Burlington WaterFront Bike Path and the Island Line Rail-Trail
Burlington's Waterfront Bike Pathis a 7.6 mile recreational route that runs from the southern end of Burlington at Oakledge Park to the northern end at the Winooski River, where it connects via the newly constructed (spring 2004) bike path bridge to the Colchester Bike Path. The Bike Path rides along the Lake Champlain shoreline, offering wonderful views of the lake and the Adirondack Mountains to the west. The bike path links six major waterfront parks, along with the Burlington High School and the central Waterfront district.
Initially used as a railroad bed for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad companies, the conversion from rails to trails concept began in 1973. With the help of State and federal funding, Burlington's Bike Path was completed in 1986. Utilized by an estimated 150,000 bicyclists, walkers, joggers and in-line skaters annually, the Bike Path is among Burlington's most popular amenities.
(Link number 85 was added on 8-Aug-2004 and has had 73 hits. The source of this resource was found at
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Island Line Rail-Trail
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization promoting cycling, blading and walking and the trails, bikeways, and sidewalks that make such travel safe, easy and fun!
... Local Motion has been around in various forms since 1998. Originally Burlington Bikeways, we were cycling activists with vision and no money. We dug into our own pockets and purchased an old pontoon boat for a five-weekend Bike Ferry demonstration. The response was tremendous! We were so enthused by our vision of the Island Line Rail Trail with its Bike Ferry and Cycle the City, that other people caught the bug. In 1999, volunteers secured grants for Cycle the City and the Bike Ferry and we were off and pedaling. We haven’t looked back.
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(Link number 27 was added on 18-Nov-2001 and has had 396 hits. The source of this resource was found at
http://www.localmotionvt.org/.)
The building of the Winooski River Bike Bridge
A county-wide interconnecting bikepath could be in the worksfor Chittenden County.
The Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization met Monday night to discuss linking paths in Williston, South Burlington, Burlington and other surrounding towns. The project could be funded with federal dollars.
"One of the first steps in getting the money is devising a plan of where the linkage should be. That's what we're doing tonight. Most of the work has been done on the local level... people haven't been looking outside the community too much," says Peter Keating of CCMPO.
The organization is hoping the public will look outside their communities and give their input into the project. Anyone interested in submitting comments can contact the organization at 660-4071 ext. 16.
-- end --(Link number 19 was added on 26-Feb-2002 and has had 57 hits. The source of this resource was found at
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Peg Clark dreams of a rail trail from Burlingtonthrough Colchester, along the old rail causeway across Lake Champlain to South Hero, with eventual connections to Alburg and then Montreal.
Thanks to Clark and the dedication of other volunteers like her, this pathway for cycling, walking and running is on its way to reality.
"I think that it's very important for our society to have activities that everyone can do," Clark says. "Biking is inexpensive, even if you're poor. It's doable, even if you're not an athlete, and you can do it alone, if you have no partner."
Clark serves on the boards of directors of three regional groups working on parts of the Island Line Rail Trail, which largely follows the route of the old Rutland Railroad right-of-way.
(Link number 22 was added on 12-Aug-2002 and has had 33 hits. The source of this resource was found at
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Lake Champlain Bikewaysis a 1,187- mile network of bicycle routes...in the Lake Champlain Valley of Vermont, New York, and Québec. The network includes a total of 27 loops and tours ranging from 10 to 47 miles in length, in addition to the Champlain Bikeway, a 363-mile principal route around the entire Lake and along the Richelieu River to Chambly, Québec. Based on a rich array of natural, cultural, and historic themes, these loops meander along quiet back roads through extraordinary mountain and countryside scenery.
With growing national interest in bicycle tourism, Lake Champlain Bikeways, a public/private partnership, is quickly expanding its bicycle route network while serving as the information clearinghouse on bicycling opportunities in the Champlain Valley.
Cyclists who ride in the Champlain Valley know it has all the right ingredients for a premier bicycle touring destination....
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(Link number 48 was added on 23-Sep-2002 and has had 54 hits. The source of this resource was found at
http://www.champlainbikeways.org/.)
Bike bridge project moves along
By Modisane Kwanza Free Press Staff Writer Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Construction could begin this winter on a bike and pedestrian bridge connecting Burlington and Colchester, despite state fiscal problems and rising cost estimates for the project.
