The City has been investigating the possibility of developing a
Transportation Center throughout the 1990s. In 1992 and 1993, the Metropolitan
Planning Organization funded studies on the concept and feasibility of a
facility. In 1997, the City hired Wallace, Floyd, Associates to complete a
feasibility study for a Multimodal Transportation Zone. The Transportation Zone
would contain the new Train Station at Union Station and another facility to
accommodate additional transportation modes. The Wallace, Floyd, Associates’
study forms the basis for the current Multimodal Transportation Center plan.
Current intermodal connections between the regional and intercity bus
systems, ferry service and future passenger rail are either inadequate or
nonexistent. The Vermont Transit operation on Main Street was cumbersome and
inefficient as well as an inappropriate use of a prominent downtown site.
Vermont Transit’s temporary operation at Pine Street, while operationally
functional, offers no intermodal connection.
The Chittenden County Transportation Authority has outgrown its existing
Cherry Street terminal space. CCTA’s five-year Short Range Transit Plan for
public transportation in Chittenden County called for relocating their principal
downtown terminal to accommodate existing and planned operations.
Pedestrian and bicycle activity are significant contributors to the
transportation system and are basic elements of any intermodal system; however,
pedestrians require short walks between modes and bicyclists require racks and
lockers—none of which are provided by Burlington’s existing transportation
system.
A 1.5 acre trapezoidal site has been chosen for the construction of a new
Multimodal Transportation Center. It is the block bounded by Battery, Main, Lake
and College Streets. The site is steeply sloped, dropping approximately 23 feet
from Battery Street to Lake Street. Current uses on the site include a service
station, video rental shop, and a decorating store.
The site is ideally located close to the ferry terminal, Union Station, and
the College Street Shuttle, and provides an excellent opportunity to
interconnect regional bus, intercity bus, commuter rail, ferry, bicycle,
pedestrian and shuttle and circulator bus systems.
The development of a Multimodal Transportation Center strategically located
on Battery Street at the juncture of Downtown and the Waterfront achieves three
of the City’s transportation and land use goals:
- The development of the Multimodal Center ensures full access
to the Downtown/Waterfront area for the future, without expanding the
roadway network, by capturing autos before they enter the downtown, and by
reducing auto-dependency for downtown trips.
- A Multimodal Center located at the intersection of rail,
intercity and regional bus, and ferry operations maximizes transit options
and transfers between modes, and provides a pleasant, comfortable
environment for transit patrons.
- The design for the Multimodal Center provides a mixed-use
building with an active, pedestrian-friendly retail frontage, parking, and
housing and/or office space on the upper floors, consistent with the City’s
waterfront development goals.
As the project concept has recently been developed, the majority of the
development work lies ahead. Land acquisition, permitting, environmental studies
and mitigation, construction and lease-up are anticipated to take from three to
five years to complete. The City has recently placed the project on the official
City map. Impacted property owners have been notified of the City’s intent to
proceed with the project and acquire their property.
Circulation and parking issues associated with this proposed development will
be addressed through a Comprehensive Traffic, Parking and Circulation Plan
outlined previously.
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