as appropriate.  It is further our expectation that the Study will be followed up by implementation of these recommended improvements.  The section of S. Winooski between Pearl St. and Main St. is especially critical to address.

Safe Routes to Schools Plans

• North Ave.: It is our understanding that the City is currently working on implementing the improvements recommended in the 2008 Safe Routes to School plan on North Ave.
• Champlain School: It is our understanding that the City is currently working on making improvements to street crossings on Locust St. and Birchcliff Parkway as recommended in Champlain School Safe Routes to School plan.

Other Projects

• Bike Path Repair: A central portion of the Waterfront Bike Path is currently funded for repair and upgrade, starting this fall.
• Bike Lockers: It is our understanding that well marked and easily accessible bike storage lockers with electronic keys are currently planned for installation on Cherry St. near the parking garage for Burlington Town Center mall.
• Wayfinding Plan: It is our understanding that the City is currently working on implementation of the existing Wayfinding plan for Burlington.
• Open Streets: We have recently established a plan for an Open Streets event in September 2014 - an event at which a main street is closed to through traffic and only accessible to pedestrians or bikers.  It is our expectation and hope that the success of this event will lead to establishment of at least two annual Open Streets events.

Other Priorities

The Burlington Walk-Bike Council also identified a number of other projects that did not make it onto our Top Priority list.  While they are not as critical as the projects identified above, these are also important for increasing walking and biking in Burlington and should be pursued in parallel.  

Other short term priorities for improvements in Engineering and Infrastructure

• Crosswalks: Improve visibility of crosswalks throughout the city, including
• ensure that the paint remains visible throughout the year
• add  bumpouts to slow traffic and reduce the crossing distance
• add RRFB flashing lights at crosswalks on high volume and high speed streets throughout the city.
• Crossing Signals: Change policy to:
• have a leading phase on pedestrian crossing signals downtown
• have automatic crossing instead of push button generated crossing light
• Bike Racks: Ensure that there are accessible, convenient bike racks throughout the city, including at all public buildings and in all city parks, as well as major public destinations.
• Traffic Calming: Add traffic calming and other features to key locations throughout city to encourage driving at or below speed limit
• Waterfront Bike Path: Perform repair and upgrade for portions of waterfront bike path that are not currently budgeted/planned
• Maintain Bikeways: Ensure that all on-street bike lanes and markings are maintained in a safe and visible condition:
• ensure that the paint remains visible throughout the year
• ensure that bike lanes, side paths, and sides of major roads without bike lanes, are maintained to ensure safe bicycle passage, including being free of debris, potholes, and sunken storm grates

Other medium term priorities for improvements in Engineering and Infrastructure

• Rest of Bike Path: Evaluate and perform repairs and upgrades for the bike path in Ethan Allen Park, intervale, and other locations not covered by existing repair plan for waterfront
• Roundabouts: Install roundabouts at key intersections throughout the city
• Mall Pass-Through: Open up path through Mall from Cherry St. to Bank St. at Pine St. (or nearby) for pedestrians and bikes, as envisioned in Plan BTV
• Shelburne St. and St. Paul St. Improvements: Complete Corridor Study for Shelburne St. and St. Paul St., and follow up by making recommended improvements, incorporating protected bike lanes, roundabouts, sidewalk upgrades, safe crossings, traffic calming, and other bike-ped improvements.
• Willard and Union St. Improvements: Complete Corridor Studies for North and South Willard St., and North and South Union St., and follow up by making recommended improvements, incorporating protected bike lanes, roundabouts, sidewalk upgrades, safe crossings, traffic calming, and other bike-ped improvements.
• Additional Improvements: Complete Corridor Studies for additional major corridors in the city, including North St., Manhattan Dr., Battery St., Prospect St., and Flynn  Ave. These studies should be followed up by making recommended improvements, incorporating protected bike lanes, roundabouts, sidewalk upgrades, safe crossings, traffic calming, and other bike-ped improvements.
• Secure Bike Parking in Parks: Ensure that all major park facilities have secure bike parking that is accessible to the main activity of that park
• Champlain School Safe Routes: Plan and implement additional recommendations from the Champlain School Safe Routes to School plan

