Saturday, October 01, 2016
Berlin News to Know June 23, 2016
BERLIN NEWS
TO KNOW June 23, 2016
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This communication
is put together and distributed on a volunteer basis by resident Corinne
Stridsberg simply in an effort to share information and build community, it is
not from the town of Berlin.
Please share this with
your Berlin friends and neighbors. If you're not already
receiving this news directly by email, send an email to request this to corinnestridsberg@gmail.com.
*
For
current news look for "Berlin, Vermont" on facebook for a
constant flow of information. You don't need to be a facebook user to
access it, but if you do use facebook, be sure to "Like" it:
For
historical news look for "Berlin, Vermont Memories" on
facebook.
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Note:
It’s been almost a month
since you last heard from me – we had a college graduation and two college
visits combined with getting to see some family and friends that kept us
busy. Last weekend I spent the weekend down at the Vermont History Expo
at Tunbridge Fairgrounds - more on that in the next update.
Speaking of history –
Ethan Allen returns… interested in what his comments would be as to the changes
that have occurred? See details below.
Looking forward to seeing
“RumbleCaddy” on Saturday, June 25th in the ‘Not Quite Independence Day’
(NQID) parade at 11am over in Waterbury – son Michael is in this band. www.facebook.com/RumbleCaddy-836163939862123 . Fireworks Saturday night.
Also on Saturday be sure
to go by One Stop Country Pet Supply and join in on the celebration!
Daughter Lora will be there as she sells cat toys at all three of their stores.
Montpelier celebrates on
July 3rd, activities start at
2pm, parade at 6pm, fireworks 9:30pm. Lots more details here:www.montpelieralive.org/DocumentCenter/View/500
From Brent Curtis on the
“Road Diet” – “We have been adding bicycle lanes around the state. I hope that
you will give these new additions a chance to work. Sharing the road is not
always easy. It is up to all of us to work together to make our highways safe
for everyone who travels on them. Please do the best you can to coexist with
cars, bicycles motorcycles and pedestrians as we incorporate these new lanes.
Take your time, be understanding and remember to respect one another.”
Below you will find:
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY
AT ONE STOP COUNTRY PET SUPPLY
YARD AND BOOK SALE
DRAFT OF PROPOSED BERLIN
ZONING REGULATIONS
TOWN CHARTER REVISIONS
INCLUDE LOCAL OPTION TAX
NURSE POSITION AT BERLIN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SUMMER STORY TIME AT THE
BERLIN FIRE STATION
ETHAN ALLEN RETURNS TO
VERMONT
CAMPING BASICS
VENTURE VERMONT OUTDOOR
CHALENGE
BERLIN POND
JUNE EDITION OF BERLIN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
BUS STOP CONVERSATIONS
JUNE ISSUE INCLUDES U-32 LIBRARY SUMMER HOURS
UPCOMING MEETINGS
SWIMMING HOLE TRAFFIC
CREATING PROBLEMS
CHAMBER RESUMES SALES TAX
OPPOSITION
ROAD DIET QUESTIONS AND
CONCERNS
BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD
CHANGES NOW PUT TO THE TEST
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CUSTOMER
APPRECIATION DAY AT ONE STOP COUNTRY PET SUPPLY
Saturday, June 25 10am –
3pm there will be free raffles and give-a-ways, free product samples and
coupons, live radio broadcasts, and more. One Stop is at 1284 US Route
302 in the Twin City Plaza. Regular hours are 10am – 6pm, seven days a week.
***
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YARD
AND BOOK SALE
JUNE 23rd –
25th 620 Paine Turnpike South - follow
signs from Applebees
Cook books, gardening
books, craft books, Vermont Life and woodworking magazines, novels and
hardbacks. Linens, dishware, baskets, DVD’s, puzzles, wood sap buckets,
milk cans, Yamaha badger 4 wheeler, doghouse, westlo 6.0 dx exerciser, ceiling
fan, swimming pool, nice backpacks, old round piano stool with claw/glass ball
feet, wood whiskey barrel and good roll of carpet underlament
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DRAFT
OF PROPOSED BERLIN ZONING REGULATIONS
There is a lot to
consider in the proposed zoning regulations. Meeting notes, comments on
the draft and more can be found at: http://placesense.com/berlin
If you’re looking just
for the current draft of the zoning regulations, here is an easy link:
Your comments and
concerns are welcome, please send them to zoning@berlinvt.org
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TOWN
CHARTER REVISIONS INCLUDE LOCAL OPTION TAX
Many thanks to Jeremy
Hansen for putting together two videos about the Charter revisions. I’ve
taken the liberty to combine a post of his with a bit more information:
The Town Charter is the
document that allows our town to override certain parts of Vermont Statute to
do things that are specific to Berlin. The process starts with the Charter
Change Committee and the Selectboard discussing what should go into the
Charter. The first of two public hearings was June 20th
and the second is June 27th (6:30pm at Berlin Elementary School), about
the revisions to the Charter. Third, the residents of the Town vote--this
vote will be held on the same day as the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 9th (at the
Town offices or vote early/absentee ballot). The sections
that pass will go to the State Legislature where they will vote on the changes
in the following session--January 2017 at the earliest for us. If all of these
hurdles are crossed, then the Charter is updated.
