New Bike Lanes on N. Winooski: A Blessing or a Curse?

In February of 2023, the city of Burlington Vermont approved a plan to add a bike lane on North Winooski Avenue, which is a project that would promote sustainability, physical health, and perceived safety to those who choose to bike throughout the city instead of drive. While this plan will provide the aforementioned benefits, it does not come without cost. To make space for the new bike lane, 40 parking spots will be removed from the street. This brings up concerns about increased congestion on the roads and loss of profit for companies whose businesses are on North Winooski Avenue.

Pictured above is a map view of North Winooski Avenue, which runs through the Old North End, and is home to many Burlington Businesses.

As we know, the use of bikes leads to a reduction of carbon emissions. The relationship between riding bikes and reduced emissions has been documented many times, and in a study done by UCLA it was shown that on a personal level, by choosing to bike instead of drive just once in your daily life, you are reducing your emissions from transportation by 67 percent. 

With all these perceived positives that would come with the addition of a bike lane, it is almost hard to remember why it is a debate about whether to implement the lane or not. However, from an economic perspective, it is easier to see the risk to the businesses that come with the removal of 40 parking spots on the road. What might come as a shock to many is that the idea that bike lanes increase biker safety is also up for debate. 

 It is unclear whether or not the new bike lanes are going to be protected with barriers, or if they will be open bike lanes, but the safety of both options is challenged in many studies. In one study done by the University of Colorado, it was shown that with the addition of bike lanes (with no protective barrier) fatal crash rates decreased by 60.6 percent in Seattle, 49.3 percent in San Francisco, and 40.3 percent in Denver. Bike lanes are also promoted as safe by the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

However, other studies- such as one done by the University of Nebraska- reveal that accidents increase dramatically with the addition of bike lanes. In this study, it was shown that crashes were 2.6 times higher in bike lanes than on roadways, and that separated bike lanes are even more unsafe, leading to an increase of crashes by 117 percent (as compared to the number of crashes that occurred in unprotected or un-separated bike lanes). These statistics can be explained by improper road use of both bikers and cars. The addition of protective barriers leads to less vision of bikers by cars, and more crashes as a result. Due to the conflicting nature of the findings in these studies, it is hard to conclude whether bike lanes increase, or decrease public safety. 

Burlington is a vibrant bike community

A more clear-cut issue that this project brings is the prospect of decreased income that businesses may face as a result of the removal of 40 parking spots on North Winooski Avenue, as well as the tied-in issue of increased congestion in this area. Many studies support the economic concerns that businesses may face once this project occurs, such as one done by INRIX  which discloses that on average, U.S. drivers spend 17 hours per year searching for parking at $345 per driver in wasted time, fuel, and emissions and that 40 percent of American motorists avoid shops that look like parking will be an issue.

With the removal of 40 spots, it will undoubtedly be harder to find parking on North Winooski Avenue which may lead many to shop elsewhere, where parking is more accessible. There is also a valid concern that the removal of these 40 spots on North Winooski Avenue will lead to congestion on nearby streets, leading to both the possibility of decreased business and increased traffic on these streets as well.

Now that both the pros and the cons of a new bike lane have been assessed, it is time to turn to public opinion to see what the people of Burlington- AKA those who will be most affected by this transition- feel. To understand how cyclists feel about this project, a simple question was asked to 10 members of the Burlington community who also bike regularly. The question posed was, would you feel safer with the addition of a bike lane on North Winooski Avenue? Out of all 10 bikers questioned, all said that they would feel safer with the addition of this lane. Although biker safety is drawn into question with the addition of bike lanes, the fact that 100 percent of bicyclists interviewed said that they would feel safer with the addition of a bike lane is not all that surprising as bike lanes have been widely advertised as a safety measure for bicyclists, instead of danger. 

On the other side of things, 4 businesses were reached out to gather and gauge how they feel about this project. Out of these businesses- Taco Gordo, May Day, Mahuwi African Market, and Barrio Bakery-, only one employee at Taco Gordo was aware of this upcoming plan. The rest of the businesses did not know of the upcoming change and did not have a comment on the project due to the lack of knowledge surrounding the project. The representative from Taco Gordo voiced his concern, saying, “I am worried that without street parking, our customers will have trouble finding a safe area to park so that they can eat.” The lack of knowledge that most businesses have of this plan is concerning, as it will be them that are most affected by this change.

Overall, there is no clear answer to what is the “right” decision in terms of whether adding a bike lane on North Winooski Avenue is beneficial or harmful. From the perspective of sustainability, a bike lane is favorable, whereas, from the perspective of a business owner, there is a perceived loss associated with the addition of a bike lane on North Winooski Avenue. This dichotomy that these different perspectives bring is the reason this issue is a debate in the first place. Whether or not businesses will be greatly impacted, only time will tell. In the meantime, be sure to show these and all Burlington local businesses some love.