Burlington Walk-Bike Council — Burlington, VT
Date: 2022-06-01
Time: 17:30

AGENDA - Burlington Walk / Bike Council
 June 1, 2022, Wednesday 6:00 – 7:00 pm
VIRTUAL MEETING OPTION ONLY:
 Using Zoom:
 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88225473951?pwd=YzFFQ1Q3Y3J4bzcwR2VNYWRFWnhtUT09
 Passcode: 091788 (See other remote access options below)

AGENDA:
1. Introductions, Announcements, Updates and Public Comments (10 min)

2. Next Steps for the 2017 Walk Bike Plan Status Report (20 min)
At the last two meetings we discussed the 5-Year Status Report looking at where we are at with
implementing the engineering recommendations of Burlington’s Plan BTV Walk Bike. At this
meeting, we’ll articulate the key take-aways and discuss proposed next steps including
recommendations to the Public Works Commission. Other next steps might also include publicity
and activities for highlighting Burlington’s walk-bike achievements.

3. Status of Non-Infrastructure Recommendations (10 min)
Plan BTV Walk Bike includes a series of policy, education, and public engagement
recommendations that were not evaluated in the just completed 5-Year Status Report. (See
Chapter 4, Page 154 in the plan.) After a quick overview of the non-infrastructure
recommendations, we’ll seek volunteers to help prepare a simple status report and to propose next
steps for discussion at the meeting in July.

4. Planning a Fall “Car-Free Burlington” Event with College Students (10 min)
Past interns in the Sustainable Transportation Vermont (STVT) program at UVM are eager to work
with BWBC on organizing and presenting an event that encourages UVM (and maybe Champlain
College) students to avoid bringing a car to college while presenting the walk, bike and transit
options available in Burlington. We’ll briefly brainstorm ideas and recruit volunteers to help launch
an event for new and returning students this fall.

5. Updating How BWBC Works (10 min)
BWBC was reorganized 3 years ago to bring more diverse voices that represent the whole city into
the effort to improve walking and biking. Discuss the pro’s and con’s of the liaison approach and
begin the conversation about tweaking the BWBC structure to make most effective use of volunteer
time and energy while welcoming new perspectives.


Previous Meeting – At the meeting on May 4 the status report for Walk Bike Plan was presented and discussed. Nicole
Losch’s contributions to Burlington’s Walk Bike improvements were celebrated.

Next Month: BWBC Meets Wednesday, July 6, 2022, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
The BWBC is an all-volunteer advisory council to the City of Burlington. We work closely with and advise the Department
of Public Works and the Department of Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront on infrastructure improvements and policy
changes for walking and bicycling. The council also leads advocacy efforts and organizes events and activities that
promote and celebrate walking and biking in Burlington and beyond.

See www.burlingtonwalkbike.org (under construction) and BWBC Minutes and Agendas .

BWBC Community Liaisons
Erik Brown Brotz*, Ward 5, erik@burlingtontelecom.net, Chair
Greg Hostetler, Ward 2
Faith Ingulsrud*, Ward 6
Peter Keating, Ward 6
Justine Sears, Ward 3
Karen Sentoff, Ward 4
Jason Stuffle*, Ward 1
Kerry Swift, Ward 4
Allegra Williams, Ward 3
* = BWBC Coordinating Committee


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 Burlington Walk Bike Council (BWBC)
 June 1, 2022 Meeting Notes
The Monthly Meeting took place 6:00- 7:00 pm via Zoom only.

Attendees: Attendees: Erik Brotz (chair), Jason Stuffle (Ward 1), Jonathan Weber (Local
Motion), Serrill Flash (East Ave), Peter Keating (Ward 6), Faith Ingulsrud (Ward 6), Jon Copans
(Old Spokes Home), Hannah Hartman (UVM), Jay Catalano.

