Residents, bike-ped committee press South Burlington to boost striping and sidewalk work in FY26 budget

At a South Burlington City Council budget retreat on Dec. 12, residents and the Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee urged the council to add money to the FY26 budget for durable striping and faster sidewalk repairs, saying worn paint and narrow, damaged sidewalks pose hazards for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee requested an additional $10,000 in the striping line beyond the $50,000 shown in the department budget. Committee representative Bob Britt said the extra funds would let the city contract for polyurea, inlaid striping and pre-grind work that lasts about three years instead of repainting annually: “The most cost-effective safety thing that we can do as a city for vulnerable users is striping,” Britt said.

The request followed public comment from resident Anne Mackenzie, who described a narrow, treacherous stretch of walkway on Hinesburg Road between Williston Road and Kennedy Drive and asked the council to accelerate repairs: “If you could allocate more money or maybe push that more towards the forefront for projects to be done, that would be great,” Mackenzie said.

Tom DiPietro, South Burlington’s director of public works, told the council the department has $1.25 million identified for paving in FY26 and is preparing a sidewalk condition assessment and shared-use-path data that will allow staff to produce a prioritized repair plan and cost estimates. DiPietro said some sidewalk work is funded separately from the paving budget and that the city will publish sidewalk-condition data to the public once the assessment is complete.

Eric Kaplan, deputy director of capital projects, said large grants are funding portions of a Hinesburg Road project; he estimated design, right-of-way and construction steps mean a full-build timeline likely in fiscal 2028–29. Kaplan said the state Federal Highway Administration grant is obligated to the city but that VTrans must release funds before the city can begin consultant procurement and design.

DiPietro described a recent change in striping materials: crews and contractors are now using inlaid polyurea paint applied after grinding. The technique increases durability but costs more upfront. The DPW’s striping budget was increased by $10,000 in the FY26 draft to expand work; the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee asked that funding be treated as recurring in order to maintain a multi‑year replacement cycle.

The council requested staff provide scenarios showing where small increases — such as $10,000 or $30,000 for striping — could be found in the FY26 budget while holding to the council’s target tax-rate scenario.

Ending: Council members asked staff to return with options at the next meetings so the council can weigh trade-offs before the Jan. 13 public hearing on the proposed budget.