Other high priorities in non-Engineering Categories

• Driver education: Ensure that regular driver education classes incorporate pedestrian and bike safety issues, and provide targeted education to professional drivers (including truck drivers, city employees, bus drivers) on sharing the roads with bikers and pedestrian safety.
• Car Traffic Enforcement: Improve enforcement of car traffic laws - focused on speed, giving room for bikes, yielding to pedestrians
• Accident Reduction Plan: The city should develop and carry out a specific plan for reduction of pedestrian/car and bicycle/car accidents and fatalities, AKA Vision Zero
• Expert Consultants: City departments (DPW, Parks, CEDO, Planning and Zoning) should establish a policy ensuring that all development and planning projects include expert biking and walking facility consultants, and in particular that roadway projects include consultants that are familiar with roundabouts.
• Safe Routes To Schools: Ensure that all Burlington schools take part in Safe Routes To Schools programs and promote walking and biking to school, and ensure that  Safe Routes to Schools evaluations are undertaken for all schools
• Walk the City: Develop a “Walk the City” map/brochure (like "Cycle the City”) with routes laid out for safe, reasonable walks downtown and elsewhere in the city, with places of interest highlighted.
• Bike Repair Station: Establish more bike repair stations within the community like the one at Local Motion; Healthy living is willing to donate them, but the City must install them.
• Evaluate Bikability and Walkability: Perform regular evaluations of walking and biking in the Greater Burlington area.  This would include surveys of the perceived safety and convenience of biking and walking in different areas, as well as assessments of walking and biking behavior.  This information can be used both to gauge success of efforts to increase walking and biking, as well as to target areas for improvement.
• Bike Route Signage: Purchase and install bike route signs in remaining parts of the city
• Mountain Biking Park: Create a sanctioned mountain biking park within Burlington
• Formalize BWBC: Formalize the Burlington Walk-Bike Council as a part of city government, with review function similar to other advisory boards

Lower priorities in non-Engineering Categories

• Bike Maintenance Day: Establish an annual Bike Maintenance Day event , with equipment, classes on bike maintenance, assistance with making sure a bike is in safe operating condition, etc.. This could be a stand-alone event or partner with existing event, in conjunction with bike parking. Single event or on-going (like the farmer's market)
• Improve Streetscape: Add public art, landscaping, and other amenities throughout the city to improve the pedestrian and cyclist experience, encourage walking, and engage people in their environment
• Parcourse: Add one or more parcourses (fitness trails) in city parks
• Bikes Cross With Pedestrians: Change city ordinances to allow bicycles to cross with pedestrian signals
• Bike-Sharing Program: Develop a public bike-sharing program similar to those in Montreal, Boston, and New York City, or (more size-appropriate) Aspen, CO, and Spartanburg, SC.
• Bicycle Friendly Businesses: Promote and assist businesses in applying for and achieving Bicycle Friendly Business status
• Bike Traffic Enforcement: Improve enforcement of bike traffic safety laws, focused on stopping at intersections
• Walking Event: Create an annual event with a walking focus, perhaps similar to the “Winooski on Foot” event.
• Safety Education Campaign: Create a broad-based safety education campaign aimed at, to encourage safe road behavior by both drivers and bikers, and to promote mutual respect and understanding

Does Burlington, VT reflect a joint tipping point for roundabouts and cycle track?

Does Burlington, VT reflect a joint tipping point for roundabouts and cycle track?

Two public meetings in Burlington, VT within the last two weeks give strong evidence both modern roundabouts and cycle track (protected bike lanes) may  have reached a tipping point and now comprise major elements in making urban streets both truly walkable and bikable for all users with the highest level of safety and comfort.

Both roundabouts and cycle track possess a European heritage—the modern roundabout born in England in 1966 and cycle track a staple in urban bicycling “infra” for decades now.  Applying the Netherlands 18,000 miles of cycle track to the United States equates to about 1,100 miles of cycle track per million U.S. population--45 miles in Burlington with its population of 42,000.

The Burlington meetings were the advisory Burlington Walk Bike Council project prioritization for the upcoming year and the North Avenue Corridor Study Advisory Committee completing its set of options for the last public involvement session schedule later in the month.   Each meeting forwarded roundabouts and cycle track for consideration—the Walk Bike Council as priorities for the upcoming year and the Advisory Committee as options for consideration of the neighborhood meeting prior to completing the recommendations and plan in June for the three mile corridor.  Both actions represent unprecedented public involvement outcomes in the City in terms of size and scope.

Roundabouts and cycle track play a pivotal role in creating safe, walkable, bikable streets.  And, the roundabout also increases traffic capacity as well for cars in addition to car occupant safety and reduced fuel use as well as associated pollutants.