Here are the formal
warning documents about the Charter Change:
Two walkthroughs of the
documents related to this change are here:
Part 1 (~12 minutes): https://youtu.be/NiZqTBmrDCA
Part 2 (~3 minutes): https://youtu.be/SspOYHuE5dA
Part 2 (~3 minutes): https://youtu.be/SspOYHuE5dA
The
four items registered voters will have before them August 9th regarding
revisions to the Charter:
1.
Proposed Charter changes authorizing the Selectboard to establish and maintain
an Administrative Code which will define operational and administrative
standards, processes, and procedures for the Town as well as changes to the
Charter that move Town procedures to the Administrative Code.
2.
Proposed Charter changes to allow the Selectboard to enact a local option sales
tax.
3.
Proposed Charter changes to allow for the adoption and enforcement of
Ordinances for the purpose of regulating, licensing, and fixing license fees
and fines.
4.
Proposed Charter changes to allow the Selectboard to forgive delinquent
property taxes,
sewer
use charges, and water use charges, when the amount due is less than five
dollars ($5).
***
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NURSE
POSITION AT BERLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Evidently the nurse
position at Berlin Elementary School is open and it is going to again be full
time (posted June 10, 2016) https://www.schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=2671340
***
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SUMMER
STORY TIME AT THE BERLIN FIRE STATION
Kellogg-Hubbard Library
Summer Story Time will be on the road including Thursday, July 7 10am at the
Berlin Volunteer Fire Station. Sit in a real fire truck. Stories,
songs, finger plays, and everyone goes home with a new book.
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ETHAN
ALLEN RETURNS TO VERMONT
The editor has learned on
good authority that infamous trouble maker and Vermont patriot , Ethan
Allen, is returning to Vermont after an absence of two centuries and is
addressing the multitude attending the GOP picnic at the Barre Granite Museum
on July 10. The topic? "What Has Happened to my Beloved
Vermont?" He will speak in the afternoon along with gubernatorial
candidates Phil Scott and Bruce Lisman and local Republican candidates.
Attendance for speeches alone is free; picnic, museum tour and games come with
tickets ranging from $17.50 to $35 per person.
Contact Pat McDonald for
tickets at 802-371-7080 or patmcdonald444@gmail.com
***
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CAMPING
BASICS
Been thinking of going
camping and you've either never gone or would consider yourself a novice? Here
is a series of videos on camping basics, each only a minute or two long each.
***
***
VENTURE
VERMONT OUTDOOR CHALENGE
Are you and your family
working on completing the Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge? Or maybe you're
enjoying your free State Park pass this season from completing the challenge
last year. Here's the link to the 2016 score card. If you'll be working on the
challenge, be sure to 'like' the Vermont State Park facebook page to find out
about bonus activities.
***
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BERLIN
POND
The Bridge, May 5, 2016
On Berlin Pond regulation - "Kitzmiller said he will introduce the bill
again next year. Next year’s legislature will have a new governor, possibly new
people in the Agency of Natural Resources and new faces in the committee rooms.
“I will keep at this until somebody finally does the right thing … or until the
pond gets so bad we have to find another warter source for the Capital City."
***
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JUNE
EDITION OF BERLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Lot’s of news to read
including some student reflections along with some great photographs. Did
you know the garden was dedicated to Anne Burke and that there is a Little Free
Library there?
