Operation Clean Sweep is coming to Burlington April 24-May 2, 2024.

Details available at burlingtonvt.gov/dpw/clean-sweep

Great Streets Main Street Construction info availalble at greatstreetsbtv.com/main-street.

 
Department of Public Works

Ward Street Traffic Calming

 

The Department of Public Works has been working with Ward Street residents regarding a request for traffic calming. The discussions have been based on concerns expressed by the neighborhood: speeding and reckless driving. In our discussions we looked for potential solutions that would calm traffic and increase safety on Ward Street, while ensuring easy access for emergency reponders from the nearby fire station.

This summer the Department of Public Works conducted a pilot testing Speed Cushions. Speed cushions are modified speed humps that include wheel cutouts to allow large emergency vehicles to pass their wheels on either side of the raised area without delaying their response time, while reducing passenger car speeds. This eases emergency access and also dampens the impact of large vehicle noise on traditional speed humps. 

Below are photos of before and after the Speed Cushions:

During the pilot, the Department of Public Works collected positive feedback from the Fire Department and the neighborhood on the effectiveness of the speed cushions (see below).

 

The Department of Public Works will finalize the Ward Street traffic calming plans from North Ave to Manhattan Drive. The neighborhood will receive an additional letter regarding the traffic calming decision, which will be the final neighborhhod vote of traffic calming concepts for Ward Street. The traffic calming concepts will include more than the speed cushions, but because this is the only new type of traffic calming for Burlington they were the only concepts being tested in this pilot.

 

Do you have any comments, concerns or questions? Please contact: Elizabeth Gohringer, Associate Planner, egohringer@burlingtonvt.gov, 802-540-0370