The Town of
Essex

The Town of Essex is Vermont’s second most populous community. Nestled between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, Essex (inclusive of the Village of Essex Junction) features a landscape both bucolic and urban. Safe, walkable, well-loved neighborhoods are surrounded by trail-laced open spaces. Residents work at a diverse array of local companies and global icons. Add one of the state’s most highly-respected school systems and an ever-burgeoning sense of community connection, and Essex is an ideal place to spend a lifetime – or even just an afternoon. 

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CURRENT PROJECTS:

VT15 BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN STUDY, ETHAN ALLEN AVE. TO WEST ST. EXTENSION, ESSEX AND ESSEX JUNCTION

The VT Route 15 corridor from Winooski to Essex Junction and beyond is recognized as a primary transportation corridor that lacks sufficient bicycle facilities. Much progress has been made in recent years to address this. In Essex Junction, from West Street Extension to the Champlain Valley Exposition, bicycle lanes have been added to VT Route 15 by converting the four lane section to a three lane section with a center left turn lane. For the VT Route 15 section from Limn Kiln Road to Susie Wilson Road, a shared use path is currently being designed and needed acquisitions and easements are being pursued. This study focuses on the remaining VT Route 15 section from Susie Wilson Road to West Street Extension.

MORE ABOUT THE VT15 BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN STUDY »

VT 15 SIDEWALK/PATH SCOPING STUDY – Athens Drive to VT 289

Over the years, the Village of Essex Junction and the Town of Essex have greatly expanded their pedestrian and bicycle network through a series of sidewalks, shared use paths, and on-street facilities. The VT 15 corridor, from Essex Junction Village to VT 289 Interchange is an important link missing to connect these facilities. As the interest in active transportation has grown, the need for this link has grown.

This  project will  develop and evaluate possible bicycle and pedestrian connections  for this important, missing link along VT 15. The project area begins on the east side of the Village at Athens Drive, where an existing shared use path ends. It extends eastward approximately 0.70 miles to the VT 289 interchange, where there is an existing shared use path on the east side. The need for better bicycle and pedestrian facilities in this location has been discussed for many years but discounted as being too difficult and/or too costly to construct.

MORE ABOUT THE SCOPING STUDY »

Allen martin Drive/vt 15 intersection scoping study

Allen Martin Drive serves as the primary access point to the Saxon Hill Industrial Park (SHIP) in Essex. Continued development in the park has led to a concern of traffic congestion and left turn conflicts at the Allen Martin Drive and VT 15 Intersection. Ultimate SHIP plans include a secondary access road to River Road / VT-117, but until this road is constructed, Allen Martin Drive is expected to remain the primary vehicle access route to the SHIP. The Town of Essex has sought assistance from the CCRPC to complete a scoping process that will evaluate existing conditions including intersection sight distance, truck turning movement and signal warrants and assist the Town in selecting a “preferred alternative.”

MORE ABOUT THE INTERSECTION SCOPING STUDY »

BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN

This plan represents a unified Town/Village bicycle & pedestrian plan that connects the entire community. It assesses the existing network, and identifies and prioritizes future needs so that the Town and Village can pursue implementation opportunities as they arise. This project considers updated design approaches; there have been many recent innovations in bicycle and pedestrian design, many of which may be applicable to the Town and Village and result in a more cost effective and easily implemented network.

MORE ABOUT THE BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN »

VT ROUTE 15 – STAGE ROAD TO ESSEX WAY SIDEWALK FEASIBILITY STUDY

This feasibility study evaluated possible sidewalk improvements along VT15 between Stage Road and Essex Way.

MORE ABOUT THE SIDEWALK STUDY »

PAST PROJECTS:

Municipal Plan Review:

CCRPC February 2, 2016