What Exactly is the "Single-Lane-on-Hybrid-Footprint" Design?

When we started working to build support for a one-lane roundabout at the Shelburne-Willard-St. Paul intersection, there were two proposed designs on the table: a single-lane roundabout (which we support), and a "hybrid" roundabout (which we oppose). The main difference between them was that the "hybrid" version has an extra lane tacked on the side to allow people who are heading north from Shelburne Road up Willard Street to bypass the roundabout and shoot by in their own lane. We oppose this design because it is a lot less safe -- for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists alike -- than the plain old one-lane roundabout. (It also doesn't qualify for the 100% VTrans funding that would come with the one-lane version.)

If that wasn't complicated enough for you, the Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee (TEUC) of the city council has now added a third version to the mix. At their meeting on Friday, February 6, they endorsed a "single-lane-on-hybrid-footprint" design. We're endorsing this version even though it has "hybrid" in the name. Read on and we'll explain why the TEUC's version is worth supporting.

What the TEUC endorsed was a design that, once it is built, will for all practical purposes be the single-lane design. However, it will be built such that it can be converted to the "hybrid" design -- that is, with the added lane on the east side of the roundabout -- if traffic and safety assessments indicate that the hybrid would in fact work better. For this reason, the TEUC resolution calls for biannual assessments of the roundabout's performance to ensure that the single-lane version is doing the job.

We are endorsing their resolution because we are confident that a single lane design will work great from all angles, from traffic capacity to accident rates to pedestrian safety -- and that it will therefore never need to be converted to a "hybrid" design. The most important thing at this point is to move forward and get this project going. Therefore, we urge the city council to endorse the resolution and move forward without delay.

We're Almost There!

The Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee of the city council voted Friday, February 6 to endorse the one-lane-on-hybrid-footprint design. While they did not endorse a straight-up single lane design, their vote is nonetheless a step in the right direction given the committee's previous endorsement of the two-lane (hybrid) version.

But we're not there yet! The City Council votes Monday night on whether to go ahead with this project, which will have 100% funding from VTrans. Our key goal at this point is to ensure that council doesn't back out at the last minute, either because of waffling ("we need more studies") or because of a vocal presence by the small minority of folks who are opposed to the roundabout entirely.

There are two things you can do to help make sure city council endorses the single-lane roundabout design:

1. SUNDAY OR MONDAY: Email all the city councilors (addresses are below) to ask them to vote in favor of the resolution endorsing a single-lane roundabout design at the Monday meeting. Emphasize the importance of moving ahead on this project without any further delay, both to improve safety as soon as possible and to avoid losing state funding for the project.
2. MONDAY: Come to the City Council meeting Monday night (February 9) in Contois Auditorium to show your support for the one-lane design. The Public comment portion of the meeting starts at 7:30 pm, but you have to sign up in advance to speak, so if you want to comment, be sure to get there by 7:15 or so.

Here are all the city councilors' emails:
sharon.bushor@vtmednet.org, pdecelles@comcast.net, rrellis@burlingtontelecom.net, vinewright@burlingtontelecom.net, janeknodell@burlingtontelecom.net, davidsframeshop@aol.com, timashe@burlingtontelecom.net, clarencedavis@burlingtontelecom.net, bkeoghsr@yahoo.com, jshannon@burlingtontelecom.net, amontroll@aol.com, paulfin@sover.net, eadrian@comcast.net

You can read the resolution that the TEUC endorsed on Friday (and that the full council will vote on Monday) at: http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/citycouncil/agendas/