The Burlington District Office of the Vermont Department of Health, in collaboration with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the Town of Milton, and other stakeholders, conducted an HIA of the reconfiguration of a 3-mile corridor of U.S. Route 7 in Milton. Eight strategies are proposed for the corridor; the HIA focused on the four that the community identified as the most controversial. The HIA explored potential health impacts associated with physical activity, access to services, and injury and safety.
The HIA found that all four strategies offer a combination of improved pedestrian facilities and connectivity as well as traffic calming. Overall, the HIA recommended reconfiguring the intersections at Bartlett, Legion, and West Milton roads.
Outcome
The HIA proposed the reconfiguration of the Bartless, Legion, and West Milton Road intersections to reduce broadside crashes and improve walkability, physical activity, and access to services in the areas. Specifically, the HIA recommended that a roundabout be constructed at Legion Road and that a two-lane bridge with no pedestrian or bike accommodation be converted into a one-lane bridge with a traffic signal. The HIA also suggested that streetscape enhancements and more pedestrian accommodations be put in place at the intersection of Route 7 and Main Street. This HIA has not had its intended outcome, as the Regional Planning Commission has fewer community meeting attendees than expected as of September 2016. However, a strategy to engage hundreds of community members is underway.
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This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