Note that there was not a
May newsletter. http://berlinschool.org/images/stories/pdfs/Current%20Newsletter.pdf
***
***
BUS
STOP CONVERSATIONS JUNE ISSUE INCLUDES U-32 LIBRARY SUMMER HOURS
Take a moment to look at
this issue that has photos of the Anne Burke Community Garden, the annual U-32
Book Buddy Day, and Mark Chaplin has been inducted to the RunVermont Hall of
Fame. Note that the U-32 Library Summer hours are: Thursday, June 30th 8am-2pm
along with four Fridays, July 15, July 22, July 29, and August 12 8am – 2pm.
***
***
UPCOMING
MEETINGS
Public Hearing on
proposed Town Charter revisions, Monday, June 27th 6:30pm at Berlin Elementary School.
*
The Sewer Commission
meets Monday, June 27th 7pm
at the Town office.
*
Town offices will be
closed on Monday, July 4th and
the Selectboard meeting instead meet on Wednesday, July 6th
*
The next Berlin School
Renovation Project meeting will be on Tuesday, July 5th 7pm
at the school. The committee is reviewing failing systems, building
safety, energy efficiency, code compliance and student needs working toward
proposing a bond vote in November. Contact Chris Winters at 223-8101
with questions. They will continue to meet this summer every other
Tuesday.
***
***
SWIMMING HOLE TRAFFIC CREATING PROBLEMS
Pub.
6/22/16 Times Argus by David Delcore
BERLIN — Those who frequent a popular swimming hole on the Dog River in Berlin
are being blamed for clogging a narrow road just off Route 12 with their
haphazardly parked vehicles.
Road Commissioner Tim Davis called the problem to the attention of the Select Board this week, suggesting Lovers Lane has occasionally been impassable and some Chandler Road residents have been unable to get to their homes.
A recent stretch of sizzling summer days has brought people to the swimming hole in droves, according to Davis, who said many are parking “half in the road” on Lovers Lane.
Davis said he heard from at least two homeowners who couldn’t navigate the road, and said the same was certainly true of emergency vehicles.
“If a firetruck had to get to any of those houses, they’re not going to get through,” he said, urging the board to enact a parking prohibition on Lovers Lane.
“We really need to put some parking signs up,” he said, suggesting the message to motorists should be crystal clear: “If you park here you’re going to get towed.”
However, Chairman Ture Nelson said that, absent an ordinance revision, the board couldn’t just “unilaterally put up signs,” something it learned in 2012 when the Vermont Supreme Court struck down long-standing recreational restrictions involving Berlin Pond. In the immediate aftermath of that ruling, the pond that had been off-limits for decades attracted large numbers of outdoor enthusiasts who parked along Mirror Lake Road.
Nelson noted the board’s solution then was to lean on state law, which dictates how motor vehicles can be legally parked along public roads. Police left written warnings on cars parked illegally and the problem quickly resolved itself.
Nelson said the strategy that worked on Mirror Lake Road should work on Lovers Lane.
Nelson said the board could explore an idea suggested by Davis: whether the volunteer fire station in Riverton could be used as a parking alternative for those interested in hiking to the swimming hole, which is located beneath a trestle that crosses the river.
In other business Monday night, board members agreed to pay a premium for crushed gravel and accepted Barre Town Emergency Medical Services’ (BTEMS) offer of a four-month interim contract.
The latter decision will give the board time to solicit competitive proposals from those interested in providing ambulance service to Berlin. The town’s current contract with BTEMS will expire at the end of the month, and the interim arrangement for the four-month extension at the same price was necessary given the time it will take to receive and evaluate proposals.
The board, which approved the release of the request for proposals on Monday, is looking for a three-year contract with a two-year option that can be exercised within six months prior to its expiration. That’s what members thought they had with BTEMS before learning recently that the options had to be exercised when the contract was signed three years ago.
When it came to gravel used on roads, board members bypassed the low bids submitted by Pike Industries in favor of what it hopes will be a more tire-friendly product from Northeast Materials Group. Several residents apparently complained this year that the sharp stone provided by Pike was responsible for flat tires.
Pike’s bid for inch-and-a-half gravel was $7.95 a ton picked up at the pit, while Northeast Materials quoted $8.70-a-ton. Based on the town’s 5,000-ton order, that amounts to a difference of $3,750. The difference was even more pronounced when it came to three-quarter-inch gravel. Pike bid $6.75-a-ton and Northeast Materials bid $8.70-a-ton, both picked up at the pit. That translates into paying an extra $9,750 for 5,000 tons.
