Burlington Residents Speak Out -- Citizen Survey Cites Needed Improvements around Burlington

Burlingtonians had a chance to share their opinions and concerns on a host of issues around livability in a citywide survey conducted by AARP Vermont and released today. AARP Vermont held a briefing for Burlington officials, stakeholder groups and the press today to share these research findings from the household survey of 500 residents over age 45. The report is entitled The Path to Livability: A Citizen Survey of Burlington, VT.
Findings around affordable housing, home sharing, the Champlain Parkway, mobility habits and public transit, among others, reveal some interesting citizen sentiments and opinions.

“Given the aging demographic trends in Burlington, and in Vermont in general, it is essential to get real data from residents on what their concerns and needs are as they strive to stay in their homes as they age,” said Greg Marchildon, AARP Vermont state director. “We hope this assessment will provide valuable information to the city and stakeholder groups as we all work to develop recommendations to make our city more livable city for all ages – particularly in the areas of housing, transportation and mobility and community engagement.”

Some key findings are outlined here:
Community and Housing
 Burlington residents believe their city is a good place for older adults to live and the majority wish to stay in their neighborhood.
 About half are concerned about the high cost of living and its impact on their ability to stay in their neighborhood as they age.
 Many support building moderate to low-income housing in vacant areas of the city.
 Some 56% would be open to homesharing options versus about a third of respondents 9 years ago.
Mobility and Transportation - Pedestrian and Bicyclist Accessibility
 Most Burlington residents get around by driving themselves or riding with others, and many also walk, ride a bike, or use public transportation.
 Many Burlington residents believe that there needs to be more places for pedestrians to sit along sidewalks, pedestrian islands that allow safe street crossing, and dedicated, clearly marked bike lanes.
 Most believe the Champlain Parkway will be safe for pedestrians and bikers.
 If improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists were made some Burlington residents say they would be more likely to walk or ride a bike in their neighborhood.
Mobility and Transportation - Street Safety
 Many Burlington residents believe the streets of Burlington are not safe for bicyclists, people with disabilities, and older people.
 The large majority of Burlington residents believe that adding designated bike lanes for bicyclists would make it safer for all users.
Community Engagement
 Burlington residents say that the city offers older adults a wide variety of educational and civic opportunities at conveniently located community centers that provide quality programs.
 Seven Days and the Burlington Free Press are the community information sources most commonly used by Burlington residents.

The survey results were presented to Mayor Weinberger and city officials in a private briefing this week. “AARP has been an important partner in making the City of Burlington one of the best cities in America for successful aging,” said Mayor Weinberger. “Their detailed survey confirms that we are on the right track with our efforts to increase the number of downtown homes, improve our sidewalks, and add bike lanes. I look forward to the City’s continued engagement with AARP as we work to make Burlington more livable for all residents.”

The survey was conducted by AARP over the summer via a telephone survey to 500 registered voters over age 45. The margin of error is 4.3%.

Full Report -- The Path to Livability -- A Citizen Survey of Burlington VT

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization with 130,000 members in Vermont and 39 million members nationally. Through a wide array of special benefits, services, and information resources, we help our members make important choices, reach their goals and dreams, and make the most of life after 50.