South Burlington Rec Path

Way Through to Rice

2010-08-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

This shows a path on the left through the buffer between Rice High School and the Dialysis Center off of Joy Drive. This is from the Dialysis side.

Here is the view from the High School faculty lot side. Walk your bike.

Tilley Path Nearly Complete

2010-05-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Aerial Shot of the Tilley Path and Bridge:

Lou rides across:

South Burlington Road Conditions on Twitter

2010-04-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

http://twitter.com/sbroadinfo

This ought to go on VTBikeReport as well.

Posting Minutes and Agenda

2010-03-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

We have been in the habit of posting our minutes and agenda at the City of South Burlington web site, but this hasn't happened recently. Is there a legal obligation to do so?

Vermont Safe Passing Bill

2010-01-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

The introduction of the Safe Passing Bill is a very encouraging step and I hope that everyone will take the time to consider supporting it and take action in any of the ways that Nancy describes below.

For me personally, the passage of this bill would make me feel better about the safety of my nephew when he's riding, and the safety of my friend's kids, too. Nothing will change over night, of course, but over time it can and surely will.

Kevin

GMBC President

Bill as Introduced
-------------------------------------- Original Message
Subject: [GMBC] Bike/Ped "Safe Passing" Bill is on the table- please support
From: "Viola Chu"
Date: Fri, January 22, 2010 11:47 pm
To: GMBC-L@LIST.UVM.EDU
---------------------------------------
GMBCers:

Below is a detailed email from Nancy at the Bike /Ped Coalition. The VBPC has introduced a Safe Passing Bill and needs as much community support as possible to convince the Transportation Committee to take up the bill. The Safe Passing Bill, if made into law, would require motorists to pass all "vulnerable users," bicyclists, walkers, animals, persons in wheelchairs, etc, with a margin of safety. For a variety of reasons, the VBPC is introducing a Safe Passing Bill, rather than a 3-foot Rule. This bill has the potential to be the law that we all want- one that would require drivers to pass bicyclists safely. PLEASE take the time to read Nancy's email and contact your legislators. All the information that you need is in the email.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nancy Schulz
Date: Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 11:18 PM
Subject: Please Help Now to Advance Bike/Ped "Safe Passing" Bill
To: VTBIKEPED_MEMBERS@list.uvm.edu

It's a great pleasure to let you know that our bike/ped safety bill (H.540) has been introduced and assigned to the House Transportation Committee. The bill has a number of provisions that offer protections to "vulnerable roadways users" including bicyclists and pedestrians. (The full text of the bill is at the base of this message.) In total, the bill has 17 sponsors, representing the full range of the political spectrum at the Vermont State House. It's been a lengthy process to get to this point and we're now in need of your help to advance this bill into law. The next step in the
process is convincing the chair and the members of the House Transportation Committee that the bill deserves to be discussed. (Hundreds of bills are introduced each year and then die for lack of committee action.) Here are some specifics regarding how you can be most helpful:

1. Please take a couple of minutes to read the bill.

2. Please send an email message to the House Transportation Committee c/o legislative assistant Fran Cerulli (FCerulli@leg.state.vt.us) and request that your comments be sent to all 11 members of that committee. State that you support H.540 and that you would like it to become law. Thank Reps. Burke, Aswad, Courcelle, and Lanpher (all members of the HTC), in particular, for sponsoring the bill. Explain in your own words why this bill is important to you. Keep the message brief and respectful. If you own a business and can state that your business will benefit and that more dollars will flow into Vermont if it becomes more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians, then your words will get extra attention.

3. Please forward this email message to other supporters of bike/ped issues.

4. Please let your own House representative(s) know that you support this bill. Although your personal rep(s) may not sit on this particular committee, you can urge them to speak to their colleagues on the House Transportation Committee. If you don't know who you reps are, you can find out by making a quick phone call to the Sergeant-at-Arms office (800) 322-5616 or you can go to www.leg.state.vt.us

5. Please consider writing a brief letter to the editor of your local paper(s) and explain to the readership why this bill is important.

6. If you know someone who is involved in the local Chamber of Commerce and will speak on behalf of this bill, please let me know the name and contact info for this individual. We need to line up folks from the business community who are willing to speak to the committee chair or testify before the committee.

7. If you have access to a State House card room date, please consider sharing it or offering it to the Coalition. We have no card room date this year and can use as much State House exhibit time as possible.

Here are some sample talking points that you can include in your email messages/letters:

Many other states have passed the provisions that this bill contains. Vermont is being surpassed by other states that are working harder to be "bicycle-friendly." Bicycle tourists take their dollars and ride where they are most welcome.

Motorists often come too close to bicyclists and pedestrians while passing.
Motorists often pass at excessive speed. This bill prohibits these behaviors and offers a platform from which to educate motorists about what is appropriate.

Members of the public don't understand that there are a variety of circumstances when a bicyclist needs to move to the left. This bill explains why such movement is necessary and makes it clear that such movement is legal.

Bicyclists and pedestrians are often subject to harassment through having objects thrown at them. This bill prohibits that, making Vermont's roadways safer for "vulnerable roadway users."

This bill requires bicyclists to have reflectors on pedals or to wear reflective ankle straps at night, increasing the bicyclists' visibility and safety.

Graffiti

2009-11-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Champlain Bikeways sign at the intersection of the path and Stone Hedge Drive has been tagged with graffiti.

New Bike Lanes on Imperial

2009-11-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

Although there is a sign saying No Parking and the lane is marked with a bicycle symbol, people park there.

