Winter Solstice
Art connection
Rowan brings its signature sounds to Pierson
Craft school opens new space at Harbor Place
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Volume 52 Number 50
POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #217 CONCORD, NH ECRWSSEDDM
shelburnenews.com
December 14, 2023
Bike, pedestrian strategic plan paves path forward LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF SHELBURNE POLICE DEPARTMENT
A car ran into the Shelburne Post Office Dec. 6, causing significant damage to the front of the building.
Car smashes into Shelburne Post Office LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Most days a trip to the post office is just a mundane part of the weekly routine unless you were at the Shelburne Post Office last Wednesday when a car plowed into the side of the building. On Dec. 6 at around 11 a.m. Shelburne police said 75-year-
old Linda Hansen attempted to park her Toyota Corolla in the lot when her foot hit the accelerator instead of the brake. The vehicle lunged and struck the building, causing significant damage to the main entrance, including knocking down one of its outside columns. Shelburne fire and rescue and Charlotte Rescue also respond-
ed to the scene on Falls Road in Shelburne. Hansen was transported to University of Vermont Medical Center by Charlotte Rescue for evaluation as a precautionary measure and police said there was no indication of impairment. See POST OFFICE on page 13
The Shelburne Bike and Pedestrian Committee has unveiled a long-awaited plan to shape future infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and others. The reason for the new strategic plan, the group says, is to create a cohesive, thoughtful approach on how to incorporate new sidewalks, bike lanes and paths into the town’s future. Past projects have resulted in routes that lack connectivity and that fail to separate pedestrians and cyclists from vehicle traffic. In January 2023, the committee identified a need for a strategic plan to coalesce different visions for a network of paths in town. Using a slew of past studies, the plan defines goals and objectives to guide the town’s priorities and to inform recommendations to the selectboard as it puts together annual budgets. Last month, the planning commission recommended approval of the town’s draft capital improvement plan for the next five years, which includes several of the bike and pedestrian projects outlined in the new plan. The bike and pedestrian group has narrowed its wish list to three major areas: village and school access and connectivity, looping the Ti-Haul Trail, and neighborhood connectors. Within those categories come projects like expanding sidewalks in downtown Shelburne, connecting Webster Road to village businesses and the Shelburne Community School, along with connecting the Hullcrest Park Neighborhood in some way. Although the group plans to apply for up to five grants a year to execute its ambitious goals, how to leverage a local funding source has not been figured out. The town currently funds
bike and pedestrian projects two ways. First is the highway department’s budget $50,000 allocation for traffic and pedestrian safety, which the group is proposing to raise to $75,000. “That has provided money for things like speed feedback signs and the Harrington Avenue flashing crosswalk that should get installed any day now,” committee chair Nicole Carpenter said. “So, there’s a small budget that was used for making some pedestrian traffic safety improvements.” The second funding mechanism is for larger projects to be submitted to the selectboard on a case-by-case basis. Although a significant chunk of American Rescue Plan Act funds have allocated to some projects, the selectboard is interested in exploring a similar funding model like in South Burlington that designates one penny on the tax rate to the creation of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the city. “As much as I love driving in our town, I also know when to get to South Burlington it’s so much easier place to walk and bike,” selectboard member Andrew Everett said. “They have built funding mechanisms to do that, so I think that’s the other piece we need to look at some sort of permanent funding mechanism.” Although town officials have expressed a commitment to bike and pedestrian projects in the past, to the knowledge of committee members, this is the first time the town has adopted a plan that outlines tangible steps forward. “It is a living, dynamic document that we hope to help guide all these efforts, particularly our efforts moving forward,” Carpenter said. “The goal is if the strategic plan doesn’t become out of date, it’ll last much longer than five years.”