A Commentary on Bike Usage in Burlington

This article is courtesy of the students in UVM’s Environmental Journalism course. Thank you to Kate Kampner and Phoebe Swartz. This article was edited by Cate Phypers

Reclaiming of the streets of Burlington has become a priority for Jak Tiano, a member of VPOP (Vermont People Oriented Places), an organization which focuses on housing, transportation, and livability, in cities in Vermont.

Like many, Tiano grew up biking around a suburban neighborhood. “I never really was able to do any kind of cycling for transportation until I moved to Burlington,” Tiano said.

Tiano believes that Burlington does a good job of “spending the time and money to make space for bikes [but does not go] all the way and make it more protected or separated.”

However, despite Burlington’s efforts, Tiano still doesn’t feel entirely safe biking around the city. “I guess ‘safe’ is a difficult word because while I don't feel safe, I've become more comfortable,” Tiano said. “It is frustrating that you always have to be vigilant.”

“I will often automatically go out of my way to take a detour to get to a more protected area,” Tiano said when describing his experiences biking around the city.

Tiano comments how his partner is hesitant to use cycling as a method of transportation.  “She doesn't feel safe,” he said. “There's definitely an overrepresentation of men who feel confident and able to do that.”

By developing safer infrastructure, like multi-use paths and bike paths, Tiano believes this will be “a better way to attract more children and elderly people [to bike] who don't feel as safe.”

Pictured left to right: Phoebe Swartz, Jak Tiano, Kate Kampner

“[VPOP] spoke of the idea of filter permeability as a quick way to start reclaiming some streets, even just a handful for major bike routes that are more protected and lower speeds,” he said. Filtered permeability is the concept of designing streets that “filter out” most vehicle traffic.

“The biggest thing,” Tiano said, “would be to implement the Walk Bike plan that they've already spent a lot of money on designing.” The Walk Bike Master Plan has the goal of making Burlington safer for walking and biking, along with improving the quality of life for everyone through both environmental and economic means.

Data from across the country shows that increased walking and biking are “tied to reduced traffic congestion, reduced vehicle emissions, lower road maintenance costs, savings in

healthcare costs, increased independence for those who can't drive, and more,” according to the Walk Bike Plan

“The master plan paints a picture for the future,” Tiano said. “I think that's a good path forward.”