The Route 15 Corridor is the stretch of land 8 miles long and several miles wide between Essex Junction and Burlington that runs along Route 15 in Chittenden County. In this historic area are Fanny Allen Hospital, now part of the Fletcher Allen Health Care System, St. Michaels College, and the picturesque Fort Ethan Allen (now a vibrant mixed-use area with housing and commercial development), The Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, Camp Johnson, Vermonts richest farmlands in the Intervale, and the protected land of the Winooski Valley Park District. At either end, the corridor connects two major economic centers, the IBM Essex Junction facility and the City of Burlington. The following corridorwide and local reports delve into the many aspects of the corridor future, from rail implementation, TOD, Market, and Alternatives analysis, Modelling, et al.

In 1996, the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization began work on a scoping study for an alternate Transportation Path in the Route 15 corridor between Essex Junction and Colchester. To assist in the work, the CCMPO hired Lamoureux & Dickinson Consulting Engineers (L&D) of Essex, Vermont. L&D held several public work sessions, circulated an informal survey to bicyclists and residents, met with the municipal boards, conducted field survey and did extensive work to prepare the Scoping Study. After L&D prepared a draft report, numerous outside factors lead to the CCMPO halting work on the project. This Study is an update of the previous work prepared by L&D as part of the original Study.

The purpose of this scoping report is to develop and evaluate potential alternative improvements at the VT Route 15 / Educational Drive intersection. Since the Educational Drive / Central Street / Drury Drive intersection is within the influence of VT Route 15, it is also included in this evaluation.

This report evaluates the operations and safety concerns related to the westbound Route 15 jughandle lane at the Susie Wilson Road/Route 15 intersection in Essex Junction. Alternatives are proposed and evaluated that will allow for safe direction reversal for eastbound Route 15 traffic. The Village of Essex Junction initiated the study through a request to the CCMPO Technical Assistance program.

This report responds to traffic congestion and safety issues at Fleming and Summit Street schools when students arrive and depart from the school. CCMPO staff attended several meetings of an ad-hoc safety committee at Fleming School and arranged to have outside experts audit the pedestrian routes near the schools as part of a Walkable Communities workshop in June 2003.

The purpose of the study is to determine the corridor’s performance with a coordinated signal system. In addition, this study identifies opportunities and constraints for improving intersection and corridor performance. To evaluate performance a model was developed and calibrated through field observations.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) provides a more compact development pattern located within an easy walk of a fixed transit stop (bus or rail), with a mix of residential, employment and shopping opportunities. It focuses on pedestrian-oriented design and provides viable transportation alternatives for residents and workers via walking, bicycling, and transit.

CCMPO engaged DMJM+HARRIS and Basile, Bauman, Prost and Associates, Inc. (BBP Associates) to work with the communities of Winooski, Colchester, Essex and Essex Junction to help develop TOD concept plans for the areas surrounding the proposed passenger rail stations.

The purpose of this report is to present the institutional and financial strategy for implementing the Rt. 15 Corridor Improvement Plan, including the Burlington to Essex Rail Project, and to address the larger transit funding and institutional issues that are raised by the plan.

The purpose of the study is to determine the corridor’s performance with a coordinated signal system. In addition, this study identifies opportunities and constraints for improving intersection and corridor performance. To evaluate performance a model was developed and calibrated through field observations.