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College Street Waterfront Access Project

This project received Honorable Mention in the 2008/2009 Vermont Public Space Awards: This is an awards program organized to honor Vermont's public spaces. The Vermont Public Space Awards recognizes special exterior or interior spaces, accessible to the public, which have been defined or enriched by design or planning, and to recognize regulations, studies, plans or policies which promote positive, active uses of Vermont's public spaces.

Phase I Construction Underway

The City has begun construction on phase 1 of the College Street Waterfront Access Project improvements. These improvements include new decking at the boathouse, upgrading the paths to the boathouse, sheet pile retaining walls and new sidewalk on Lake Street between Main and College Street. This work will be conducted by Engineers Construction Incorporated and the City's own workforce.

Phase II Construction Contract Awarded to Local Company

S.D. Ireland Brothers Corporation, of Burlington, was awarded the contract for construction of the College Street Improvements Project Phase II. This $2,110,501 contract is a significant investment by the City into the Waterfront infrastructure.

The improvements undertaken in this contract include reconstruction of the Pease parking lot to accommodate tour bus and school bus drop off and pick up, reconstruction of the circle at the bottom of College Street to accommodate public transit, the reconstruction of College Street from Battery Street to the boathouse (including the undergrounding of utilities) to improve pedestrian and vehicle flow, re-grading of the parking area to the rear of the Leahy Center, new parking technology and public rest rooms and information area adjacent to the Pease lot.

Design Plans at 30% and 65%

On October 25, 2007, the Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee of the City Council had a presentation from Resource System Group and City staff on the status of the College Street Waterfront Access Project plans.  Click here to view this presentation in a printable PDF format. To open, view and/or print this document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a current copy of this free software, you can download it now. If you need this document in an alternative format, please call 865-7144.

The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee of the City Council reviewed the plans and offered their comments. This committee reviewed the progress of the plans again at 65% complete. Below are selected images of the design plans.

Please contact Kirsten Merriman Shapiro at kmerriman@ci.burlington.vt.us with any questions or comments.

The Project Area

The College Street Waterfront Access Project focuses on the intersections of College and Battery Street; Main and Battery Street and College and Lake Street; Lake Street from Main Street north to the northern extent of the Pease Grain surface parking lot and College Street west to the Lake Champlain Shore.  

The development of this project is being funded by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). These funds are administered by the Federal Highway Administration with oversight by VTrans (Vermont Agency of Transportation).

In 2005, through the efforts of Senator Leahy, the City of Burlington received $3.5 million for specific transportation improvements on Burlington's Waterfront from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity: A Legacy for User (SAFETEA) Act which provided transportation funding to communities all across the country.

Identified Concerns

There were four public local concerns meetings: December 2005, March 2006 and two on October 30, 2006. These meetings provided the community an opportunity to identify local concerns about the project area and discuss possible transportation improvements. There was a general consensus on improving circulation and access around the waterfront for all modes with particular emphasis on enhancing the safety and clarity of pedestrian travel.

You can view a printable PDF version of the project area outlining local concerns here.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a current copy of this free software, you can download it now. If you would like to read a description of the identified issues and possible improvements, click here.

Design Alternatives

The City has hired the consulting team of Resource Systems Group, SE Group and Engineering Ventures to develop possible design alternatives.

The City Council Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee (TEUC) and the City Council Parks, Arts and Culture Committee (PACC) met jointly on January 16, 2007 to discuss the College Street Waterfront Access Project.

You can view a printable PDF version of the base map as well as the three design alternatives here.  You can also view the base improvements, Alternative 1, Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 as JPG files.  If you would like to read a description of the base map and the three design alternatives, click here.

More than 200 people participated in public meetings and provided comments to the City regarding this project.

Preferred Design Selected

The community has shown great interest in this project with over 100 people participating in the public meetings on January 24 and giving the City feedback on the proposed design alternatives.

The consultant and City staff have reviewed and considered all of the comments received to develop a preferred alternative with the Waterfront Marketplace Downtown Advisory Group. To view a printable PDF version of the preferred alternative (phases 1 and 2), click here. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a current copy of this free software, you can download it now. If you would like to read a description of the preferred alternative (phases 1 and 2), click here.

The comments on the design alternatives fell into two categories:  project specific comments (PDF version) and broader citywide policy issues (PDF version) that will be shared with the ongoing citywide transportation planning.  To read a description of the project specific comments, click here.  To read a description of the broader citywide policy issues, click here.

The preferred alternative was presented at the following City Commission meetings:

• Public Works Commission on February 7 at 6:15 pm at 645 Pine Street
• Planning Commission on February 13 at 6:30 pm at City Hall Room 12
• Parks Commission on February 20 at 5:00 pm at 645 Pine Street

The City Council Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee (TEUC) and the City Council Parks, Arts and Culture Committee (PACC) met jointly on February 26, 2007 to discuss and review the preferred alternative.

The TEUC and PACC recommended to the Mayor and City Council in March 2007 that this preferred alternative design be constructed. Construction could begin in the spring of 2009.

For more information on other City of Burlington transportation projects, go to http://www.dpw.ci.burlington.vt.us/transportation/.