FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2020
Contact: Olivia LaVecchia
(802) 734-0617
Railyard Enterprise Project Advancing to Preliminary Engineering
Burlington, VT - Last week, the City Council unanimously approved a motion in support of the advancement of the Railyard Enterprise Project to preliminary engineering. The City and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) expect that design work could begin in 2021, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and VTrans have committed to providing 90 percent of the funding. When complete, the Railyard Enterprise Project will create an important new link in our transportation network and connect Pine Street to Battery Street adjacent to the Vermont Rail System railyard.
In response to this action, Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statement:
“For decades the City of Burlington has sought to connect Battery Street and Pine Street in order to improve the City’s connectivity, create new economic development opportunities, and reduce traffic in the neighborhoods that border the blocks of Pine Street south of Main Street. While progress toward this goal has been slow and uneven over the years, last week we took a big step toward making this vision a reality as the City Council unanimously supported the Administration’s plan to move three Railyard Enterprise Project concepts to Preliminary Engineering and further evaluation. This City action, combined with the commitment by VTrans Secretary Joe Flynn to provide 90 percent Federal and State funding for the project, ensures that after years of conceptual planning, millions of dollars of engineering work will now be invested this critical infrastructure project in the next few years.”
“This is great news for the King and Maple neighborhood,” said Michael Monte, Chief Operating Officer of the Champlain Housing Trust. “Constructing the Pine Street to Battery Street connection will significantly reduce traffic in the King Street neighborhood and will enhance its livability.”
For additional information about the Railyard Enterprise Project, including plans showing the concepts that will now receive further evaluation, please see the materials that are part of the City Council’s December 21, 2020 agenda or the project’s website.
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