1. Introductions, Announcements and Public Comments
Eric Brotz opened the meeting and invited comments.
 ● Serrill asked for an update from DPW on sharrows. No DPW rep was available to
 provide a response.
 ● Erik said that he had submitted a SeeClickFix for the sharrows on N. Winooski Ave to be
 painted in the center of the lane instead of the side as previously and was told that the
 sharrows would not be repainted because of the pending reconfiguration. Erik noted
 that the reconfiguration is not until 2023 so it seems like they could be repainted this
 year.
 ● Erik also suggested that sharrows should be lower priority than other pavement paint
 projects. Serrill responded that they are useful for centering the person on a bike within
 a lane and drivers recognize that they must share the lane.
 ● Jason announced that the Mansfield Ave 10 foot wide sidepath construction has begun.
 ● Jason also invited everyone to pay attention to and use SeeClickFix to report crosswalks
 with missing paint or in need of double sided crosswalk signs on each side of the road.
 The city will fix upon request but aren’t proactively fixing the crosswalk signs.
 ● It was noted that University Place upgrades seem to be imminent as flagging and signs
 are up.

2. Next Steps for the 2017 Walk Bike Plan Status Report
Erik gave an introduction to the report and summarized the key conclusions, including:
 ● That good progress was made in achieving the 5-year recommendations of the Walk
 Bike Plan but that work was mostly low hanging fruit
 ● The remaining work like protected bike lanes will be harder to achieve and the ones that
 have been implemented have not been maintained
 ● Connectivity of bike lanes in the center of Burlington have been the biggest improvement
 ● The new sidewalks recommended in the plan didn’t get built.
 ● The plan failed to identify sidewalk replacement as a priority but steady progress was
 made through the infrastructure bond.
 ● There is a lack of data that makes it difficult to quantify outcomes

This stimulated the following comments:
 ● Jon Copans expressed concern that the Walk Bike plan does not focus on sidewalk
 maintenance. That was a key issue identified in the Equity Coalition’s ONE Mobility
 Audit a couple years ago. The issue should be highlighted if there is a future revision.
 ● Peter noted that it’s normal for long range plans to be updated every 5 years, so does
 the city have a plan to update the Walk Bike Plan? Others responded that there isn’t a
 plan to update that plan specifically but walk bike issues will be included as a part of an
 upcoming update of the city’s transportation plan. That would basically merge the
 transportation plan with the walk bike plan. Jonathan noted that a VisionZero plan was
 funded for 2023.

Erik asked participants what next steps need to be taken to communicate the conclusions of the
Status Report. Does it make sense to present to DPW staff and the Public Works Commission
and if so, what should be the primary messages?

 ● Prioritize connectivity/consistency of the bike network to get ridership up
 ● Safety should be a focus, especially given VisionZero funding
 ● Should we do a press release of findings to reach out to a broader audience? Maybe we
 can offer a draft press release as part of our outreach to DPW and PWC, and invite them
 to weigh in on the messaging.
 ● We should give DPW specific recommendations on work to focus on - like finishing the
 North Ave bike lanes.
 ● Also support traffic calming.

Erik said he would request a place on the July Public Works Commission agenda. A copy of the
latest version of the five year status report and maps can be found with the minutes here:
https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/bwbc.

3. Status of Non-Infrastructure Recommendations
Plan BTV Walk Bike includes a series of policy, education, and public engagement
recommendations that were not evaluated in the just completed 5-Year Status Report. (See
Chapter 4, Page 154 in the plan.) After a quick overview of the non-infrastructure
recommendations, Erik asked if anyone was interested in helping to prepare a report on the
status of those recommendations. After some discussion, it was decided that the status of
those items should be discussed with the new DPW walk-bike staff once they are on board.

4. Planning a Fall “Car-Free Burlington” Event with College Students
Erik explained that among the non-infrastructure recommendations are tasks for creating more
events to support walking and biking. Faith said that some of the past Sustainable
Transportation interns at UVM are interested in collaborating with BWBC and partners to launch
an event this fall to promote car-free living in Burlington. Hanna Hartman, one of those
students, shared some ideas for targeting the freshmen who are not allowed to bring a car to
Burlington, to help them envision the remainder of their college experience in Burlington without
a car. She believes she can engage sponsorships from local businesses and the event could
be a venue for local walk, bike and sustainability organizations to participate. They are
considering City Hall Park as a possible location and considering September 22, which is World
Car-Free Day.

Participants suggested the following:
 ● Consider hosting the event on or closer to campus to engage more students. Hanna
 noted that getting permission to use a campus green is more onerous than getting a city
 permit to use a public space. Also engaging the broader community is an important part
 of the concept.
 ● Involve GMT, CATMA, e-bike share and other organizations with a corresponding
 mission
 ● Research whether other comparable sized cities have done a similar event
 ● Consider including concepts like parklets and “meet on the street” as part of the event
 ● Local Motion could offer ebike demos and other such activities
 ● Old Spokes Home could lead a ride from campus to the event site

Faith invited input, ideas, and volunteers. Please contact her at faith@thirdculture.com.

