BRATTLEBORO — In recent months, town officials have received many complaints that Brattleboro is not pedestrian-friendly.
Now, a new survey report from AARP Vermont bolsters the perception that getting around Brattleboro on foot is neither as easy, nor as safe, as it could be, and that a number of major intersections and streets need improvements to address the problem.
AARP Vermont conducted the project to highlight the need to provide safe alternatives to get around the community as people get older.
In September, about 30 local volunteers surveyed key intersections around the city to examine the challenges faced by pedestrians and others. The findings identified a number of deficiencies in the city's pedestrian infrastructure and point to an urgent need to design roadways to be more safe and accessible to users of all ages.
Volunteers identified a number of safety concerns and, overall, found the intersections surveyed to be in fair to poor condition for crossing the street, and from good to poor condition for driver behavior. Common problems identified included:
• Roads too wide to cross safely, particularly without a signal
• Narrow sidewalks, discontinuous sidewalks, and broken or uneven sidewalks
• Dangerous driver behavior that included not stopping behind crosswalks, making unexpected turns, turning right into pedestrians, and speeding
The three areas selected for evaluation were based on input from community members and organizations. They were the Main Street/Park Place/Linden Street “triangle”; the intersection of Routes 5, 119, and 142; and the intersection of Canal Street and Fairground Road.
An additional survey was conducted at the intersection of Vernon Street and Royal Road.
AARP Vermont and some 45 organizations from around the state are working to pass Complete Streets legislation (H.198) this year to ensure that new roads and those being repaired are designed with all users in mind.
Rep. Mollie Burke, P/D-Brattleboro, is sponsoring the bill in the Legislature. The legislation will require engineers and street planners across the state to specifically consider roadway accessibility and safety.
“AARP and the Healthy Communities Coalition of Windham County share the goal of making our communities more supportive of walking and cycling as modes of transportation,” said Steve Fortier, executive director of Meeting Waters YMCA and coordinator of its Healthy Communities Coalition of Windham County.
“Research makes it clear that community design has a major impact on health behaviors,” he continued. “Safe, well-maintained sidewalks and roads that connect major destinations like schools, stores, and recreation facilities increase walking and cycling.”
Fortier added that communities which have adopted the Complete Streets methodology “have seen improvements in physical health, economic health, and environmental health.”
Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur of AARP Vermont stressed the need to look at the problem statewide.
“AARP Vermont and others are pressing for Complete Streets legislation that would cover the entire state. Vermont's population is far older than most and, as people get older, they drive less or hang up the keys altogether,” she said. “This life change can mean a lower quality of life, less independence, and isolation if alternative ways of getting around are not available.”
There are many other reasons to support Complete Streets, Wallace-Brodeur said, including the need for safe places to exercise as a way to combat obesity and chronic disease. Safe alternatives to driving can also reduce our carbon footprint and promote liveable communities that follow smart growth land use patterns.