By Kolby R. LaMarche

Tensions boiled over last night at a New North End (NNE) Neighborhood Planning Assembly meeting as a resident clashed with organizers over new bike barriers installed on North Avenue. 

The barriers, part of the city’s pilot program to enhance cyclist safety, were the focus of a Q&A session hosted by city staff. But what started as discussion quickly turned confrontational.

The barriers consist of plastic cones and posts placed along North Avenue to separate bike lanes from traffic. Installed last week following approval from the Burlington Bike Council, they aim to reduce vehicle encroachment on cycling paths. 

A city survey on the setup remains live through November, soliciting public feedback via an online form.

One North End resident, BDN could only gather his first name, Gary, voiced strong opposition during the meeting. “I went to the fire station, some techs came out…they thought it was a detour for the bike path. I saw a UPS guy, he is going to park in the road!” Gary said. 

Minutes before speaking, city staff told the group that emergency services had been notified of the barrier project and there had been no complaints. “You lied!” Gary posited to the city staff.  

He added that biking with his 4-year-old grandson is already challenging due to the city’s uneven and cracked sidewalks, making the new obstacles, and city focus, an unnecessary burden.

WATCH FULL INTERACTION: Click here to watch!

As the resident continued, NPA hosts interrupted, seizing the microphone. 

Undeterred, Gary spoke on without amplification, drawing murmurs from the crowd. Frustration peaked when he declared, “If I were to move out of Burlington,” prompting laughter and cheers. Another attendee shouted, “Go ahead!” 

NPA leaders warned they would remove him if he persisted. The resident left voluntarily, ending his participation.

City staff, present to field questions on the barriers, declined to address his specific concerns. They pivoted to the next speaker without comment, citing time constraints for the large gathering.

Hours later, video captured by local resident Liam Griffin showed a pickup truck speeding down North Avenue and deliberately plowing through a line of cones positioned directly outside the Burlington Fire Department headquarters at 131 Church St. 

BDN does not know who the driver of the truck was. Video: Liam Griffin

The driver accelerated into the setup, scattering barriers across the lane before fleeing southbound.

Griffin’s video isn’t isolated. Since the barriers went up on October 18, multiple reports from residents and drivers document similar acts of sabotage. Online forums and local threads reporting vehicles—ranging from sedans to box trucks—intentionally ramming sections of the cones near Pearl Street and Battery Park. 

At least four incidents have been posted publicly, with users tagging city officials and demanding enforcement.