A public meeting is planned for Wednesday, August 2, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., at DPW on 645 Pine Street.
DPW is going to make some changes in our neighborhood as part of the Safe Routes to School initiative and CES Pedestrian Improvement Project. The project is funded through a VTRANS grant from the State. The overall goal is to make our neighborhood more pedestrian friendly. While this is a very agreeable goal, the current construction proposals are problematic.
For over a year, I have been working with a small group of neighbors to implore DPW to:
• Safely balance land use among drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, businesses and residents.
• Use a participatory and transparent process.
• Integrate the traffic calming study and the CES Pedestrian Improvement project.
(Please see background section, below.)
Now DPW is proposing a 3-way stop at the intersection of Birchcliff Parkway and Bittersweet Lane. Is that what we want?
DPW perceives that there generally isn't a consensus about the proposed solutions. Based on my conversations with several neighbors over the past year, I disagree with this perception. Let’s show them we have agreement.
Let the City know that:
• We oppose the Birchcliff sidewalk (Option 1) because narrowing the street will exacerbate the problem of vehicles crossing the midline. We can’t afford to lose 8’ of road width.
• We oppose the Bittersweet/Birchcliff crosswalk (Option 2) because the line of sight is too short, the bump-outs will exacerbate the problem of vehicles crossing the midline, access to certain driveways will be very difficult, and stop signs will create noise and motorist frustration.
• We want the City to explore a third option of a crosswalk on the portion of Birchcliff Parkway where the line of sight is longer and the street is straighter. This is allowable through the VTRANS grant.
• We want to know how public input is being used by DPW and what process is being followed before implementing any significant changes.
We need your help! Please take a moment to call or email:
• Chapin Spencer, Director of Public Works, (802) 865-5818, cspencer@burlingtonvt.gov
• Laura Wheelock, Engineer, (802) 540-0397, lwheelock@burlingtonvt.gov
• Chip Mason, Ward 5 Councilor, (802) 373-8545, cmason@burlingtonvt.gov
• Joan Shannon, South District Councilor, (802) 860-7489, jshannon@burlingtonvt.gov
• Jeff Padgett, Chair, Public Works Commission, (802) 999-8128, jpadgett@burlingtonvt.gov
I look forward to seeing you at the meeting on August 2!
Background:
In August 2016, our neighborhood petitioned the City to assess the traffic on Birchcliff Parkway and add traffic calming enhancements, using an established process. On several occasions, I have asked DPW and our City Councilors to prioritize the request, given planned traffic changes, and I have not been able to even obtain an estimate of when this work would be done. DPW is opting to move forward with the CES Pedestrian Improvement construction prior to conducting a traffic study.
Also in August 2016, many of our neighbors provided DPW public comment about the planned sidewalk along the north side of Birchcliff Parkway (along the curvy hill section with low visibility). Neighbors voiced concerns that narrowing the road by 8 feet would exacerbate the problem of cars passing the midline in that part of the street, where visibility is limited. For example, based on photos and measurements taken by a neighbor, only one car would be able to fit through that portion of the street, if narrowed.
In a survey fielded by DPW last August, 71 Birchcliff Parkway neighborhood residents responded out of 110 households, which is a very good participation rate. Most (62%) of Birchcliff Parkway residents were strongly opposed to the sidewalk idea. At that time, our neighbors suggested alternatives, such as a crosswalk at Alder LN, or somewhere along the portion of Birchcliff Parkway where the line of sight is longer and the street is straighter.
The City responded by paying a civil engineering firm to draw up plans for a 3-way stop with curb bump-outs and speed tables at Bittersweet LN and Birchcliff PKWY. DPW believes the Bittersweet location is the best option for a crosswalk because no pedestrians would be stranded (i.e., must walk the wrong way to cross the street). DPW disagrees with our driver safety concerns and believes they can make the intersection safe with the placement of three stop signs.