By accepting Northeast Materials’ bid the board agreed to pay an extra $13,500 for gravel it hopes won’t generate complaints from residents with flat tires.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
Road Commissioner Tim Davis called the problem to the attention of the Select Board this week, suggesting Lovers Lane has occasionally been impassable and some Chandler Road residents have been unable to get to their homes.
A recent stretch of sizzling summer days has brought people to the swimming hole in droves, according to Davis, who said many are parking “half in the road” on Lovers Lane.
Davis said he heard from at least two homeowners who couldn’t navigate the road, and said the same was certainly true of emergency vehicles.
“If a firetruck had to get to any of those houses, they’re not going to get through,” he said, urging the board to enact a parking prohibition on Lovers Lane.
“We really need to put some parking signs up,” he said, suggesting the message to motorists should be crystal clear: “If you park here you’re going to get towed.”
However, Chairman Ture Nelson said that, absent an ordinance revision, the board couldn’t just “unilaterally put up signs,” something it learned in 2012 when the Vermont Supreme Court struck down long-standing recreational restrictions involving Berlin Pond. In the immediate aftermath of that ruling, the pond that had been off-limits for decades attracted large numbers of outdoor enthusiasts who parked along Mirror Lake Road.
Nelson noted the board’s solution then was to lean on state law, which dictates how motor vehicles can be legally parked along public roads. Police left written warnings on cars parked illegally and the problem quickly resolved itself.
Nelson said the strategy that worked on Mirror Lake Road should work on Lovers Lane.
Nelson said the board could explore an idea suggested by Davis: whether the volunteer fire station in Riverton could be used as a parking alternative for those interested in hiking to the swimming hole, which is located beneath a trestle that crosses the river.
In other business Monday night, board members agreed to pay a premium for crushed gravel and accepted Barre Town Emergency Medical Services’ (BTEMS) offer of a four-month interim contract.
The latter decision will give the board time to solicit competitive proposals from those interested in providing ambulance service to Berlin. The town’s current contract with BTEMS will expire at the end of the month, and the interim arrangement for the four-month extension at the same price was necessary given the time it will take to receive and evaluate proposals.
The board, which approved the release of the request for proposals on Monday, is looking for a three-year contract with a two-year option that can be exercised within six months prior to its expiration. That’s what members thought they had with BTEMS before learning recently that the options had to be exercised when the contract was signed three years ago.
When it came to gravel used on roads, board members bypassed the low bids submitted by Pike Industries in favor of what it hopes will be a more tire-friendly product from Northeast Materials Group. Several residents apparently complained this year that the sharp stone provided by Pike was responsible for flat tires.
Pike’s bid for inch-and-a-half gravel was $7.95 a ton picked up at the pit, while Northeast Materials quoted $8.70-a-ton. Based on the town’s 5,000-ton order, that amounts to a difference of $3,750. The difference was even more pronounced when it came to three-quarter-inch gravel. Pike bid $6.75-a-ton and Northeast Materials bid $8.70-a-ton, both picked up at the pit. That translates into paying an extra $9,750 for 5,000 tons.
By accepting Northeast Materials’ bid the board agreed to pay an extra $13,500 for gravel it hopes won’t generate complaints from residents with flat tires.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
***
***
CHAMBER RESUMES SALES TAX OPPOSITION
Pub.
6/22/16 Times Argus by David Delcore
BERLIN —
A Select Board-backed proposal to create a 1 percent local sales tax this week
predictably generated some criticism during the first of two public hearings on
a package of charter changes that Berlin voters will be asked to approve when
they go to the polls Aug. 9.
The hearing didn’t draw a crowd and while none of the four residents in attendance Monday had much to say about the proposed tax, two out-of-town visitors did. Both William Moore, president of the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce and his predecessor, George Malek, unloaded on what they characterized as a horribly inefficient alternative to the local property tax.
Speaking on behalf of the 300-member chamber — an organization that includes 60 Berlin businesses — Moore expressed its “unqualified opposition” to creating a local 1 percent sales tax in the largely rural, but partly commercial community.
“The chamber firmly believes that this new tax increase will have a negative effect on local purchases, will not benefit the town of Berlin as proponents claim it will, and will ultimately drive up the cost of purchases made, harming the consumer,” Moore said, dusting off the talking points he successfully deployed earlier this year when voters in Barre and Montpelier confronted similar tax proposals.
Montpelier voters passed a 1 percent tax on rooms, meals and alcohol, while Barre voters rejected a full slate of option taxes, including a 1 percent sales tax.