2009-11-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

http://twitter.com/BikeReportVT
is the Twitter home of the Bike Report.

Tree Across Stairs on Burlington Bike Path

2009-11-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

From Bike Issues Nov 2009

Hadley Road Now Two-Way

2009-10-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Bruce Hoar's Department of Public Works has been modifying this intersection so that northbound bicycles can ride easily onto the short path on the east side of the one-way southbound vehicle lane. These riders are very early adopters. October 30, 2009.

Twitter Tracking

2009-10-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Use the tag @BikeReportVT to tweet your reports. The reports will show up in the gadget to the right.

Here is an interactive map that we can use to locate and track the reports.

View #BikeReportVT in a larger map

Bike & Path Report

2009-10-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Todd Taylor and I have been talking about creating a Bike Report which will allow commuters to report conditions on their routes to work. These can be paths or streets. One challenge is to provide timely reports so that later commuters can avoid or adjust for the conditions reported.

The project is modeled on one in Madison, Wisconsin. The local radio station started a report as a sort of joke/poke: "Motor vehicle traffic is tied up, but the bike routes are freely flowing," every morning.

The report overlaps with general reports of bad conditions that need to be addressed by the authorities.

Existing hazards.

In Burlington the wooden bike bridge just north of Blanchard Beach has a chronic hazard when it is wet. There are relatively sharp turns on both ends, so when bike riders enter or set up to exit, they can slip. Several crashes have been reported. The city has put up more warning signs and intend to address the underlying problem.

Lou Bresee suggests modifying the design specs for such bridges to include limits on the deviation upon entry and exit.

Burlington ECHO Center. Construction in the circle in front of the boathouse and near the railroad crossing.

Burlington bike path, just north of the rise south of North Beach. Glass on the path was swept up to some extent. 10/27/09.

Colchester on raised path just south of the entrance to the Winooski Delta Park. Beavers felled a tree that landed on the railing of the raised path and created a 'clotheslining' hazard. Reported to Colchester through Local Motion; trees removed. October 16, 2009.

Elm Bark Burn

2009-09-04T05:51:00.001-07:00

Another bark problem with elm tree on Phase III Rec Path,

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=maple+research+station,+spear+street,+south+burlington,+vt&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.352165,78.662109&ie=UTF8&ll=44.453439,-73.189212&spn=0.001834,0.004801&t=h&z=18&lci=com.panoramio.all

Jan van der Ende Visits Burlington

2009-06-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

After a 20-year electronic friendship, Jan and I finally met in person. He has worked with ASEBA materials in the Netherlands as a researcher and distributor. June 2009 was the occasion of a big ASEBA conference in Burlington, and Jan attended, along with researchers from all over the world. These are people whose names I had known, but had met only a few. I'm sorry that Linda and I were out of town for all but the last day of the conference. Jan and I took the afternoon to ride out to the "Cut" on the Colchester Causeway.

So what is the etymology of "causeway?" It has to do with heels and sheep.
Here is a photo from an earlier visit to the Causeway.

2009-06-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pavement requests completed. Bruce Hoar's team did this in a timely manner. Now skinny tires won't pop when you ride up this mini-curb.

Lou & Bill Measure Hadley One-Way

2009-05-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

Bike Path on Hadley

2009-05-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

Measure Wooden Bridge

2009-05-05T18:02:00.001-07:00

Marked Up Since Removed

2009-05-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

2009-05-04T11:06:00.001-07:00

The South Burlington Rec Path blog is in a new location.

John Bertelsen's Fixed Bianchi

2009-03-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

John Bertelsen offered to let me ride his new Bianchi.

Tilley Drive Path Presented to Council

2009-03-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

The Other Paper reported Lou's presentation to City Council about the progress of the Tilley Drive path to Community Drive on February 17, 2009.

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

2009-02-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

From the LAB American Bicyclist Update ---

* The draft of the next edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) was issued for public comment in January 2008. FHWA received over 15,000 comments, with little opposition over the proposed items for bicyclists - new shared lane markings, improved guide signing and added signing for narrow lanes. FHWA will have a decision by late 2009 or early 2010 resulting in either a new edition of the MUTCD or a revised draft for public input.

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/

* The American Association of State Highway & Transportaion Officials AASHTO is developing a new edition of their Guide for Bicycle Facilities. The BTC is ensuring consistency between the new MUTCD and new AASHTO Guide. This next edition of the Bike Guide is expected in late 2009.

http://www.transportation.org/

*

Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Planning and Design Manual

2009-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Standards for paths and bicycle lanes.

Find separate chapters in individual pdf documents in the Vermont Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Planning and Design Manual.

Street Width Documents

2009-02-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

In order to recommend paint treatment and signs, we made a list of major streets in South Burlington that are used by bicycles and their status.

The street width documents may be found in the RecPath folder.

Hinesburg Road.
- Recently rebuilt and repainted with 11' lanes and 4' striped bike lanes
Williston Road Route 2.
- Major reconstruction awaits the regional corridor study.
Kennedy Drive.
- Rebuilt and laned in 2007 - 2008
Dorset Street
- North of National Golf has adjacent rec path; nothing recommended
Swift Street
- Consider sharrows between Farrell Park and Spear Street
- Spear to Dorset is narrow and has adjacent rec path
- Dave & Lou will gather width data
Allen Road
- Dave & Lou will gather width data
Kimball Avenue
- Suggest sharrows where the bike lanes disappear where there is a center left turn lane