Complete Streets
The City of Burlington has a longstanding commitment to provide a range of interconnected, safe, affordable, efficient and convenient transportation choices for residents, visitors and employees alike. Recently, this commitment has been formalized through state and local policies, but the real challenge is still ahead of us as we implement these policies -- making every Burlington street "complete."
In June 2012, the DPW convened local stakeholders, decisionmakers, advocates and municipal staff for a full-day workshop sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency through their Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program. Through collaboration at the workshop, an overarching vision was drafted to be a unifying guide for future planning studies that evaluate complete streets:
Burlington streets will evolve into complete streets corridors that provide safe, inviting, and convenient travel for all users of all ages and abilities —including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation riders.Within each neighborhood, the need to move people through the corridor will be balanced with the need to provide access to homes, businesses, and local institutions within the corridor. The most effective use of finite public space will be determined through interdisciplinary collaboration with a wide range of community members considering economic, environmental, and equity concerns.
The corridor will develop into an attractive public space through creative streetscape, signage, and other site design features. The corridor will become more livable and desirable by promoting social interaction and public health.
Reporting
The DPW tracks transportation projects' consideration of Complete Streets principles. A transportation project in Burlington may be considered as involving full depth construction, extensive earthwork, impacts to adjacent resources, involvement of multiples departments / agencies / divisions, and/or having a project budget approved by a governing body. The project reporting forms for 2012 have been completed and are available for review at the Clerk Treasurer's office or the Vermont Agency of Transportation. For more information on the reporting requirement and process, view the draft "Burlington Complete Streets Guidance" (below).
Resources
- Download the June 2012 staff presentation outlining relevant policies, processes and future activities for Complete Streets efforts.
- Download the Next Steps Memo from the June 2012 workshop.
- Download the working draft Burlington Complete Streets Guidance
