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Chittenden County, VT - Do you avoid taking walks, running
or biking outside because few sidewalks, narrow road shoulders,
and speeding cars make your heart race and your palms sweat? On
June 2-6, a series of Walkable Community Workshops sponsored by
the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO)
will bring experts together to address those problems and find
ways to make area communities more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.
Seven communities in Chittenden County will host workshops, co-sponsored
by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW). These
half-day courses are for local elected officials, business people,
and professionals in the fields of planning, engineering, law
enforcement, and education. Their purpose is to educate decision
makers about how to improve the “walkability” of a
community. Media representatives are also invited to attend.
“CCMPO looks forward to learning techniques to incorporate
walkable design strategies into our communities. The challenge
will be providing a balance of transportation options with greater
emphasis on pedestrian traffic,” said Peter Keating senior
transportation planner for the CCMPO.
Keating continued, “We want more people to safely enjoy
walking as a transportation alternative to driving.”
The CCMPO was one of nine MPO’s nationwide selected by the
National Center for Bicycling & Walking (NCBW) to host a series
of training workshops on pedestrian-friendly design, access, and
enhancement for communities. The workshops focus on the link between
pedestrian activity and livable communities.
Listed below is a schedule of workshops in Chittenden County.
Contact Peter Keating at 660-4071 or pkeating@ccmpo.org for more
information.
Walkable Communities Workshop Schedule:
Monday, June 2
1 - 5 p.m. Village of Essex Junction. Safe routes to school for
Summit Street School and Fleming School explored. Downtown pedestrian
enhancements will also be discussed.
Tuesday, June 3
8 a.m.- 12 p.m. Town of Colchester. Focus on Fort Ethan Allen.
1 – 5 p.m. City of South Burlington. Looking at the Chamberlin
School neighborhood.
Wednesday, June 4
8 a.m. – 5p.m. Town of Shelburne. Village pedestrian issues.
Thursday, June 5
8 a.m. – 12 p.m. City of Burlington. Looking at downtown
and Old North End access to the waterfront, primarily through
Battery Park Extension.
1 – 5 p.m. Town of Hinesburg. Looking at improvements to
the Route 116 corridor toward CVU.
Friday, June 6
8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Town of Jericho. Village of Jericho Center
The CCMPO was established in 1982 under federal law. It is authorized
to help regional decision-makers and constituents plan, prioritize,
and coordinate the use of federal funds for transportation projects,
as well as address on-going transportation-related policy issues.
Chittenden County is the only densely populated area in Vermont
that meets the definition of a metropolitan area with a population
greater than 50,000 people.
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