NORTH AVENUE Corridor .05408 <==O===O==> 05401.

VISION: The newly designed North Avenue is an “all modes” transportation corridor that runs the entire length of Burlington's North End. As the North End’s “main street,” North Avenue meets the transportation needs for all within and outside the neighborhood through the freedom of choice to move through and within the corridor safely by foot, bicycle, public transit or private vehicle, thereby providing multi-modal access to homes, businesses, schools and other destinations.

Monday, June 23, 2014

AARP NEW LIVABILITY FACT SHEET TACKLES "ROAD DIETS"

Leave it to AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) through their second "Livability Fact Sheet" released this month (June 2014) tackling "Road Diets" just as Burlington's North Avenue corridor study planning nears completion. A short term and long term option being considered by the Advisory Committee is a "road diet"--four lanes to three lanes with a bike lane on each side from Shore Rd./Heineberg Rd. to VT 127.

http://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/info-2014/road-diets-fact-sheet.html

Like the first Fact Sheet ("Roundabouts") "Road Diet" tackles the myths with carefully referenced responses to: "Road diets divert traffic...increase congestion...increase crashes...aren't good for public transit...bad for business..are being reversed...slows down emergency responders...people don't like road diets." Plus examples of three road diets--Seattle, Orlando and Athens, GA--along with possible cross sections are included.

One Fact Sheet suggestion on "how to get it right" is undertaking a pilot project, one of the very options before the North Avenue Advisory Committee a their July 1 meeting.

AARP's Vermont office continues to work on livability issues in the Champlain Valley and Burlington in particular.

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North Avenue Task Force and Bike/Walk Planning Meetings

Second Tuesday of month, Miller Center: Public encouraged to attend to learn about the issues, options, and research provided to the Corridor task force and the Bike/Walk Plan Advisory Committee. People are welcome to speak at these meetings, and can observe all business of the group.

Task Force representatives will be available at North End NPA meetings to report on the work of the task force and talk things over with residents. NPAs have tight agendas, however, time is limited, and taking your comments to meetings of the decision making body, where the whole agenda is focused on the North Avenue Corridor Plan, or the Bike/Walk Plan, is more fruitful.

When public members do not take the time to become familiar with the materials and information available to the public, the same myths and false assumptions are repeated over and over, a waste of everyone's time. Examples: We don't need a bike lane because people can ride their bikes on the sidewalk. And, riding a bike on the sidewalk is safer than in a bike lane. Over and over, the same old stories. It gets boring and tiresome. Just wish people would attend the public meetings and learn something.

http://wards4and7npa.blogspot.com/

North Avenue is very broken and literally divides our neighborhoods.

Brilliant opinion piece by Liam Griffin:

This 0.8 mile four-lane section [on North Avenue] has become the focus of a small group of people who seem dead set on maintaining an antiquated road design that results in dangerous conditions for all who live, walk, bike or drive along North Avenue. Cars are frequently rear ended while trying to make left turns, or sideswiped by cars changing lanes in an attempt to shave seconds off their commute. Pedestrians have to run across four lanes of traffic that often exceeds 40 mph, even though the posted speed limit is only 30 mph. I'm tired of hearing, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," since North Avenue is very broken and literally dividing our neighborhood.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/opinion/my-turn/2015/03/05/opinion-north-avenue-broken-needs-fix/24390697/

MARCH 31 - EMBRACE THE ROUNDABOUT

Attention community leaders, transportation advisory panel members and planners, health and senior policy advocates for livable neighborhoods, engineers and technicians, walkable and bikable streets supporters, safe streets proponents...

SAVE THE DATE—TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

“EMBRACE THE ROUNDABOUT” A One-Day Workshop

Presented by Mark T. Johnson, PE MTJ Roundabout Engineering, Madison, Wisconsin

“Function Junction” Manchester Center (VT), Main and Depot Streets (VT 7A/30) middle of three roundabouts, one of over 60 roundabout corridors in the U.S. Roundabout sits on top of bridge over the Battenkill River, mini-roundabout in front of First Baptist Church, top center.

Workshop on the all modes “intersection safety belt” by American pioneer roundabout designer and researcher Mark T. Johnson, PE. He works regularly with local government and communities through the gritty public meetings and hearings it takes to bring new technology, change that increases to safety and service on our streets and highways. http://www.mtjengineering.com/

Location: Memorial Lounge, Waterman Building, University of Vermont, Burlington.

Time: 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration details available shortly, discounts for seniors and students.

Sponsored by Burlington’s Neighborhood Planning Assembly 2/3 and 4/7.

