What is it, how it affects you, and how to get involved
Calling all Old North Enders and greater Burlingtonians! The city is planning major changes to Winooski Avenue. This is a great opportunity to get involved and to help create the neighborhood that we want to live, work, and move in.
If you’ve visited Old Spokes, you know that navigating North Winooski Ave can be tricky regardless of mode of transportation. North Winooski is disjointed, with a mix of one-way traffic and incomplete bike lanes. The addition of many new eateries along the northern corridor means that parking is often at a premium. Traveling by bike can be intimidating, especially if you are uncomfortable riding near car traffic.
To address this issue, and to follow through on the Plan BTV Walk Bike master plan (www.burlingtonvt.gov/planbtvwalkbike), the Winooski Avenue Corridor Study Project Advisory Committee is looking at different options for the route. The Committee is an advisory group made up of local and regional planners, community members, and business representatives. One of its main goals is to create a more unified throughway between the north and south of Burlington for all users. In addition, through a public comment process, there are opportunities for everyone who uses the road to weigh in on the proposals. Here's a graphic of one proposal:
The north end of the Winooski Avenue is home to an increasing number of restaurants and markets, along with service operations like the Chittenden County Food Shelf and Vermont Legal Aid and community and advocacy organizations like Outright Vermont and Rights and Democracy. Old Spokes Home sits right near the end of this hub of activity in its new space previously occupied by the Good News Garage auto repair facility.
The Winooski Avenue Corridor project aims to create a street that meets the needs of motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. It is scheduled to be complete by Fall 2019. The advisory committee has been meeting since May 2018, and has held two public information meetings and many interviews with residents and business owners along the corridor. Based on Plan BTV guidelines, transportation research and community feedback, project consultants hired by the city have developed several options for the street. Each option presents changes in traffic flow, bike lanes, greenbelts, and parking.
To see the draft alternative concepts, visit www.ccrpcvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PAC-Meeting-5-Comment-Sheet-190326.pdf
Have a question about the alternatives? Have a favorite option? Want to weigh in with your vision for the corridor? Contact Bryan Davis, CCRPC Senior Transportation Planner, at bdavis@ccrpcvt.org or (802) 861-0129.
Written by Sean Melinn