FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2016
Contact: Katie Vane
802.734.0617
Next Phase of Bike Path Rehabilitation Breaks Ground
Will Extend Enhanced Path from New Skatepark to North Beach; Includes Three New Pause Places;
Limited Construction Impact to Bike Path Users
Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced that the next phase of the Burlington Bike Path has broken ground. Bike Path Phase 1b construction will update and realign about one mile of the path from the new Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark to North Beach, and will include the construction of three new pause places, intended to provide expanded recreational opportunities, including new fitness equipment provided by UVM Medical Center, along the path. Phase 1b rehabilitation will last through this December, with landscaping and finishing touches completed early in the spring of 2017.
“This summer we continue our generation’s work of restoring and enhancing the full length of the Burlington waterfront,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “This new phase will increase opportunities for Burlingtonians to access and enjoy Lake Champlain along a section of the path that has languished for years. Thank you to the Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Department for leading this effort, and to the hundreds of people who have worked to bring this vision to reality.”
During the first part of construction there will be limited disruption to current Bike Path users. Path rehabilitation through the Urban Reserve features a new path alignment that will bring the path closer to the lake, necessitating only occasional closures of the existing Bike Path for the crossing of construction equipment. The dog park within the Urban Reserve and the Phase 1b construction site will be closed this summer, but will reopen in 2017 as a restored facility with new fencing, gates, signage and improved water access.
After Labor Day, the second part of construction from the Urban Reserve to just south of North Beach will require a full path closure. A detour through the North Beach Campground to North Avenue and down Depot St., connecting back with the Bike Path in Waterfront Park, is planned for path users. Access to the path by the Sailing Center and Skatepark will remain open.
Construction will also include the first of several planned pause place installations along the Burlington Bike Path. Located in the Urban Reserve, these first three pause places were designed by the planning and landscape design firm Sasaki Associates. All three will incorporate new fitness equipment made possible by a generous donation from the UVM Medical Center to the Parks Foundation of Burlington. These first installations will make up the beginning of the UVM Medical Center Fitness Trail that will continue in other parks and pause places throughout the rehabilitation of the Bike Path.
The first two pause places will be located adjacent to the new dog park and create access to the lake, fitness equipment, bike parking, and wayfinding. The third pause place has been designed as a “mini-park” with a landform area for passive and active recreation, a new deck providing stunning views of both the lake and City, as well as ADA access to the newly acquired beach. The completed project will improve accessibility, add bike parking, and include the planting of over 150 native and cultivated varieties of trees and shrubs.
“The improvements to the Burlington Bike Path, part of the larger Burlington Greenway project, will continue thanks to the support of the City’s voters and generous philanthropic supporters,” said Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront (BPRW) Director Jesse Bridges. “Our continued focus is to not only improve the pavement conditions of the path, but to give our residents and visitors a world-class experience to and through our beautiful parks and next to our most treasured asset, Lake Champlain. Next summer, users will have many reasons to stop to enjoy the Urban Reserve and the newly acquired Texaco Beach instead of simply moving through those spaces.”
BPRW has led the effort to rehabilitate the entire eight-mile Bike Path running through downtown Burlington and along the Lake Champlain Waterfront. Phase 1a encompassed the length of the path from Perkins Pier to Penny Lane, and was completed in summer of 2015. Phase 1b brings the City a step closer to its five-year completion goal for the full eight miles.
The Council-approved budget for Phase 1b construction is approximately $2.4 million, a combination that includes tax increment financing (TIF), Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Improvement Program resources, Penny for Parks funding, support from the Bike Path Maintenance and Improvement Fund, and private philanthropy from the Parks Foundation of Burlington. The City Administration anticipates releasing a financing plan for the remaining bike path miles in the coming months.
*Please see attached document:
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