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Pearl Street West

2025 Preferred Alternative

Pearl Street Multimodal Improvements Scoping Study

Project Area: Pearl Street (VT Route 15), from Susie Wilson Road to West Street Extension
Project Phase: Updated Scoping Study Approved on November 12 2025; Final design work to begin in Winter 2025

Project Overview

In 2025, the City of Essex Junction worked with the Chittende​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​C​​​​​​​o​​​​​​​u​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​t​​​​​​​y​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​R​​​​​​​e​​​​​​​g​​​​​​​i​​​​​​​o​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​a​​​​​​​l​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​P​​​​​​​l​​​​​​​a​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​i​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​g​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​C​​​​​​​o​​​​​​​m​​​​​​​m​​​​​​​i​​​​​​​s​​​​​​​s​​​​​​​i​​​​​​​o​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​(​​​​​​​C​​​​​​​C​​​​​​​R​​​​​​​P​​​​​​​C​​​​​​​)​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​a​​​​​​​n​​​​​​​d​​​​​​​ Stantec to develop a new alternative for multimodal improvements a­­long Pearl Street (VT Route 15), between Susie Wilson Road and West Street Extension. This effort has concluded with the completion of the Pearl Street Multimodal Improvements Scoping Study and City Council approval of a preferred design.

This updated concept builds on a 2018 scoping study, which proposed major upgrades to support walking, biking, and transit use.

The original 2018 plan envisioned a full reconfiguration of the roadway, including:

  • Removing the existing center median
  • Reducing vehicle travel lanes from four to two
  • Installing buffered bike lanes
  • Replacing the 5-foot concrete sidewalk with an 8-foot shared-use path

While the long-term vision remains valid, its projected cost—approximately $4.3 million (adjusted for 2025)—presented a significant funding challenge. Projects of this scale exceed typical award amounts from programs like the VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Program and other state and federal sources.

As a result, the City pursued a near-term design that:

  • Improves safety and connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians

  • Minimizes disruption to existing curbs, sidewalks, and utilities

  • Incorporates new crosswalks and a proposed eastbound transit stop—addressing a ¾-mile segment where eastbound Green Mountain Transit Route 2 buses currently do not serve riders due to lack of safe infrastructure

The approved design is intended to deliver meaningful multimodal safety and access improvements within the next few years using available and anticipated funding sources.

More information, including conceptual design graphics, can be found in the Design Alternatives presentation.

Pearl Street Multimodal Improvements Design Alternatives

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​On November 12, 2025, the City Council endorsed the new design “Alternative 2: Two Lanes with Median, Revised” as the preferred alternative, pending a future decision on changes to lane striping in the westbound direction. Meeting minutes are available here​​​​​​​.  

The final report can be found here:

Pearl Street Multimodal Improvements Scoping Study Final Report

Have Comments or Questions?

We want to hear from you!
Email Chris Yuen, Community Development Director at cyuen@ essexjunction.org​​​​​​

Project Illustrations

Figure 1. The 2018 preferred alternative includes both a shared-use path and buffered bike lanes, but requires extensive curb, utility, and tree modifications.

Illustration of existing conditions and 2018 preferred alternative

Figure 2. Green Mountain Transit’s Route 2 is one of Vermont’s most frequent all-day transit services. However, eastbound buses currently bypass this segment of Pearl Street due to the lack of sidewalks and safe crossings.

Illustration of Green Mountain Transit’s Route 2 that misses parts of Pearl Street

Figure. The 2025 preferred alternative includes a shared-use path, a westbound buffered bike lane and a new eastbound bus stop while retaining the existing median and most curbs.

2025 Preferred Alternative Cross Section

For more information about the Community Development Department’s transportation initiatives, visit the Community Development webpage.