Completing the Puzzle: The Future of South Burlington’s Walk/Bike Paths

Connectedness. That is the theme for the next several years in terms of South Burlington’s bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

As it is, South Burlington’s bike paths stretch and wind for a whopping 24 miles throughout the city. These paths, which began construction in 1990, link neighborhoods, parks, and schools all around South Burlington. Much of this is thanks to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee (BPC) whose mission is to oversee and maintain the recreational paths in the city. However, there are missing pieces that need filling. I sat down with two of the committee members to discuss the future of South Burlington’s pedestrian-centered infrastructure.

*Nic Anderson, enjoying a summer bike ride via* *LinkedIn*

Nic Anderson, the current Clerk for the BPC, has been a resident of South Burlington for the past 14 years. A long-time lover of anything to do with bikes, Nic uses his bicycle as his main mode of transportation. “I've biked every single day for those 14 years from South Burlington over Exit 14 to Burlington and back,” Nic said, proudly.

I also spoke with Havaleh Gagne, the committee’s Chair, who also commutes from South Burlington to her job at the UVM Medical Center on her bike. Havaleh reminisced about her earliest memories on her bike, joking about when she pretended to run away on her tricycle as a little girl. “I made it maybe a mile,” she laughed.

“But I love biking,” she said. “It’s still my way to escape.”

I discussed with both Nic and Havaleh what is in store for South Burlington’s bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Pennies for Paths

Pennies for Path was a ballot item that passed in 2018 for the residents of South Burlington. Residents voted to designate one cent on the city’s tax rate to go towards bike/ped infrastructure. This initiative not only makes it easier to fund bike/ped projects with city money but also helps obtain federal and state grants. Grant organizations want to know if a city has a funding source to accomplish a project With Pennies for Paths, South Burlington can show they are financially committed to the projects and are more likely to receive these grants. This initiative is set to expire in ten years.

Since the passage of Pennies for Paths, South Burlington has received roughly $1.15 million in grants to improve bike and pedestrian paths in the city. “It has leveraged so much ground potential in the last three years,” Nic said. It is because of this initiative that there are such a plethora of projects coming up in South Burlington’s future.

Dorset Street Gap

Three miles of bike path runs along Dorset Street before it ends in front of Cider Mill Drive, and then picks up again at a nearby neighborhood. However, this gap in the bike path, as both Nic and Havalh pointed out, alienates this neighborhood from the rest of the bike path. The goal of this project is to fill in this gap, connecting the neighborhood to the rest of the bike path network.

“It will help [keep] a lot of people off a pretty busy road,” Havaleh said.

The goal is for this project to be on the ground by the summer of 2023.

Williston Road Gap

Another project in South Burlington’s future is putting in a ten-foot-wide multi-use path between Dorset Street and Hinesburg Road. This path would mean that patrons would never have to bike directly on the busy Williston Road. “We will have a continuous bike [path] all the way to Williston,” Nic explained.

The hope is that this path will be in the works within the next few years, as grant applications have already been accepted for this project.

1-89 Bike/Ped Bridge

This is one of the larger projects the BPC is tackling. The infamous intersection by Exit 14 between Burlington and South Burlington is one of the busiest in the state, according to the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. This makes biking and walking along this stretch of road a treacherous endeavor.

The implementation of a footbridge would allow pedestrians to avoid the cloverleaf interchange on the town’s line with ease. While this project is still a few years out, the prospect of adding this bridge is enticing.

Smaller Projects

*Example of a sidewalk in need of repaving near Dorset Street via* *BPC*

Along with the undertaking of multi-year long enterprises, there are much smaller (yet just as important) things in the work. Pennies for Path money is used to install or upgrade sidewalks, crosswalks, and walk signals. While this may seem small, these signs make all the difference for pedestrians. “When you have [the road] well labeled, it’s easier for people to share,” Havaleh said.

One example of this is a strip of sidewalk installed on the jug handle near Gutterson Field House a few years back. Using Pennies for Paths funds, the city was able to install a sidewalk where there once was only the shoulder of the road. This simple installation increases the safety and connectivity of pedestrian walking tenfold.

*Spear Street/East Ave. Jug Handle before a sidewalk via Google Maps*

“We’ve got this huge spectrum of things that are ridiculously large and small and we're trying at all times to do all of them,” Nic said.

While the multitude of these ventures and their timelines may seem overwhelming, connecting and filling in these puzzle pieces is important as we look towards a more sustainable future. “Once [the projects] are done, they will make South Burlington pretty amazing,” Nic said.

A full list of upcoming projects can be found here, in South Burlington’s City Improvement Plan.