The projected price tag for the bridge has grown from $1.4 million to $3.2 million. Adjusting the bridge design to meet environmental and other requirements have contributed to the increased cost estimates.
The project has two parts: a 450-foot-long bridge over the Winooski River and a 1,950-foot-
long elevated boardwalk through Delta Park in Colchester. The bridge would link bike paths in the two communities.
The state is currently expected to pick up 61 percent of the tab. Thirty-five percent would come from federal funding and the remaining 4 percent from the two communities.
This year, the Legislature approved a budget of almost $7 million dollars for bike and pedestrian projects statewide, said Samuel Lewis, the state Transportation Agency's deputy director of project development. The Winooski River bridge, which must be approved by the two communities, is one of some 300 transportation projects the agency has planned this year, Lewis said.
The agency is pursuing the project in the face of declines in anticipated state revenues that already have led to some cuts in state services. Lewis said the bridge is a priority because the agency believes bike and pedestrian paths have statewide support.
"Our Long Range Transportation Plan supports the construction of bike and pedestrian facilities. Vermonters have told us that that is an important part of the mix of transportation alternatives along with public transit," Lewis said. "This particular project is an important link in the bike path system in the region and is supported by the Legislature and the governor in addition to the local communities."
Construction would be restricted to the winter so as not to disturb the ecologically sensitive areas in Delta Park. That means the cost of the project would be spread over two fiscal years, lessening the impact on the current budget, Lewis pointed out.
The agency also is looking for alternative sources of federal funding that could reduce the share of the state and the communities, Lewis said.
The project also has economic benefits, local officials said. Connecting Burlington and Colchester could bring more residents and tourists eager to shop into either of the towns.
"It will bring in a lot of dollars in the future," said Colchester Town Manager Al Voegele.
A prefabricated bridge would be set on the existing abutments from an old rail bridge, which was taken down in the early 1970s. The bridge would be 23-feet wide, with a 12-foot wide bikeway and 6-foot-wide pedestrian lane.
A permanent boardwalk would replace the wooden walkway running along the bike path through Delta Park. The park is home to rare plants and animals and serves as a nesting habitat for endangered species and wildlife, such as the beach dune tiger beetle and the map turtle. The boardwalk would be elevated to allow wildlife to move about freely, and metal railings would be installed to discourage users from tramping into delicate areas.
If all the permits are approved, the Transportation Agency hopes to put the project to bid in early November. The agency has federal permits in place for the bridge, but the U.S. Coast Guard must approve the bridge location. The Coast Guard is focusing on how the bridge will affect navigation on the Winooski River. The Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and boaters want to be sure that the bridge is high enough to allow sailboats and other tall vessels to pass.
Local permits also are needed. In Burlington, financial, maintenance and right of way agreements were submitted to the City Council on Monday, said Bob Whalen, superintendent of park planning.
The Colchester Select Board will hold a hearing tonight on funding for the bike bridge. The town's Development Review Board is scheduled to review the Transportation Agency's applications on Oct. 23, said Colchester Town Planner Sarah Hadd.
The project has many benefits, one being that it fills another gap in Chittenden County's emerging bike path network, said Connie Livingston, bike and pedestrian environmental planner for Burlington. Local groups envision a bike route along Lake Champlain that runs between Vermont and Canada. Colchester's bike path reaches the middle of Lake Champlain along the Causeway Rail Trail.
The bridge would essentially replace the bike ferry that operates between Burlington and Delta Park. Local Motion, the non-profit group that operates the ferry, would move the operation up to a gap in the Causeway Trail. The group, which promotes alternative modes of transportation, wants to see minimal interruption in the ferry during the bridge's construction, said Brian Costello, the group's Island Line developer.
"They're trying to accommodate us," Costello said.
Lawmakers want to reconsider expensive bike bridge
By Nancy Remsen Free Press Staff Writer Thursday, November 14, 2002
MONTPELIER -- Three lawmakers want to hold off on construction of a bicycle bridge over the Winooski River until the Legislature reconsiders the expense.
The cost of the bridge, which would connect Burlington and Colchester, has more than doubled since the Legislature approved $1.4 million for the project in the spring. The price tag is now $3.2 million.
