Essex Junction staff propose lower-cost Pearl Street multimodal plan to add bus stop, shared-use path

A revised, lower-cost plan to remake Pearl Street between Susie Wilson Road and West Street Extension would add a 10-foot shared-use path, one new eastbound bus stop and a buffered westbound bike lane while keeping much of the existing curbs and the median in place, Essex Junction redevelopment staff told the City Council on Sept. 24.

The revised alternative, presented by Redevelopment Director Chris Ewan, is intended to fit within the city’s capital budget of about $1.23 million and to extend multimodal and transit benefits without the $4 million-plus cost of earlier preferred designs.

The plan matters because the corridor now “functions like a highway” despite entering the city, Ewan said, creating safety and multimodal access gaps. The proposed cross section would reduce the two westbound vehicle lanes to one with a buffered bike lane and convert the adjacent sidewalk to a 10-foot shared-use path.…