Burlington City Council votes to keep major road change

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Vermont’s Burlington City Council has voted to keep a contested traffic project.

Council members voted 10-2 to make the yearlong pilot traffic program on North Avenue permanent Monday night. The Burlington Free Press (https://bfpne.ws/2uLuVoo ) reports the new configuration divides the roadway into two travel lanes and a turning lane with bicycle lanes on either side.

Supporters of the change say it will make the thoroughfare safer for drivers and cyclists.

Opponents of the move included residents of the city’s New North End section who say they were excluded from the decision-making process. Some residents believe the traffic project is emblematic of a larger shift in power.

City officials say the number of crashes on North Avenue decreased after the roadway was reconfigured.

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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com