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Department of Public Works

Traffic Calming

Burlington streets are the cornerstone of safe neighborhoods. They are our routes home, to work, and to school. Each neighborhood and street is unique, but share a common need for traffic that is slower by design rather than through enforcement. 

 

What is traffic calming?

Traffic calming is the addition of roadway features (bump outs, speed humps, chicanes, lane striping, etc) to reduce vehicle speeds or the amount of vehicles on a particular road or a particular area. The goals of traffic calming are to improve the quality of life within a residential or commercial area, increase the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, and reduce automobile speeds. 

 

What is the traffic calming process?

1. Contact DPW about traffic concerns on your street via SeeClickFix or email

2. DPW will collect traffic data if needed (April - October). DPW will review crash history and traffic data to assess speed conditions and identify the percent of heavy truck traffic. 

3. If data exceeds the thresholds from the Traffic Calming Manual (available below), DPW will determine your street's place in the queue and develop a traffic calming improvement plan based on the context of your streets. The improvement plan will be shared with the neighborhood but will not require a neighborhood vote. 

4. If data does not meet the thresholds for traffic calming, resources will be provided for neighborhood enhancements to pursue separately. 

 

How will streets be prioritized?

Traffic calming will prioritize safety first based on:

#1: streets with 85th percentile speeds exceeding the speed limit or slow zone target speed by more than 5 mph; or with a fatal crash or crash involving a person walking or biking within the last 5 years.

#2: construction activity that should be coordinated with other projects.

#3: streets with no traffic calming. 

#4: streets with traffic calming. 

#5: streets that have had traffic calming installed within the last 5 years.

View the 2020 Traffic Calming Manual

Current Traffic Calming Projects

East Avenue

Current Status: design underway

Ward 1 NPA Meeting Update - December 14, 2022

View the presentation slides (includes concept plans and block-by-block parking impacts)

Zoom in and out to view the updated conceptual plan set, and see an example of a median / chicane here

September 23, 2022 Pilot Project

View an image here

East Ave August 23, 2022 In Person / Virtual Meeting

View the presentation slides or presentation recording

East Ave February 15, 2022 Virtual Meeting

View the presentation slides or presentation recording on YouTube

Scarff Ave

Current Status: design complete, construction after 2023 paving of Shelburne Street,

View slides from the January 18, 2022 neighborhood meeting

Birchcliff Parkway

Current Status: design complete, construction currently ongoing

 

    Recently Completed Traffic Calming Projects

    Rose Street

    Current Status: design completed, installation completed in Summer 2023

    March 29, 2023 In-Person/Virtual Meeting

    O.N.E. Community Center at 6 pm, and online via Zoom

    Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/98493244985?pwd=RTlUM3liYXFCNW5BVnMyYVZ0UmNDZz09

    Meeting ID: 984 9324 4985

    Passcode: 495227

    View the informational flier.

    View the slides presented during the meeting.

    Review the meeting notes

    Chase Street

    Current Status: design complete. Traffic calming measure to go into effect Fall 2023

    Bright Street

    Current Status: design completes, construction completed in Spring 2022

     

    Interested in traffic calming on your street?

    Contact DPW via See Click Fix or Customer Service at 863-9094 or email