- Contributed by Eric Weis, Trail Program Coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance
Much hay was made of the 2011 Scenic Byways grant award received by ConnDOT to study the feasibility of the trail from Greenwich to Stratford. And the study received a good deal of attention last year as the DOT conducted a series of workshops in towns along the corridor, as well as walking through much of the corridor to put eyes on some of the topographic challenges that this project faces. It’s been a quieter time lately on this topic, as the DOT has returned to their Newington offices to analyze their findings and prepare for meetings that should start in late spring or early summer to present their findings and get more feedback. But there is still much to share. You’ve likely heard the rumors about how the original design of the Merritt Parkway included a bridle path running from end to end, but that this element of the design was eliminated prior to construction. But did you know that a bridle path was developed anyway? Shorter stretches of bridle path were linked with logging trails, informal footpaths, and old woods roads to create a 37-mile bridle path which was, apparently, well-used year-round in the 1930s and early 1940s. In 1946, the State of Connecticut Merritt Parkway Commission, in its 1946 booklet, “Rules and Regulations Governing the Use of the Merritt Parkway”, codified the use of these trails by clearly stating “Rule 11: Equestrians are permitted on the bridle paths of the Merritt Parkway.” Recent weather has also given many people dreams of tranquil cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. This will truly be a 12-month trail: whether paved or unpaved, the Merritt Parkway Trail will be a wonderful recreational resource in winter as well as the warmer months. We hope that you will stand with us as we continue to advocate for development of what will be Fairfield County’s premier recreational and active-transportation resource. To learn more about the Merritt Parkway Trail, please visit the website at www.merrittparkwaytrail.org and subscribe to the newsletter, or visit the trail’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/merrittparkwaytrailalliance and “like” it so that you can get updates. Thanks - and see you on the trail! Several important bills were on the Transportation Committee's hearing docket For Feb. 13, including the Vulnerable User bill that we've wanted passed for years, a bill for sidewalks and bus lanes from in West Haven, and the single file riding bills. Click here to download our testimony to the Transportation Committee (including member comments) and to the Planning & Development Committee; or read our testimony below. Senator Steven Cassano
Representative Jason Rojas Co-Chairs, Planning and Development Committee Room 2100, Legislative Office Building Hartford, CT 06106 Re: SUPPORT for HB 5966, AN ACT AUTHORIZING FEES IN LIEU OF SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION Dear Senator Cassano and Representative Rojas: Bike Walk Connecticut’s mission is to promote walkable, bikeable communities across the state. Accordingly, we SUPPORT HB 5966, AN ACT AUTHORIZING FEES IN LIEU OF SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION. We understand that this bill is the product of cooperation between expert planners at the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency in consultation with developers and public officials. This bill would allow municipalities to collect a fee from developers (with the developer’s permission) in lieu of otherwise required sidewalk infrastructure. This fee could be used to build sidewalks throughout the municipality. We believe the bill would offer municipalities the necessary flexibility and creativity to address walkability issues that the current statutory scheme does not address, or even inadvertently undermines. We urge your support for this bill. Thank you for considering our position. Sincerely, Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director Bike Walk Connecticut February 13, 2013 The Honorable Andrew Maynard The Honorable Antonio Guerrera Co-Chairpersons, Transportation Committee Legislative Office Building Hartford, CT 06106-1591 Re: SUPPORT for SB 191, the Vulnerable User bill SUPPORT for HB 5126, funding for bike lanes and sidewalks in West Haven OPPOSITION to SB 103 and HB 5246, single file riding Dear Chairmen Maynard and Guerrera: Bike Walk Connecticut would like to offer its positions on several bills before the Transportation Committee on February 13, 2013. Bike Walk Connecticut SUPPORTS SB 191, An Act Concerning The Penalty For Causing Harm To A Vulnerable User Of A Public Way. This bill will help hold accountable careless drivers who injure or kill non-motorized users of the road. It passed the State Senate unanimously last year but failed to come to a vote in the House. In its Dangerous by Design[i] report, Transportation for America notes that nationwide, pedestrians account for nearly 12 percent of total traffic deaths. Between 2000 and 2009 373 people were killed while walking in Connecticut. Hartford County leads Connecticut with the most pedestrian fatalities between 2000 and 2009. Transportation for America reports that a majority of these deaths occurred along “arterial” roadways, streets engineered for speeding traffic with little or no provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs or on bicycles. The map below depicts pedestrian deaths in Connecticut from 2000-2009. Not only are many of our roadways dangerous to vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists—particularly when speed limits are not observed or enforced -- the attitudes such as those expressed in comments to a recent Simsbury Patch story[ii] raise serious concerns:
“If I see 2 bicyclist riding side by side I make it a point to get as close as possible to them…” Vulnerable User legislation is good public policy, and we urge you to vote in favor of it. Bike Walk Connecticut also supports HB 5126, An Act Authorizing Bonds of the State to the City of West Haven for Sidewalks and Bicycle Lanes. This bill would provide funding to install sidewalks and bicycle lanes for the 1.5 miles between the Metro-North West Haven train station and the Yale West Campus. This measure too is good public policy, as it would provide an active transportation route from the train station to Yale, Connecticut’s only Bicycle Friendly University. Finally, Bike Walk Connecticut does not support SB 103 or HB 5246, two bills requiring cyclists to ride single file. We appreciate the safety sentiment behind the proposed bill. However, subsection (b) of Conn. Gen. Stat. §14-286b already provides that “Persons riding two abreast … shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic …” As we understand the law, it is illegal for bicyclists to ride two abreast if that action alone prevents a motorist from safely passing. But we must point out that many of Connecticut’s roads are two narrow to allow a motorist to safely pass even a single bike-rider in the face of oncoming traffic. We are grateful to our state government for the actions it has taken in recent years to improve opportunities for “active transportation.” But we all have to learn to adjust to the changes. Motorists must accept that they don’t own the roads; and bicyclists must learn to follow the rules of the road. Accordingly, rather than amend current law, Bike Walk Connecticut urges that Connecticut re-commit to, and enforce, a vigorous Share the Road campaign to promote the legal, safe and courteous use of the roads by all users. Attached please find some additional comments on these bills from some of our members. Thank you for considering these viewpoints. Sincerely, Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director Bike Walk Connecticut [i] Transportation for America, Dangerous by Design, http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011 [ii] Simsbury Patch, Debate Heats Up Over Proposed Single File Riding Bill (Jan. 16, 2013), at http://simsbury.patch.com/articles/debate-heats-up-over-proposed-single-file-riding-bill February 13, 2013
Senator Steven Cassano Representative Jason Rojas Co-Chairs, Planning and Development Committee Room 2100, Legislative Office Building Hartford, CT 06106 Re: SUPPORT for HB 5966, AN ACT AUTHORIZING FEES IN LIEU OF SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION Dear Senator Cassano and Representative Rojas: Bike Walk Connecticut’s mission is to promote walkable, bikeable communities across the state. Accordingly, we SUPPORT HB 5966, AN ACT AUTHORIZING FEES IN LIEU OF SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION. We understand that this bill is the product of cooperation between expert planners at the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency in consultation with developers and public officials. This bill would allow municipalities to collect a fee from developers (with the developer’s permission) in lieu of otherwise required sidewalk infrastructure. This fee could be used to build sidewalks throughout the municipality. We believe the bill would offer municipalities the necessary flexibility and creativity to address walkability issues that the current statutory scheme does not address, or even inadvertently undermines. We urge your support for this bill. Thank you for considering our position. Sincerely, Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director Bike Walk Connecticut Join us for a social at The Shack Hometown Grill to meet Bike Walk Connecticut and Fairfield County enthusiasts for making Fairfield County-- and all of Connecticut--more bikeable and walkable. A spokesperson from Bike Walk Connecticut, the Fairfield Bike Walk Coalition, the Merritt Parkway Trail organizers, Sound Cyclists, and the Norwalk River Valley Trail folks will take a few minutes to explain what their group is about and working on. The focus of the night will be informal so folks may meet, mingle and create opportunities to work (and play!) together. The event is free but registration is required as space is limited; cash bar. Register now! Fairfield Green Drinks
Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 5:30pm-7:30pm The Shack, Hometown Grill 2070 Post Road, Fairfield, CT Register now! Map & Directions “Reveal The Path,” a visually stunning adventure documentary that will ignite the dreamer in everyone, will be coming to the Aetna Theater at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The event is a benefit for the Bike Walk CT. “Reveal The Path” is the followup film from the creators of the wildly popular and award-winning film “Ride The Divide.” The film is an inspirational story of adventure, taking viewers on a 36-day vagabond bike trip to some of the world’s most visually stunning destinations. Filmed on four continents, “Reveal The Path” features world-class mountain bikers, including Tour Divide founder Matthew Lee, star of “Ride The Divide,” and Kurt Refsnider, 2011 Tour Divide winner. Sponsored by Salsa Cycles, the full-length feature film explores Europe’s snow-capped mountains, Scotland’s lush valleys, Alaska’s rugged coastal beaches, Nepal’s elevated wonders and Morocco’s high desert landscapes. Along the way the riders connect with locals who are living modest yet seemingly fulfilling lives, leading the filmmakers to question what it means to live an inspired life – however humble or extravagant. “This adventure will leave you with an eager desire to chart your own course to faraway lands,” said director Mike Dion, who also co-stars in “Reveal The Path,” as he did in “Ride The Divide.” “Or, simply, you may just want to discover with eyes wide open what is around the next bend.” Advance tickets to the screening are $10 and are available at www.imathlete.com/events/revealthepath. The Wadsworth Museum of Art is located at 600 Main St. in Hartford. Tickets the day of the show will be $15 at the door. Bike Walk Connecticut is a member-supported non-profit organization making cycling and walking safe, feasible and attractive for a healthier, cleaner Connecticut. Bike Walk CT is the only organization working statewide to make Connecticut bike- and pedestrian-friendly. For more information, go to www.bikewalkct.org. To view the trailer or for more information on the film, go to www.revealthepath.com. For additional information, contact Garry Harrington at 603-209-5010 or gharrington3165@hotmail.com The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting proposals for Connecticut’s National Recreational Trails Program Grants. The deadline for submissions is March 29, 2013. For project guidance and to download the grant application, see www.ct.gov/dep/rectrails. The Recreational Trails Program is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration but is administered through DEEP.
Recreational Trails Program funds may be used for:
Grants may be made to any private nonprofit organizations, municipalities, state departments and tribal governments. Grant amounts vary, and funding levels are not yet guaranteed. Some recipients of previous grants include:
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