The basic North Avenue plan options include cycle track along the entire three-mile corridor with roundabouts at key intersections.  While bicycle travel is mostly restricted to young adult males now, cycle track—as pointed out in the Illinois State Bike Transportation Plan released in April—creates a safe and comfortable environment for users of all ages and skills.  Roundabouts not only provide for the highest level of safety for all—including for those who walk and bicycle—the roundabout also traffic calms with reduced speeds central to accident and injury reduction, particularly for those who walk and bike.  The Dutch lead in bicycle facility design and cycle track along street segments and “pathed” roundabouts at busy intersections is the accepted treatment for corridor accommodation of the bike mode.  

Burlington certainly is not alone in the change taking place, but the sudden embracing of transportation policy groups of both roundabouts and cycle track does symbolize their use has reached a tipping point.  And this tipping point represents a pre-condition to the shift of transportation resources to walk and bike “infra.”

IF YOU ONLY WATCH ONE BICYCLE VIDEO THIS YEAR, WATCH THIS ONE!

The best description of U.S. urban (and Burlington, VT) bicycling comes from a visitor, Dutch blogger Mark Wagenburr (NL Bicyclist) in this video:

http://www.upworthy.com/a-dutch-guy-is-disgusted-by-america-but-he-has-a-hell-of-a-point?c=reccon1

Getting serious about bicycling means we need to commit to the "infra" (Mark's great new word for infrastructure).  Dutch busy streets feature 16,000 miles of protected bike lanes (cycle track) and lots of roundabouts.   This goes a long way to explaining why even with mostly young adult men biking in the U.S. our urban bicyclists experience injury rates 25 times the Dutch/German average rate in those two nations where everyone of all ages, skill and gender bicycle--most without wearing a helmet.     

As an older bicyclist, am a "sider" (sidewalks, sidestreets and backways) after years of riding on busy  Vermont city streets and once in a while on narrow shoulders along 50-mph highways.

Mark's NL Cyclist home website:

http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/about/

Time for some cycle track and roundabouts patched for bicyclists for North American bicycle infra?

A New World of Transportation for Vermont?

A New World of Transportation for Vermont? 

During a February Burlington (VT) North Avenue corridor study meeting the question of funding for carrying out a “vision” of a livable street led to government types lamenting the scarcity of funding.  Then came President Obama’s March proposed budget starting October calling for a 25% increase in federal transportation program funding meaning a likely increase of $50 million or more for Vermont yearly over the $196 million currently budgeted.

Pretty much ignored by the press—no expects the expansion to pass Congress—the President’s proposal marks a historic but inevitable shift of funding from gasoline taxes to general funds.  As important, the budget calls for additional highway and transit funding plus two entirely new program categories, rail and multimodal.   

After car travel growth slowing for more than a decade, it flatlined beginning in 2007 and that peak year remains the national record to this day.  As car travel plateaued (it only grew 3% 2000-2010 in all of New England) so did gas and diesel tax revenues.  By 2010 the ramshackle federal Highway Trust Fund used for roadway and transit projects went bust (it raises about $37 billion a year) and Congress for a temporary fix dumped $14.7 billion into it from general funds. The President’s budget addresses the problem and more.  The budget calls for a $18 billion a year spending increase with corporate income tax reform raising about $36 billion yearly covering the spending increase and closing the current accumulated deficits.

While highway travel growth came to a halt, public transportation growth continued and accelerated.  In 2012 public transportation trips reached the highest level in a half century.  Rail and public transportation needs increase meaning more funding to meet demand as well as fostering transportation modes known for higher levels of safety and per passenger mile reductions pollution, emissions, and global warming gases.  In addition this means increased emphasis and investments in long neglected urban and town center walking and bicycling modes infrastructure—particularly the new technologies of cycle track (protected bike lanes) and roundabouts (one laners are truly “intersection safety belts” for all users).

While no immediate federal program expansion is expected, the new transportation finance direction is clear, and states also began last year moving away from highway vehicle-only sources for transportation finance.  Virginia last year abolished its gas tax and moved all transportation funding from a dedicated general sales tax.  Massachusetts seriously considered sourcing additional transportation funding at a rate of  $1.9 billion in income taxation to deal with the evaporating car-based revenues twinned with higher public transportation and highway funding demands.  Further, the near term solution to transportation funding for states can only be resolved with federal assistance since over half the states contain constitutional provisions and laws, mostly dating from the 1930s, prohibiting gasoline and motor vehicle taxes being used for anything but highways.   