The Select Board in Berlin, which is home to central Vermont’s largest shopping complex — the Berlin Mall — and the heavily commercial Barre-Montpelier Road, is focused solely on the sales, which according to conservative estimates, would generate $600,000 in new revenue.
However, Moore was quick to note that once the state takes its 30 percent cut, the town would only see $420,000 of that new money.
Moore questioned the wisdom of draining $600,000 in “buying power” out of the local economy, a move that would put traditional retailers already being squeezed by online shopping options, at an added disadvantage.
“Adding a 1 percent tax increase gives consumers a 1 percent reason to shop somewhere else,” he said.
Moore was also critical of the fact that while the board has identified a 1 percent local sales tax as “… an alternative method for raising municipal revenue,” it hasn’t publicly stated what that money would be used for if the charter change is approved.
The board hasn’t committed, as city councilors in Barre did in the runup to that community’s failed town Meeting Day vote, to use the money to reduce property taxes, or to fund infrastructure improvements, as is the plan in Montpelier.
“It is found money for the town,” he said.
Moore went on to note that while it is easy to write off the 1 percent tax as nominal in the context of most purchases, he said when it is applied to building materials for home renovation projects and major appliances, it is real money.
“That’s no longer a cup of coffee,” he said.
Board members seemed genuinely confused whether the proposed tax would be applied to taxable items — including building materials — that are delivered to Berlin even if they are purchased from businesses located in communities where no such tax exists.
Malek said he believed the answer to that question is “yes,” and resident Robert Wernecke told the board that is his understanding as well.
“It sounds to me like there’s some confusion,” resident Louis Mier said, suggesting the board would be well-served to clarify the question before next Monday’s public hearing.
Malek, a long-time critic of local option taxes, echoed many of the sentiments expressed by Moore and said the board’s interest in the option tax was head-scratching.
“I find it difficult to envision exactly how this group got comfortable with the extreme waste that’s involved with the local options tax,” he said, describing it as far less efficient than the property tax.
While the local options tax generated the most public comment, residents also quizzed the board on a companion charter change that contemplates stripping many of the provisions out of the charter and placing them in a more easily amended “administrative code.”
Mier said she’d like to see what the proposed administrative code looked like before voting to make wholesale changes to the voter-approved charter.
“I just hope it is available before the August vote,” she said.
Meanwhile, Wernecke said the process for amending a municipal charter might be time-consuming, but he worried the administrative code could be changed at the whim of the Select Board.
“I’m a little bit bothered by the change in the process,” he said.
Malek suggested a “middle ground” that would require the board to hold two public hearings before amending the yet-to-be-written administrative code.
Chairman Ture Nelson said that was a reasonable suggestion.
The final public hearing will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Berlin Elementary School. A public vote on the proposed charter changes will be held in conjunction with the Aug. 9 primary election. Polls will be open at the municipal office building on Shed Road from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
The hearing didn’t draw a crowd and while none of the four residents in attendance Monday had much to say about the proposed tax, two out-of-town visitors did. Both William Moore, president of the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce and his predecessor, George Malek, unloaded on what they characterized as a horribly inefficient alternative to the local property tax.
Speaking on behalf of the 300-member chamber — an organization that includes 60 Berlin businesses — Moore expressed its “unqualified opposition” to creating a local 1 percent sales tax in the largely rural, but partly commercial community.
“The chamber firmly believes that this new tax increase will have a negative effect on local purchases, will not benefit the town of Berlin as proponents claim it will, and will ultimately drive up the cost of purchases made, harming the consumer,” Moore said, dusting off the talking points he successfully deployed earlier this year when voters in Barre and Montpelier confronted similar tax proposals.
Montpelier voters passed a 1 percent tax on rooms, meals and alcohol, while Barre voters rejected a full slate of option taxes, including a 1 percent sales tax.
The Select Board in Berlin, which is home to central Vermont’s largest shopping complex — the Berlin Mall — and the heavily commercial Barre-Montpelier Road, is focused solely on the sales, which according to conservative estimates, would generate $600,000 in new revenue.
However, Moore was quick to note that once the state takes its 30 percent cut, the town would only see $420,000 of that new money.
Moore questioned the wisdom of draining $600,000 in “buying power” out of the local economy, a move that would put traditional retailers already being squeezed by online shopping options, at an added disadvantage.
“Adding a 1 percent tax increase gives consumers a 1 percent reason to shop somewhere else,” he said.