The three House members took their concerns about the jump in cost to the Vermont Transportation Board on Wednesday. Rep. George Schiavone, R-Shelburne, presented the board with a letter also signed by Rep. Michael Obuchowski, D-Bellows Falls, and Rep. Robert Helm, R-Castleton, that asked that the board to freeze the project and allow the Legislature to reconsider it.
"If they allow this to go, I intend to blow it up to high heaven," Schiavone warned after the meeting. He, Obuchowski and Helm had helped negotiate the transportation capital bill that included funding for the bridge.
The board took testimony, but made no decision, according to Samuel Lewis, deputy director of project development at the Agency of Transportation.
The agency is in the midst of soliciting bids for the bridge with the goal of beginning construction this winter. Lewis said the state wouldn't award a contract or begin construction without board approval.
Lewis explained the new, higher costs for the project.
The height of the bridge was raised from 12 feet above the water level to 18 feet after consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard. That cost an extra $220,000.
The center span of the bridge would include a cantilevered overlook where people could fish or look at the view without creating a hazard for bike traffic. That would cost $80,000.
The original plan hadn't included $355,000 for work on the approaches to the bridge and a section of pathway between the bridge and a1,651-foot elevated boardwalk through Delta Park on the Colchester side.
Also, planners switched the kind of planking on the boardwalk, from pressure-treated wood to concrete, to reduce long-term maintenance. That added $800,000.
Finally, the new estimate allows $345,000 more for construction costs because the builders will face many constraints as they work. Construction is only allowed in the winter months to protect turtles, beetles and some plants, and the work space in some areas is restricted to the width of the path -- 12 feet.
Lawmakers aren't the only ones having second thoughts about the project.
Richard Bowler of Burlington lives near where the bridge would be built. He and his wife operate a small marina east of where the bridge would cross the Winooski River.
"I would like to see a bridge built," Bowler said, "but not under the terms it has gotten to today." He worries that the current design won't accommodate tall-masted boats. He would like to see the state take more time to develop better plans.
Bowler also said the state can't afford the bridge in these uncertain economic times. The state would pay the biggest share of the $3.2 million cost -- $1.196 million. The federal government would pay $1.12 million. Burlington and Colchester each would provide $60,000.
Bowler said, "I think it would be wrong to be putting this kind of money into a bike bridge."
Contact Nancy Remsen at 229-9141 or nremsen@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
Some Vermont lawmakers want the brakes appliedto a proposed Burlington bike bridge because the cost has more than doubled.
The bike-pedestrian bridge would span the Winooski River between Burlington's new north and Malletts Bay in Colchester. Currently bike riders cross the river on a ferry, but it runs only in the summer. Years ago someone suggested the state should build a permanent bikepath bridge.
Sam Lewis, Agency of Transportation Engineer, says the project's estimate of 1.4 million dollars was accurate when it was presented and approved by lawmakers in June.
Lewis says unanticipated expenses have since more than doubled the cost to 3.3 million....and that was just completely unforeseen. Now the project has gone out for bids with plans to begin construction in December.
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(Link number 61 was added on 15-Nov-2002 and has had 89 hits. The source of this resource was found at
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The Vermont Transportation Board will wade into hot waternext week when it considers whether to allow the Agency of Transportation to proceed with an expensive bicycle bridge over the Winooski River.
The bridge project doubled in cost between spring, when the Legislature approved $1.4 million for its construction, and fall, when the state agency revised the price tag to $3.2 million. The jump in the cost triggered the transportation board's review.
Supporters include soon-to-be former Gov. Howard Dean, a cycling enthusiast who would like his legacy to include this bridge. Itwould link bikepaths in Burlington and Colchester and enhance a network that will someday circle Lake Champlain and extend to Montreal.
Dean wants the board to approve the extra expenses so state officials can sign an agreement with a builder before Dean leaves office Jan. 9.
Critics include Gov.-elect Jim Douglas, who says bikepaths and bridges are a low priority when money is tight and critical highway projects are on hold.
(Link number 63 was added on 11-Dec-2002 and has had 26 hits. The source of this resource was found at
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/bfpnews/local/wednesday/1000h.htm.)
The Vermont Transportation Board voted, 6-1, Wednesdayto allow the state to start construction on a $2.9 million bicycle bridge over the Winooski River even though the project's cost doubled.
