Menu

Statement on Unauthorized Crosswalk and Continued Efforts to Enhance Pedestrian Safety

Public Works has released the following statement today during removal of the unauthorized crosswalk on Locust Street.

 

DPW is removing the unauthorized crosswalk at Locust Street and Locust Terrace today. The crosswalk has not undergone the proper planning or design work to ensure safe sight lines & lighting and to ensure ADA accessibility.

 

Pedestrian safety is the highest priority at Public Works. With our current, enhanced work to protect pedestrian safety, we appreciate the community’s ongoing support and vision to help move projects forward. That’s why after proper engineering and design to ensure sight lines are safe, lighting is enhanced and the configuration is ADA compliant -- and with significant grant funding to reduce the burden on the Burlington taxpayer -- in spring we are installing significant upgrades to pedestrian safety one block north of this intersection (at Locust & Charlotte) and two blocks north of this intersection (at Locust and Caroline). There are other safer crossings planned in the South End for this season – including a related project nearby on Birchcliff, and crosswalks on Pine and on Flynn. There are larger pedestrian enhancements occurring throughout Burlington this year – such as the installation of 5 new flashing beacon crosswalks on North Ave. These are part of the enhanced effort of the last few years which has seen a significant improvement to pedestrian safety all across the city, which includes crosswalks, flashing beacon crosswalks, newly pedestrian-actuated signals at key intersections and the development of Burlington specific crosswalk guidelines.  This work continues.

 

While the Locust St and Locust Terrace crosswalk project has been requested as an enhanced crosswalk in the past, with limited funding we did direct upgrades to the blocks just to the north which had infrastructure in place, allowing the funding to go further. We will be evaluating the Locust/Locust intersection for a proper crossing and will host a neighborhood meeting by the end of the year to discuss this with the community.”

 

###

Press Release Date: 
09/17/2019
City Department: 
Public Works Department