Moore was also critical of the fact that while the board has identified a 1 percent local sales tax as “… an alternative method for raising municipal revenue,” it hasn’t publicly stated what that money would be used for if the charter change is approved.
The board hasn’t committed, as city councilors in Barre did in the runup to that community’s failed town Meeting Day vote, to use the money to reduce property taxes, or to fund infrastructure improvements, as is the plan in Montpelier.
“It is found money for the town,” he said.
Moore went on to note that while it is easy to write off the 1 percent tax as nominal in the context of most purchases, he said when it is applied to building materials for home renovation projects and major appliances, it is real money.
“That’s no longer a cup of coffee,” he said.
Board members seemed genuinely confused whether the proposed tax would be applied to taxable items — including building materials — that are delivered to Berlin even if they are purchased from businesses located in communities where no such tax exists.
Malek said he believed the answer to that question is “yes,” and resident Robert Wernecke told the board that is his understanding as well.
“It sounds to me like there’s some confusion,” resident Louis Mier said, suggesting the board would be well-served to clarify the question before next Monday’s public hearing.
Malek, a long-time critic of local option taxes, echoed many of the sentiments expressed by Moore and said the board’s interest in the option tax was head-scratching.
“I find it difficult to envision exactly how this group got comfortable with the extreme waste that’s involved with the local options tax,” he said, describing it as far less efficient than the property tax.
While the local options tax generated the most public comment, residents also quizzed the board on a companion charter change that contemplates stripping many of the provisions out of the charter and placing them in a more easily amended “administrative code.”
Mier said she’d like to see what the proposed administrative code looked like before voting to make wholesale changes to the voter-approved charter.
“I just hope it is available before the August vote,” she said.
Meanwhile, Wernecke said the process for amending a municipal charter might be time-consuming, but he worried the administrative code could be changed at the whim of the Select Board.
“I’m a little bit bothered by the change in the process,” he said.
Malek suggested a “middle ground” that would require the board to hold two public hearings before amending the yet-to-be-written administrative code.
Chairman Ture Nelson said that was a reasonable suggestion.
The final public hearing will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Berlin Elementary School. A public vote on the proposed charter changes will be held in conjunction with the Aug. 9 primary election. Polls will be open at the municipal office building on Shed Road from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
***
***
ROAD
DIET QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS
If you have questions or
concerns regarding the newly painted lines and bike lanes (referred to as the
“Road Diet”) down on US Route 302 / the Barre-Montpelier
Road. Please contact Francine Perkins, Project Outreach Coordinator
at 479-6994 before July 12th.
BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD CHANGES NOW PUT TO THE TEST
Pub. 6/14/16 Times Argus
BERLIN — Safety-first modifications to the Barre-Montpelier Road are finally
being put to the test and state officials are less than 60 days away from
deciding whether the new, slimmed-down version of the state highway is
permanent or just passing through.
That call will be made before a paving contractor returns in mid-August to finish a $2.8 million job that started in April. Another coat of asphalt is definitely coming soon to the Barre-Montpelier Road and the only question is whether the accompanying pavement markings will preserve the “road diet” that is temporarily being tested on the well-traveled commercial strip.
Designated roadside bike lines — a happy byproduct of the new configuration — officially opened Monday and state officials now have a construction-free window to evaluate whether an idea that has worked elsewhere should be maintained, modified, or abandoned in Berlin.
According to John Kaplan, manager of the state Agency of Transportation’s bicycle and pedestrian program, the very early returns are mixed. Some predictably like the new-look Barre-Montpelier Road that’s still as wide as it ever was, even if less of it is now available to motorists. Others aren’t wild about the changes and some say it will take some getting used to.
Perhaps the biggest misconception about the project is the belief that the desire to add buffered bike lanes on both sides of the Barre-Montpelier Road was the driving force behind a project the state had hoped to complete last year.
That isn’t the case, according to Kaplan, who stressed that replacing the deteriorated surface of the strip of state highway that links central Vermont’s two largest cities created the opportunity to test the new road design.
“This is a paving project first and foremost,” he said, suggesting “safety” was the agency’s overriding concern.
In the context of that broader project, Kaplan said state officials, with local support, decided to experiment with a design concept that is advocated by the Federal Highway Administration for safety reasons.
“There’s a big safety benefit to a ‘road diet,’” he said, suggesting that eliminating unnecessary travel lanes on overbuilt highways creates fewer conflicts and accidents involving weaving vehicles.