An injection of $50 million federal funding into transportation in Vermont posed by President’s budget along with shifting federal programming strongly toward multi-modal and rail would signify substantial opportunities for the State.  Here are some Vermont examples of estimated capital costs for rail passenger services and basic walking/bicycling infrastructure composed of cycle track (protected bike lanes) and roundabouts:

(1)  Commuter rail: between Burlington and Montpelier-Barre/St. Albans/Middlebury--$60 million (includes track upgrades and rail passenger equipment).

(2)  Intercity rail: extension of rail passenger services to Bennington, St. Johnsbury and between Bellows Falls-Rutland--$60 million (includes rail passenger equipment).

(3)  Light rail: extending outward north and south from Rutland downtown-$60 million (includes light rail vehicles).

(4)  Light rail: Burlington north/south line North Avenue’s Flynn School to south end of Pine $60 million; and Burlington’s waterfront to Fletcher Allen Health Center/University of Vermont/Champlain College via Church Street Marketplace--$80 million estimates (includes light rail vehicles).

(5)  Cycle track for urban and town centers: $2 million a mile

(6)  Urban roundabouts (single lane): $2 million per intersection average (roundabouts are designed with separate/shared paths for cyclists).

Of course Vermont and other states must also address their overall transportation funding and in most cases reflect the same kind of movement toward general fund revenue sources found in Virginia, Massachusetts and the federal proposed budget.

The new and revised revenue streams for transportation present challenges and opportunities but these cannot be avoided as the age of car travel as the primary funder of all transportation modes recedes into history.  Currently in urban U.S. about four percent of commuters go by bike and on foot with another six percent using public transit.   When all is said and done, Vermont urban and town centers—like those of the rest of the nation—will come to more closely resemble those in Western Europe where about half of all urban trips each day occur on transit, by bicycle and on foot.

RUNNING ON EMPTY--MAYBE A CORPORATE TAX INCREASE CAN HELP!

The gas tank on the Federal Highway Trust Fund runs dry later this year.  Yes, Congress continues to spend money it does not have for highways and the deficit in the Trust Fund—expenses over revenues of about $35 billion now runs over $10 billion.  The Republican tax reform plan announced a week ago calls for $18 billion a year from the corporate profits tax for six years (Vermont’s share $36 million yearly) to shore up the Trust Fund and give this to everyone who drives a car “free.”  Forget about most of 90% of all workers who travel to work by car get a “free” parking space or that 42% of total cost of highways capital and maintenance of our streets and highways comes from non-user revenues (property tax is the biggest source)--we just cannot subsidize the driver enough in this era if one ignores the lack of abundant petroleum resources, clean air and global warming, and the new-poor of suburbia.

THE NEW "WELFARE KINGS AND QUEENS" OF THE ROAD?

A penny-a-gallon gas tax raises about $1.3 billion so if the revenue needed per year for the next few years, $18 billion a year, came via the gas tax the current federal gas tax of 18 cents would increase by 14 cents without touching any of the other subsidies for car travel. 

Actually part of the revenue problem stems from the fact that lots of folks—every age group—travel less by car today than in 2000, driver licensing rates of the young has declined, and in Vermont at least journey-to-work by car flatlined some time ago and walking, bicycling, and transiting to work grows by leaps and bounds. Vehicle miles of travel nationwide peaked in 2007 and have not returned to that level since—and New England states may very well go negative for vehicle miles this decade.

We really need to increase the rewards to those who walk, bike and transit around as these travelers do not draw down any where near the level of subsidy provided to those running around in their own private metal and composite boxes.

While our energy independent neighbor to the north uses high taxes to keep their price per gallon about $1 above ours and European nations gas pricing of $8-$9 result from gas taxes of several dollars (and they are oil dependent like the U.S.) one wonders when the U.S. will face up to the reality of car travel today—or at least begin to wean vehicle owners of subsidies we can no longer afford.

OUR STREETS CAN BE LIKE AMSTERDAM AND COPENHAGEN

With bicycle crossing design so cyclist speed gets constrained by a sharp angle before entry, then the cyclist gets the same safety benefit walkers do at single laners, up to a 90% reduction in the injury rate versus signals/signs. Not allowing cyclist to move onto shared space with walkers (or even a separate pathway) and the crossings--giving the bicyclist no choice but to take the vehicle travelway--leads to higher crash rates and those with less skilled, the old, the young most at risk. 

On busier streets today protected bike lanes--cycle track--are being paired with "pathed" roundabouts to usher in a new era of bicycling which caters with safety regardless of age, ability, gender or skill. Yes, we can all become Amsterdam and Copenhagen.