5. Updating How BWBC Works
Erik explained that the Coordinating Committee is reaching out to the liaisons for input on the
structure of BWBC to determine whether the Ward-based liaison system is the best way to
organize a volunteer organization like ours or if organizing around the passions and interests of
people who want to get things done would be more effective. No one offered any response at
this meeting but the discussion is on-going, and Erik invited input from everyone.

Erik thanked participants and ended the meeting at 7:00.
PlanBTV Walk/Bike
5-Year
Engineering Progress
Report
Background
● Plan BTV Walk/Bike was adopted in 2017 as Burlington’s comprehensive
 plan for walking, biking, and active mobility

● The plan proposes 137 potential projects to be achieved over a 15-year
 period, and also recommends a subset of projects on a 5-year timeframe

● These projects include bikeway network development, pedestrian
 improvements such as new sidewalks and crosswalks, intersection safety
 upgrades, policy changes, and more




 2
About this Report
● This report analyzes progress on key metrics in the Engineering section of
 PlanBTV Walk/Bike

● Data for this report was provided by the City of Burlington, the Burlington
 Walk/Bike Council, and Local Motion

● With this report, we hope to celebrate positive change and the goals we have
 achieved, while also highlighting where improvements have lagged




 3
 Key Takeaways
● Significant progress toward the 5-year plan goals, but about 30% of the
 projects have not been started
● Many projects have been only partially completed compared to their original
 description in the plan
● Many “low-hanging fruit” bikeway projects are complete (sharrows, painted
 bike lanes) but there has been little progress on low-stress infrastructure
● Lack of new sidewalk construction
● Lack of data to quantify progress toward key outcomes


 4
Engineering Metrics
Engineering Metrics
1. Engineer and design city streets to self-enforce appropriate target speeds
 - All crashes resulting in serious injury reduced by 50% by 2021 & 100% by
 2026
2. Improve safety at all 20 priority intersections
 - Improve 20 priority intersections by 2026 at a rate of 2 per year
3. Provide a connected network of sidewalks and safe intersections
 - Implement 3.4 new miles of sidewalk, 500ft crosswalk frequency, 20.5%
 modal increase in walking by 2021 & 22% by 2026



 *Metrics evaluated in this report are highlighted in green. 6
Engineering Metrics
4. Create a dense, interconnected network of sidewalks and safe intersections
 - 9% modal increase in biking by 2021 and 12% by 2026, 28 miles of new
 bikeways, 65% of all bikeway miles are low-stress by 2026
5. Leverage walk/bike projects to add green infrastructure to Burlington’s
 streets
 - Reduce runoff by 80%
6. Improve and expand bicycle parking citywide
 - Install 100 bike parking spots per year in public ROW, achieve reduction in
 bike theft by 50% by 2026, install a high-capacity parking station by 2019


*Metrics evaluated in this report are highlighted in green. 7
Engineering Metrics
7. Implement a robust bicycle sharing system
 - Study & implement a bike share program by 2021, achieve a spacing of
 stations no more than 1,000ft


8. Create more walk priority spaces
 - Create a placemaking program by 2018, measure economic benefits of
 walkability projects, support investments in alleyway utilization by
 businesses



 *Metrics evaluated in this report are highlighted in green. 8
Top 20 Priority
Intersections
Intersection Safety
● PlanBTV Walk/Bike identified 20 intersections which should receive priority
 for safety upgrades

● Of the 80 crashes that occurred at intersections in Burlington between 2011
 and 2015, more than three quarters (61) of these happened at 17 of the 20
 priority intersections. (From PlanBTV Walk/Bike)

● The remaining three intersections were identified based on community input




 10
- Partial completion
  pertains to goals
  outlined in initial plan
  not fully met
- Several have minimal
  changes
- Unclear whether
  installed changes have
  been effective
- Only inactive project
  is the Shelburne Rd
  and Home Ave
  intersection



 11
Priority Intersections
● Improvements complete at only 5
 intersections
 ○ PlanBTV goal was 10
 complete by 2021
 ○ Lots of interim improvements
 along Winooski Ave., primarily
 due to lane reduction

● Interim safety improvements at
 9/15 intersections

● No improvements studied or
 installed at Shelburne Road &
 Progress maps on Intersections
 Home Avenue.


