AARP VT Volunteers Assess Pedestrian Safety in Burlington Neighborhood

The growing population over 50 represents both a transformative force by itself and a net asset to the city of Burlington. In 2006, AARP Vermont launched the Burlington Livable Community Project, a collaborative approach to planning for the demands an aging population will place on Burlington as a city, its residents, and its resources while recognizing how older adults will continue to fuel economic activity far longer than past generations have. Today, AARP Vermont’s efforts for a “Livable Burlington” aim to provide direction, assess needs and resources, and develop recommendations in the areas of housing, transportation and mobility, and community engagement. In support of this effort,  AARP Livable Community Volunteer Team organized a neighborhood walk-audit to gauge concerns and needs as residents strive to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

The team set out on May 30, 2018 to conduct a walk audit to further the goals outlined in the action plan under outdoor spaces and buildings. AARP staff, volunteers, committee members of AARP Livable Community Volunteer Team -- along with community members, and State and City staff -- surveyed the intersections, sidewalks, and crosswalks in Burlington to shed light on the opportunities to enhance pedestrian access, improve health and further efforts to make Burlington an age friendly community. The survey reveals gaps in the town’s pedestrian infrastructure and stresses the importance of designing safe and accessible roadways for all users of all ages.

The following report provides an analysis of the data collected in the Centennial Neighborhood of Burlington. See the detailed report and related Burlington data in the attachment below.

Burlington Walk Audit Report Final