BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A warning for drivers headed down East Avenue in Burlington–crews have installed some new curbs and islands in the road that officials hope will slow people down and make the road safer for everyone.
The changes incl;ude three chicanes and two raised crosswalks that were installed in response to neighborhood concerns about high speeds and dangerous situations for pedestrians and cyclists.
“I noticed this stop sign tends to get skipped most of the time, so I think people definitely rush through,” said Reagan Lockhart, a local resident.
Burlington Public Works Director Chapin Spencer says there have been 65 crashes in the area over the past nine years including 14 that involved injuries. He says the street has a 25 mph speed limit but that actual speeds average 33 mph. “We know we struggled to provide as much enforcement as we want to on the roads, so we are looking to design our roads to be self-enforcing.”
Spencer says the high volume of traffic and the need to accommodate emergency vehicles headed to the nearby hospital meant that other traffic calming measures like medians and speed bumps couldn’t be used. “These chicanes not only slow traffic but we have worked with UVM Medical Center to make sure that ambulance service will still have a through path,” he said.
Those we spoke with in the neighborhood said they like what they see. “people will go as fast as they can and think that they can get away with it, so I think that traffic calming measures are a great idea,” said Don Welch.
“I’ll be walking over to the hospital starting my job soon. So, that crosswalk, I think it’ll definitely be nice. Even though they have the push-to-walk sign, I think that’ll be an extra preventative measure,” Lockhart said.
Some residents we spoke to say they are excited to see how the chicanes function and how drivers handle them once the permanent structures are left.