According to Kaplan, national statistics point to a 19 to 41 percent reduction in the number of accidents in areas where road diets have been implemented. The results in New England states have been even more pronounced, he said.
That’s why state officials were willing to entertain a prolonged pause in the local paving project in order to assess how traffic would flow through a reconfigured roadway, and whether the presence of mostly buffered bike lanes would translate into an increase in the number of cyclists on the road.
Anecdotally, the answer to the latter question already appears to be “yes,” as cyclists, pedestrians and at least one man in a motorized wheelchair started taking advantage of the bike lanes even before they were officially open.
Kaplan said he has noticed the increase, and is hoping to see more now that the first round of paving is finished and the new pavement markings are in place.
“We are expecting that bike traffic is going to increase … but I’m also aware that we’re not Amsterdam, so I don’t think there is going to be a steady stream of bikes,” he said.
Pavement markings, which have been added incrementally over the last few weeks, now delineate both the 5-foot wide, edge-of-road bike lanes and a buffer that ranges from 2 to 5 feet through much of the work zone. There is no buffer — just the bike lane — on the narrowest portion of the road, which is located on the Barre end of the project.
Assuming the trial is successful, Kaplan said pavement makings could be tweaked in an effort to resolve any issues that are detected over the next few weeks. He said two key changes were made late last week based on recent observations.
Both of those changes involved the signalized intersection of the Barre-Montpelier Road, the Berlin State Highway, and Partridge Farm Road. The initial plan involved the elimination of a designated right turn lane for southbound motorists turning on to the Berlin State Highway. That lane has been restored in an effort to prevent rush-hour traffic from backing up at the intersection. Meanwhile, in a move designed to accommodate trucks turning right off of Berlin State Highway onto the Barre-Montpellier Road, the “Stop” bar for northbound motorists looking to turn right onto the Berlin State Highway was moved back some 30 feet.
According to Kaplan, both were viewed as necessary adjustments to optimize the functionality of the intersection and limit delays associated with the new design. The agency estimates that design will add roughly 13 seconds to the two minutes it typically takes to make it through a 1.9-mile stretch of road that includes three signalized intersections.
Based on federal standards, Kaplan said, there is no reason to believe the Barre-Montpelier Road as it is currently configured can’t comfortably handle the roughly 13,000 vehicles that use it on an average day.
Once four- and five-lanes wide in some sections, most of the reconfigured road now has only three lanes — one bound for Barre, another for Montpelier and a third shared lane for motorists heading in either direction looking to turn left into businesses along the strip.
According to Kaplan, the shared left-turn lane functions as it always has. However, instead of having to wait for a gap in two lanes of traffic, turning motorists have to cross one while keeping an eye out for occasional cyclists.
Kaplan said some criticisms of the work that has been done to date stem from the fact that the paving project is incomplete. Until the final coat of asphalt is applied in August, the transitions on either end of the construction zone will be uneven. For the same reason, manhole covers and drain grates are slightly exposed.
Kaplan did acknowledge a problem with the new railroad crossing near the signalized intersection to the Price Chopper plaza and said it would be addressed before the paving project is complete. He said early confusion about the bike lanes should be cleared up now that they specifically marked.
With all the markings now in place, the construction crews out of the way, and the bike lanes officially open, the agency can start monitoring everything from travel times and traffic counts to accidents and anecdotal observations from those who use the corridor.
In order to capture residents’ reactions and comments, Kaplan said, an online survey is expected to be posted at bit.ly/BikeLaneAhead by the end of this week.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
That call will be made before a paving contractor returns in mid-August to finish a $2.8 million job that started in April. Another coat of asphalt is definitely coming soon to the Barre-Montpelier Road and the only question is whether the accompanying pavement markings will preserve the “road diet” that is temporarily being tested on the well-traveled commercial strip.
Designated roadside bike lines — a happy byproduct of the new configuration — officially opened Monday and state officials now have a construction-free window to evaluate whether an idea that has worked elsewhere should be maintained, modified, or abandoned in Berlin.
According to John Kaplan, manager of the state Agency of Transportation’s bicycle and pedestrian program, the very early returns are mixed. Some predictably like the new-look Barre-Montpelier Road that’s still as wide as it ever was, even if less of it is now available to motorists. Others aren’t wild about the changes and some say it will take some getting used to.
Perhaps the biggest misconception about the project is the belief that the desire to add buffered bike lanes on both sides of the Barre-Montpelier Road was the driving force behind a project the state had hoped to complete last year.
