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. In the eastbound direction the roadway would remain mostly as-is but narrow to one lane partway to accommodate the bus stop and pedestrian crossing.

Ewan said the narrower westbound cross-section is a cost-saving measure that allows the project to remain within available municipal funding while preserving improved bike and transit access. “This is necessary as a part of the cost savings, to make this possible,” he said. Ewan added the eastbound stop “will mostly be used for bus drop offs, not pickups,” and warned that “when a bus is stopped here, there will be some vehicles … temporarily caught.”

The revised design also proposes lowering the speed limit to 30 mph and adding a rapid flashing beacon to support the midblock crossing. Ewan noted keeping the median in place is likely safer and reduces complexity, but that retaining the median means some properties would continue to rely on jug-handle turns at Susie Wilson Road to reach the city center.

Council members raised questions about fair (state agricultural fair) traffic queuing and whether converting westbound lanes to one lane would push backups farther west. Ewan said traffic bottlenecks east of the project — particularly the Susie Wilson signal — are the principal constraints and that consultant Stantec is performing traffic analysis to confirm queuing capacity on typical busy days.

Cost estimates drove the revision. Ewan said the 2018 preferred alternative would now cost over $4 million, plus an additional $388,000 add-on for an adjacent segment; the updated alternative presented on Sept. 24 is “just under a million dollars,” putting it within reach of the city’s capital appropriation and typical VTrans grant ranges.

The project has completed public comment and planning commission review; staff told council members that Stantec will return with final reports and a recommendation for council endorsement by the end of the calendar year.

Discussion-only items: No formal vote was taken on Pearl Street on Sept. 24. The presentation was informational and staff requested no immediate action. The consultant will complete traffic and cost refinements and return with a final proposal for council endorsement.

Background: The corridor has been under study since 2018; alternatives considered earlier included removing the median and adding shared-use paths but had higher construction and right-of-way costs. The new alternative aims to preserve the median and curb lines where possible to save cost while improving safety and transit access.

What’s next: Consultants will finish technical analyses and return to the council later this year. Council members and staff will consider final endorsement and funding strategy once Stantec’s refined report is available.