.. The seven-member board generally operates in obscurity, but wound up in the center of a controversy when called upon to decide the fate of this bridge intended to link the Burlington bikepath to a cycling network in Colchester. The board is charged with reviewing projects when costs increase substantially and the Legislature isn't in session.
The Legislature had approved $1.4 million for the project in the transportation capital project bill last spring, but the price tag ballooned over the summer as state officials changed the design to accommodate requirements set by the U.S. Coast Guard, officials in Burlington and Colchester and environmental regulators.
The project calls for three steel trusses spanning 567 feet across the river with 18 feet of clearance over the water.
(Link number 64 was added on 19-Dec-2002 and has had 30 hits. The source of this resource was found at
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/bfpnews/local/thursday/1000h.htm.)
Winooski bike bridge construction begins
By Matt Sutkoski, Free Press Staff Writer --- Monday, October 27, 2003
Next year, bicyclists will be able to glide over a bridge spanning the Winooski River between Burlington and Colchester. The project was almost scrapped because some citizens and lawmakers were appalled by its $3.1 million price tag, but it is now scheduled to open in the spring.
The 560-foot span from the northern end of the Burlington Bike Path to Delta Park in Colchester at the mouth of the Winooski River is now under construction.
Charlie Auer, 72, watches the work from his perch at the adjacent Auer Family Boathouse. The bike path attracts both locals and tourists, some from as far away as Germany and Nepal, he said. He predicted the bridge would increase tourist traffic.
"The bike path generates a lot of money, brings a lot of money into the state," Auer said. "There's more people cycling right now. There should be places for them."
Price tag
The investment required to build the bridge almost stopped it cold.
The project was initially expected to cost about $1.4 million, but the price tag doubled when plans were changed to adjust the bridge elevation to allow for boat traffic on the Winooski River.
An elevated walkway through Delta Park on the Colchester side of the bridge was added to the design to address environmental concerns. That also contributed to the higher cost.
In January, five Vermont lawmakers and two private citizens sued the state over the spiraling bridge costs, but Gov. Jim Douglas reached an out-of-court settlement with them.
In July, the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization approved measures that funneled federal money toward the bike project this winter.
Federal money is contributing $2.5 million to the bridge construction. The state is kicking in about $300,000 with local municipalities paying the remainder, said Sam Lewis of the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
With the hard financial planning finally finished, the state awarded two construction contracts totaling $2.56 million to Kubricky Construction Corp. of Glens Falls, N.Y., Lewis said. The rest of the cost went toward design and engineering.
Construction plans
The bulk of the construction will be done in the winter, when endangered beetles and plants near the bridge are dormant and less likely to be disturbed by construction, Lewis said.
A quarter-mile section of the bike path on the Burlington side is closed until the bridge is finished. Access to nearby homes and businesses is unaffected by the construction, said Wayne Gross, the Burlington Parks and Recreation director.
Lewis said the bridge construction this winter will be a spectacle. The bridge will be assembled on a barge sitting in the middle of the Winooski. Cranes will lift the three sections of the bridge into place, Lewis said. One of the sections will measure about 260 feet in length, the other two pieces will be about 225 feet apiece, he said.
The contract stipulates construction must end by June 6, Lewis said, but he expects most of the work to be finished before then.
Bike ferry
The new bridge will put the bicycle ferry that had brought people and bicycles across the river on a limited basis out of business.
Local Motion, a Burlington organization that promotes alternative transportation, operated the bike ferry. "The bridge draws the four years of the bike ferry to a close, and that was an interesting history," said Chapin Spencer, Local Motion executive director.
But Spencer isn't complaining. He lobbied hard for the bridge. The span will allow people to cross between Burlington and Colchester without relying on a limited bike ferry schedule, he said.
"This bridge really serves morning commuters, and early- and late-season exercise enthusiasts and a lot of winter users," Spencer said.
The bike ferry might end up in South Hero, where service for bicyclists might start in 2005, Spencer said.
At his boathouse, Auer is looking forward to the bridge and the bike path's busier days. "I don't know if it's going to help me, though," he said.
Sometimes bicyclists come off the path, park their bikes at the boathouse and rent kayaks or canoes from Auer. Or they buy candy, water and juice.