CYCLE TRACK MEANS SOME ON-STREET PARKING REDUCTIONS

FACING HEAD-ON THE REQUIREMENT THAT ON-STREET PARKING MUST GO FOR CYCLE TRACK TO START ON BUSY STREETS: THE BURLINGTON (VT) UNION STREET CASE

Union Street from Main Street to North Winooski Avenue in Burlington (VT) gets “bike street” status in the adopted 2011Transportation Plan.  About four-fifths of a mile it looks ideal for a first installation in the City of cycle track (protected bike lanes).  Further, a bike lane already exists along the roughly three-quarter mile corridor, and that bike lane has no adjacent parking.

But appearances deceive.  The one-way street (northbound) throughout does not function well for cyclists.   The upper four blocks, North Union Street, for example, contains a uniform width of 25-feet breaking down this way: west side parking 8 feet (absolute minimum in standards); travel lane 9 feet; divider markings between the travel lane and bike lane 2 feet; and bicycle lane 6 feet.  At first it looks like cycle tracking poses not problem, for example, properly placed bollards, about 50 of them, could be installed to protect the one-way (northbound) traffic from the northbound bike lane while enabling easy access in and out of the residential driveways (North Union is almost entirely residential in character and there are nature strips between curbs and sidewalks on both sides.

Rookie bicyclists quickly learn and drivers know, the bike lane does not work as the vehicle lane of 9 feet width and with no clearance from the minimal width parking lane means many vehicles (and almost always the transit buses) use part of the bike lane, often half of it.  Regular bicyclists know the bike lane is not safe after trying out the lane and experiencing some rather uncomfortably close vehicle buddies.  On Union Street traveling by sidewalk becomes the sensible bicyclist choice. In effect, the current parking and bike lane together make drivers unwitting scofflaws and exposes unwary bicyclists to high risk travel.  Note the northbound bike lane on North Union pairs with the southbound lane on North Winooski.

While the Union Street corridor does feature green strips on either side along most of its length it is unlikely to be a high priority for reconstruction just to provide bike lanes—compared to, for example, reconstruction of certain sections of North Avenue where a complete corridor of cycle track nicely fits within the public right-of-way and a high percentage of the corridor either lacks parking on either side or sporadic use of curbside parking.

What to do, then, with this Union Street Corridor?  If one erases the curbside parking along the west side of Union Avenue from North Winooski to Main Street,  thereby making available eight additional feet, then almost magically two easy choices come into play: (1) a six foot wide cycle track on both sides of the street using bollards combined with a 12 foot wide travel lane; or (2) a two-way cycle track using bollards and, again, a 12 foot vehicle travel lane.

Even with the task of forging a consensus and necessary accommodation of on-street parking demand in an alternative way, the Union Street corridor represents a good place to start cycle track in Burlington.  Cycle track—like recreational bicycle paths—will surely develop neighborhood and public support once built leading to a far easier task to extend them along other busy corridors, such as, Winooski Avenue, Battery Street, Shelburne Street, Pine Street, etc.  Those streets pose far more difficult barriers as possible first corridors to install cycle track.  North Winooski Avenue, for example, with parking on both side of the street throughout presents difficult challenges with the street from the North Street intersection north to Riverside Avenue having extensive commercial and retail businesses on either side of the street.

Consider the two-way cycle track along the Union Avenue corridor and the access it enables for the far larger potential users the cycle track hopefully will attract.  First, there are major residential areas whose streets feed into Union Avenue.  And, second consider the destinations north and south for that potential bike traffic.  The south end destinations include: (1) Memorial Auditorium with its variety of events and arts facilities and daily activities; (2) the YMCA; (3) the second highest attraction magnet (second to the Marketplace) in the downtown area, City Market; and (4) within a block or so the Fletcher Free Library as well as the Marketplace itself.  On the north end significant destinations include: the McClure Center, Barrios Bakery, the food shelf, social services, and other local stores, restaurants and human services.

Addressing directly ending on-street parking through working with the neighborhood and installing two-way cycle track can be broken down to two phases: (1) North Union Street from Pearl North Winooski Ave. and (2) South Winooski Avenue from Main St. to Pearl St.
While each “phase” has its pros and cons, the “north option” does entail only one predominant current land use—residential—and affords a chance to determine the popularity, use, and value of cycle track, including finding out how to deal with snow and other clearance issues--this 0.4 mile section has been suggested as a possible demonstration project. 

If Burlington is going to get their 45-mile Dutch equivalence of cycle track providing a safe and inviting travelway for all regardless of gender, age or skill--then Union Street makes a good place to start.