Co-sponsor: The Center on Aging at the University of Vermont

For information contact: Tony Redington, NPA 2/3 Steering Committee, TonyRVT99@gmail.com

The Roundabout:

~Fights sprawl;

~Rescues seniors from their high intersection fatality rates;

~Constitutes main path to walkable/bikable neighborhoods/downtowns;

~Slashes walk/bike/car occupant serious injuries about 90%;

~Drops about a third gas use/pollutants/global warming gas;

~Boasts highest capacity for all modes;

~Easily fits over 90% of all intersections;

~Facilitates healthy walk/bike lifestyles and safe school routings;

~Brings economic vitality and growth;

~TWINNED with cycle track for safe, comfortable cycling for all.

Fast Lanes and Complete Streets

The morphing of the Southern Connector to a Champlain Parkway, now replaced by a modified truck route and a complete Pine Street, marks a shift from the vision that persisted from the 1960s through the 1990s -- of whisking motorists as quickly as possible into downtown.

Regrettably old style transportation thinking persists among a few who live out the Avenue in Burlington's North End. While residents in the South End are calling for compete streets, with separated bike lanes, round intersections, and a trolley into center city and waterfront, passing along Pine Street from 289, there's a petition circulating in the North End to maintain 4 car lanes and no change.

One wonders why the city bothered to invest in a North Avenue Corridor Study? Act 250 traffic criteria and city limits to growth are require standards of intersection levels of service, safety, and capacity of existing roads in the area. Developers have to do traffic studies, and their permit application can be challenged or denied if the existing roads are inadequate to handle the development induced traffic. If the roadway is deficient, there must be plans to remediate the problems if development is to be permitted.

Oct 6, 7pm, City Council deliberates North Avenue Corridor Recommendations

The rubber hits the road at City Council, Monday Oct 6, 7pm, City Hall. Public Forum begins at 7:30.

Council will deliberate recommendations from the North Avenue Corridor Study Advisory Committee, a group that met for 15+ months studying transportation options for the Avenue. The work of the advisory committee is being undermined by amendments from North End councilors who claim to represent people who don't go to meetings (and thus are uninformed regarding research reviewed by the advisory committee and did not participate in -- and benefit from -- discussion of options for corridor upgrade). An unsubstantiated claim that they represent opposition from thousands is utterly ridiculous.

It's being dismissed as grandstanding, but with our quality of life at stake we have to take it seriously. They argue that the Avenue is for cars, and adding 33 seconds to a trip downtown is too high a price to pay for safe walking and biking amenities. Residents, local businesses, AARP, and the Health Dept disagree.

Field Trip to Riverside Path

Meet at Bagel Saturday morning (July 12) at 9AM and carpool to Riverside Ave to observe the separated shared bike/ped path. Opportunity to talk about the pros and cons, compare and contrast to other options.

We want the best practices option for North Ave. We have the space and right of way we need to upgrade to"livable streets" with cycle track/roundabouts = walkable/bikable!. The future of our community and wise use of transportation funds depends on getting it right the first time!

Philip Crosby, "It is cheaper to do things right the first time. ... Do things right in the first place, and you won't have to pay to fix them or do them over."

Field Trip to Montpelier Roundabout

Field trip to Montpelier: http://youtu.be/7GQ2FM6VnGo Met with Fire Chief Bob Gowans and former City Councilor Angela McDonald who grew up on Village Green. They told us the roundabouts have been a huge success, from a safety standpoint as well as satisfaction of residents.

A study is currently evaluating transportation conditions along North Avenue between North Street and Plattsburg Avenue from a “Complete Streets” perspective. The study is specifically considering how the street operates for the different user groups who can be expected to use the corridor (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, deliveries, transit, and emergency responders).

The study will make recommendations for remaking the corridor to accommodate all users by identifying a set of short and longer-term improvements.

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

A Task Force of residents is tracking progress, led by representatives to the study's Advisory Committee: Jim Holway and Barry Trutor. Their force includes Jason L'Ecuyer, Sam Barrett, Dave Lustgarten, Kelli Brooks, Keith Tarr-Whalen, Ken Peterson, Tom Treat, and Lea Terhune. Anyone with interest and/or expertise in transportation issues are welcome and encouraged to help .

North Avenue Corridor NPA Task Force

North Avenue Corridor Task Force Imagineers

Field trip to Montpelier: http://youtu.be/7GQ2FM6VnGo Met with Fire Chief Bob Gowans and former City Councilor Angela Macdonald who grew up on Village Green. They told us the roundabouts have been a huge success, from a safety standpoint as well as satisfaction of residents.

A study is currently evaluating transportation conditions along North Avenue between North Street and Plattsburgh Avenue from a “Complete Streets” perspective. The study is specifically considering how the street operates for the different user groups who can be expected to use the corridor (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, deliveries, transit, and emergency responders).

The study will make recommendations for remaking the corridor to accommodate all users by identifying a set of short and longer-term improvements.

Email 4and7npa@gmail.com

Information about the study, and related documents: http://www.ccrpcvt.org/transportation/corridors/north-avenue-corridor-study/

Monday, June 23, 2014

AARP NEW LIVABILITY FACT SHEET TACKLES "ROAD DIETS"

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