Champlain Parkway: Let's shape a roadway our City can love!
The Pine Street Coalition—a Grassroots Volunteer Community Group
For a Cheaper, Greener, Quicker and Much Safer Roadway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 21, 2020
Contacts:
Pine Street Coalition Tony Redington 343-6616
Post Office Box 8726 Steve Goodkind 316-6045
Burlington, VT 05402 Charles Simpson 865-5110
Donna Walters 734-2339
For photos: Carolyn Bates 238-4213
FOUR MORE MONTHS DELAY TO MAY FOR ADDED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE OUTREACH TO IDENTIFY DISPROPORTIONATE SHIFTS OF TRAFFIC HAZARDS AND BURDEN TO A CITY LOW INCOME, RACIALLY DIVERSE
NEIGHBORHOOD—NO 2020 CONSTRUCTION
BURLINGTON VERMONT, JANUARY 21, 2020 -- Environmental justice impacts of
the Champlain Parkway receive four more months scrutiny as the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), VTrans and the City of Burlington further examine the project's
possible disproportionate impact on affected minority and low-income residents.
After local grassroots organization Pine Street Coalition (Coalition) filed a
federal National Environmental Policy Act lawsuit last June, FHWA admitted that
outreach to minority and low-income residents, required by new federal regulations,
needed attention. Last October US District Court (Court) granted a 90 day stay of the
lawsuit to allow the City, VTrans and FHWA to hear comments about the impacts of
the $47 million project on one of the City's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. In a January 17 Court filing FHWA—following a September public meeting, neighborhood
meetings and receiving comment—requests an additional four months to prepare a
report and possible reinstatement of an environmental document rescinded last
October 11.
The project corridor runs along Pine Street through the heart of the Maple King
Streets neighborhood, Burlington's second highest low income and most diverse
neighborhood. Census data shows over 80% of households have either moderate or
poverty incomes. The neighborhood is home to many refugee and immigrant families
as well as retirees.
Although the project has been under consideration since the mid 1960's, the
decision to run the highway along Pine Street to Main Street is a recent change in the
project design, introduced in the now obsolete controlling 2009 environmental
document. "The City previously opposed this route, because of the impacts to the
community," said Steve Goodkind, the former Burlington City Engineer.
“The City had already rejected this route because it does not meet the objective of the
project, which is getting traffic out of community streets,” he said.
Donna Walters, a Maple Street resident who spoke at the September Outreach
Meeting pointed to substantial future traffic increases in the King Maple neighborhood
when fumes from backed up traffic now pollute the air to the point that many in her
apartment building have to keep their windows shut in the summer for protection
from breathing vehicle exhausts. “This will only worsen living conditions for us,” she
said.
"The project shifts the negative impacts of a highway -- traffic, noise, pollution,
and most importantly serious safety risks to pedestrians and bicyclists -- from a
high income neighborhood to this low-income neighborhood," said Tony
Redington of the Coalition. "That is exactly what federal environmental justice review
is meant to avoid." The grassroots group has long advocated
for a slimmer Parkway with “best practices” safe-for-all-modes roundabouts
instead adding a half dozen dangerous traffic signals.
“Clearly the Parkway construction cannot occur this year, unlikely in 2021,” said
Redington for the Coalition. “Time and money can be saved by undertaking a
Parkway re-design meeting the needs of the South End of today now
unaddressed, including safety for those who walk and bike and global heating,” said
Redington. The current design has no sidewalks or safe/separate bicycle facilities,
Redington added.