 12
Bikeways
Goal: 46 projects in 5
years

Complete: 43.5%
Ongoing: 19.6%
Inactive: 37.0%
Total complete: 34.8%

No abandoned projects

Four projects
completed were
planned for after 5-year
timeframe


 14
 “
17.2 miles* of new bikeways
 Out of 28 mile goal
 *Includes 8.6 miles of sharrows




 ”15
 “
8.5 miles (25%*) of all current
 bikeways are low stress
 *Goal of 65% by 2026




 ”16
- 57.61 miles total in
upgraded bike lanes

- Most of the
shared-use path mileage
comes from recreational
areas, such as by the
waterfront and around
the Ethan Allen
Homestead

- Most shared-use path
mileage is not
illuminated or fully
maintained year-round

- 17.2 miles of new
bikeways since 2017



 17
18
Bicycle Parking Spots
 in the public ROW




 No Data/500
High-Capacity Bike Parking Station
● The goal to install one high-capacity bike
 parking station was satisfied when UVM
 constructed an enclosed bicycle shelter
 with space for 176 bikes

● The shelter is located near the Central
 Campus Residence Hall and is connected
 to the Howe Library
 Image: Duo Guard




 20
GreenRide Bike Share
● “Widespread” implementation not
 achieved according to plan metrics

 “spacing of stations no more than
 1,000ft within service area”

● Downtown hub spacing is closer to
 achieving metric Progress maps on Intersections



 21
New Sidewalk
Construction
 By 2026



0.06/3.4 Miles
 * However, about 3-4 miles
 per year have been reconstructed -
 especially in high-impact neighborhoods
Overall Walk/Bike
Improvements
Goal: 111 projects in
5 years

Complete: 41.4%
Ongoing: 27.0%
Inactive: 31.5%

Nine projects
completed were
planned for after
5-year timeframe




 24
Project Completion
● Improvements focused on
 major arterials

● Lack of improvements in New
 North End & Hill Section

● Some gaps in ONE &
 South End

● Improved connectivity




 25
Project Completion
● Improvements focused on
 Downtown, South End, and
 along arterials

● Gaps in project
 implementation:
 ○ Far South End
 ○ Along North Ave

● Seemingly few projects
 planned in the ONE



 26
Overall progress
● Almost half of the projects in the 5-year plan have been completed
 (21%) or partially completed (25%)
● About ¼ of the projects are in progress or still in planning
● About 30% of projects in the 5-year plan have not been started yet
● Several projects not originally in the 5-year plan have been completed
 ahead of schedule




 27
Progress on Specific Goals
● Many “low-hanging fruit” bikeway projects are complete (sharrows,
 painted bike lanes)
● Little progress on the low-stress bike network
● Many projects have been only partially completed compared to
 original descriptions
● Almost none of the sidewalk additions have been implemented
● The bike share program needs more stations to achieve desired
 density

 28
Outcomes
● Several “metrics” in the Engineering section are actually outcomes
 ○ Stormwater: “Reduce runoff by 80%”
 ■ Lacking data on this metric
 ○ Mode share: “9% modal increase in biking by 2021 and 12% by 2026”
 ■ Lacking data on this metric, ACS problematic due to Covid
 ○ Safety: All crashes resulting in serious injury reduced by 50% by 2021
 & 100% by 2026
 ■ We do have some data on this, but a deeper evaluation is
 needed. Crash data can be skewed over shorter time frames.


 29
Other Comments & Observations
● PlanBTV Walk/Bike does not adequately address maintenance issues,
 which have emerged as a significant concern for both walking and
 biking facilities
● Concerns about on-street parking have limited or delayed many
 bikeway projects
● Many of the projects listed in the 5-year plan are intended to be
 expanded in the next 10 years, so a status of "complete" does not
 necessarily mean that we are done with the targeted location


 30
Acknowledgements
● Bikeway mileage, network maps, sidewalk, bike parking data directly from
 DPW & planBTV
● Other data compiled by Local Motion & Burlington Walk/Bike Council with
 clarification from DPW




 31
Recommendations?
Questions?