More often, though, bicyclists pass Auer by because they already have supplies, or are getting enough exercise on their bikes without adding kayaking to the mix, he said.
Even so, Auer said he looks forward to seeing more people on the bike path. "They advertise it nationwide," he said. "We do enjoy meeting them."
By Matt Sutkoski Free Press Staff Writer Saturday, December 20, 2003
It took years of political wrangling, $3.1 million, a barge, a winter-hardened construction crew and a couple of straining tugboats, but as of Friday, a bike bridge now spans the Winooski River between Burlington and Colchester.
The 150,000-pound, 213-foot truss span, perched atop sturdy scaffolding and I-beams on a barge, floated regally down a half-mile stretch of the Winooski River to abutments built at the point where the river meets Lake Champlain.
Within hours, the bridge was in place, settling on the abutments as crews deliberately sank the barge holding the span to pull it out of the way.
"That looks pretty good to me. It looks like the old bridges they're tearing down across the state, the ones they put up back in the '40s," said Charlie Auer of the Auer Family Boathouse, which is right next to the new bridge.
A handful of people waded through deep snow, cameras pointed at the bridge as tugboats pushed and shoved the barge carrying it into position.
"It's amazing," said Kent Johnson of Burlington, who braved snow- and ice-covered pavement on his bike to see the construction. "I never thought it was going to go up. I didn't want to miss it."
The bridge almost never went up, for financial not technical reasons. The project was initially set to cost $1.4 million, but the price tag doubled when plans were changed to adjust the bridge elevation to accommodate boat traffic on the Winooski River.
An elevated walkway through Delta Park on the Colchester side of the bridge was added to the design to address environmental concerns, mounting the cost further.
In January, five Vermont lawmakers and two residents sued the state over the spiraling bridge costs, but Gov. Jim Douglas reached an out-of-court settlement with them.
That cleared the way for construction. Kubricky Construction Corp. workers built new abutments atop old ones that once supported a railroad bridge.
The span installed Friday had been trucked in pieces to a Colchester boat launch over the past couple weeks. Kubricky workers assembled the bridge at the launch, set it on the barge and sent it on its way down the Winooski River on Friday.
Once the bridge was positioned over the abutments, workers pumped water into the barge, sinking it enough to lower the bridge onto the supports.
Then, the barge was moved out of the way, and brought to shore. Due to environmental regulations, Kubricky had to build the bridge in the winter while endangered plants are dormant.
The bridge isn't ready for bicyclists -- even hardy ones -- to cross yet. Kubricky must install two spans to complete the bike bridge, one on the Colchester side that will be about 210 feet long, another on the Burlington side measuring 111 feet in length. The two sections will be installed from land, using cranes.
Workers will then install bridge decking and complete work on bridge approaches. The bridge is expected to open to traffic by June 6.
Contact Matt Sutkoski at 660-1846 or msutkosk@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
The Shelburne Bike and Pedestrian Path Committee,chaired by Rob Donahue, has worked to create a network of recreational paths so cyclists and others have safe routes to travel. This year, the committee would like to see the network extended to Webster Road to accommodate children who bike the route to school. It would also like to see sidewalks built or extended on Harbor and Mount Philo roads, and bike lanes painted on both sides of Spear Street from Irish Hill Road to the Shelburne/South Burlington town line.
Many in the town are concerned about the $1.1 million price tag attached to this project, especially because the town is carrying its largest debt load. Haag says this article is controversial because it involves such a large amount of money and there is a feeling not everyone in the town will benefit from the proposed improvements.
For Donahue and the other members of the committee, the safety of town residents, especially children, is worth the $1.1 million.new
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is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization promoting cycling, blading and walking and the trails, bikeways, and sidewalks that make such travel safe, easy and fun!
... Local Motion has been around in various forms since 1998. Originally Burlington Bikeways, we were cycling activists with vision and no money. We dug into our own pockets and purchased an old pontoon boat for a five-weekend Bike Ferry demonstration. The response was tremendous! We were so enthused by our vision of the Island Line Rail Trail with its Bike Ferry and Cycle the City, that other people caught the bug. In 1999, volunteers secured grants for Cycle the City and the Bike Ferry and we were off and pedaling. We haven’t looked back.
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