That isn’t the case, according to Kaplan, who stressed that replacing the deteriorated surface of the strip of state highway that links central Vermont’s two largest cities created the opportunity to test the new road design.
“This is a paving project first and foremost,” he said, suggesting “safety” was the agency’s overriding concern.
In the context of that broader project, Kaplan said state officials, with local support, decided to experiment with a design concept that is advocated by the Federal Highway Administration for safety reasons.
“There’s a big safety benefit to a ‘road diet,’” he said, suggesting that eliminating unnecessary travel lanes on overbuilt highways creates fewer conflicts and accidents involving weaving vehicles.
According to Kaplan, national statistics point to a 19 to 41 percent reduction in the number of accidents in areas where road diets have been implemented. The results in New England states have been even more pronounced, he said.
That’s why state officials were willing to entertain a prolonged pause in the local paving project in order to assess how traffic would flow through a reconfigured roadway, and whether the presence of mostly buffered bike lanes would translate into an increase in the number of cyclists on the road.
Anecdotally, the answer to the latter question already appears to be “yes,” as cyclists, pedestrians and at least one man in a motorized wheelchair started taking advantage of the bike lanes even before they were officially open.
Kaplan said he has noticed the increase, and is hoping to see more now that the first round of paving is finished and the new pavement markings are in place.
“We are expecting that bike traffic is going to increase … but I’m also aware that we’re not Amsterdam, so I don’t think there is going to be a steady stream of bikes,” he said.
Pavement markings, which have been added incrementally over the last few weeks, now delineate both the 5-foot wide, edge-of-road bike lanes and a buffer that ranges from 2 to 5 feet through much of the work zone. There is no buffer — just the bike lane — on the narrowest portion of the road, which is located on the Barre end of the project.
Assuming the trial is successful, Kaplan said pavement makings could be tweaked in an effort to resolve any issues that are detected over the next few weeks. He said two key changes were made late last week based on recent observations.
Both of those changes involved the signalized intersection of the Barre-Montpelier Road, the Berlin State Highway, and Partridge Farm Road. The initial plan involved the elimination of a designated right turn lane for southbound motorists turning on to the Berlin State Highway. That lane has been restored in an effort to prevent rush-hour traffic from backing up at the intersection. Meanwhile, in a move designed to accommodate trucks turning right off of Berlin State Highway onto the Barre-Montpellier Road, the “Stop” bar for northbound motorists looking to turn right onto the Berlin State Highway was moved back some 30 feet.
According to Kaplan, both were viewed as necessary adjustments to optimize the functionality of the intersection and limit delays associated with the new design. The agency estimates that design will add roughly 13 seconds to the two minutes it typically takes to make it through a 1.9-mile stretch of road that includes three signalized intersections.
Based on federal standards, Kaplan said, there is no reason to believe the Barre-Montpelier Road as it is currently configured can’t comfortably handle the roughly 13,000 vehicles that use it on an average day.
Once four- and five-lanes wide in some sections, most of the reconfigured road now has only three lanes — one bound for Barre, another for Montpelier and a third shared lane for motorists heading in either direction looking to turn left into businesses along the strip.
According to Kaplan, the shared left-turn lane functions as it always has. However, instead of having to wait for a gap in two lanes of traffic, turning motorists have to cross one while keeping an eye out for occasional cyclists.
Kaplan said some criticisms of the work that has been done to date stem from the fact that the paving project is incomplete. Until the final coat of asphalt is applied in August, the transitions on either end of the construction zone will be uneven. For the same reason, manhole covers and drain grates are slightly exposed.
Kaplan did acknowledge a problem with the new railroad crossing near the signalized intersection to the Price Chopper plaza and said it would be addressed before the paving project is complete. He said early confusion about the bike lanes should be cleared up now that they specifically marked.
With all the markings now in place, the construction crews out of the way, and the bike lanes officially open, the agency can start monitoring everything from travel times and traffic counts to accidents and anecdotal observations from those who use the corridor.
In order to capture residents’ reactions and comments, Kaplan said, an online survey is expected to be posted at bit.ly/BikeLaneAhead by the end of this week.
david.delcore @timesargus.com
More
coverage on the Road Diet: www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/vtrans-makes-room-for-bikers-and-pedestrians#.V2rVu5bV_xU.twitter
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# posted by Corinne's blog of Berlin and area happenings @ 7:09 PM 
