Queen City Park Road Project: Connecting Burlington & South Burlington

Image via the CCRPC

Burlington and South Burlington are known for their beautiful views of Lake Champlain, ample parks, and an intimate connection between pedestrians and the city. The Queen City Park Road Project intends to strengthen that bond. Project plans include the construction of a “bicycle and pedestrian connection between the Hannaford Plaza on US7 in South Burlington, along Queen City Park Road and Austin Drive to the Burlington Bike Path at Oakledge Park,” according to the Chittenden County Regional Planning Committee (CCRPC).  As per the CCRPC, the goals of the project are:       

A. Safe movement for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving throughout the study area

B. Fill the gap in the regional bicycle network to connect South Burlington’s path network with Red Rocks Park, Oakledge Park, and the Burlington Bike Path with a low-stress facility[1]

  CCRPC Senior Transportation Planner Christine Forde explained that, “We approached this thinking of all users” and that they wanted to “expand transportation options both for recreation and for transportation.”

The planning committee solicited community input during the scoping study for the bicycle/pedestrian path: there was a public wiki map where members of the community could identify specific issues and areas of concern. Throughout the scoping study, the planning committee evaluated these concerns and made a list of alternatives. The exhaustive list of evaluations and alternatives was presented to the public on March 9th, 2022. According to Forde, the study was funded by “80% transportation dollars” from the federal government, and these funds are to be used only for the study.

This year, the city of Burlington received $828,000 in Federal VTRANS Grants towards the project’s projected construction cost of $1,035,000. There is also expected to be a 10% state contribution that will be matched by a 10% local contribution in order to fully fund Burlington’s part of the project. South Burlington has yet to apply for grants, but they are “looking forward to advancing as quickly as possible,” according to Paul Conner, Director of Planning and Zoning for South Burlington. South Burlington’s Capital Improvement Program indicates that funding for construction will begin in the fiscal year of 2026, but the Program notes that this is subject to change in the future.

The Queen City Park Road Project is an exciting opportunity for another point of connection between Burlington and South Burlington  – and has been designed with the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in mind. For those involved in the planning process, there is a palpable passion to provide a safe and easily accessible pedestrian transportation corridor to the citizens of their respective cities. This passion, combined with extensive community involvement, has the two cities poised to substantially improve the safety and well-being of their residents and commuters.

[1] https://www.ccrpcvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Presentation_AdvisoryCommitteeMeeting_Queen-City-Park-Austin-11-18-2021.pdf p7