Norwalk Bikeway and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. with Alta Planning + Design and Stantec Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Presentation agenda Plan overview Current conditions Opportunities Vision Next steps Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Plan overview Directed by Planning and Zoning Department Select consultants –Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. –Alta Planning + Design –Stantec Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Plan purpose Ten year guide map –Identify issue areas –Develop list of priorities –Rank priorities –Develop conceptual plans Develop Bikeway and Pedestrian Plan –Design guidelines –Identify bicycle and pedestrian network Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Involvement City departments Redevelopment Agency Merchant groups Major employers Developers Sound Cyclists Norwalk River Valley Trail Merritt Parkway Trail Alliance Cultural institutions Schools Residents/Neighborhood Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Project components Existing conditions –Identify missing links –Baseline conditions/ benchmarking Recommendations –Design schematics –Design standards Ten-year plan –Vision –System identification –Funding needs Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Work to date Focus group meetings Review past reports –Plan of Conservation and Development –Connectivity Plan –Various neighborhood /district plans –Regional and statewide bicycle and pedestrian plans Innovative Planning, Better Communities

What is Norwalk? Neighborhoods Employment center Retail and dining center Tourist attractions Transportation hub Innovative Planning, Better Communities

What can Norwalk be? A great place to live A great place to work A great place to walk, shop and eat A great place to visit A place that is livable and connected Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Existing conditions Thriving retail and commercial areas Dense residential development and neighborhoods Extensive sidewalk network Series of linear paths and plans Planned development projects On-going train station improvements Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Potential demand Approximately 83,185 residents 17,865 (21%) people live/work in Norwalk 11% of residents commute by public transit 6.5% of households do not own cars YET… Less than 5% walk or bike to work Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Increasing bicyclist – decreasing injuries 66% increase in cycling in last two years Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Livable community Innovative Planning, Better Communities Somerville, MA

Livability indicators Miles of sidewalks / paths Mode of travel percentages –Percent walk/bike to work –Percent transit to work Transit ridership Trail bicycle counts Walk/bike to school numbers Number of bicycle racks Bicycle and pedestrian Level of service Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Complete streets Examine existing regulations Review current design guidelines Work between agencies Bring residents, merchants, developers together Safe routes to transit Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Placemaking Bike boulevards Bike racks Signage / striping Wayfinding program Lighting Pavement treatment Complete missing links Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Road Diet Typically, a reduction of a four-lane road to two lanes with center turn lane and bike lanes Provides potential for pedestrian refuge island at unsignalized crosswalks where left turn lane is not needed Moving left-turning vehicles out of flow of traffic increases safety for ALL users Glisan Street, Portland OR - BEFORE Glisan Street, Portland OR - AFTER

Bike Lanes Convenience of riding on the street with some psychological separation Novice cyclists are more likely to ride in bike lane rather than the sidewalk Street appears narrower - motorists drive slower Commonwealth Avenue, Boston - BEFORE Commonwealth Avenue, Boston - AFTER

Bike Boxes – Increase Visibility Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland OR

Buffered Bike Lanes Convenience of riding on the street + psychological separation of a barrier Mountable curb allows cyclists to leave bike lane for turning or overtaking Motorists feel bump when they stray into curb Novice bicyclists more likely to ride in bike lane rather than on sidewalk mountable curb

Two-way Cycle Track Montreal Kelowna, BC Hudson River Pathway, West Side, NYC Cycle-track: a path for bicyclists located next to (alongside) a roadway. A sidepath is similar to a sidewalk, but designated for anyone traveling by bicycle

Shared Lane Markings: “Sharrows” Portland, OR Somerville, Mass Sharrows: roadway marking installed in travel lanes. This marking is used within travel lanes shared by bicyclists and other vehicles. The name "sharrow" was coined by Oliver Gajda, of the City and County of San Francisco Bicycle Program, as a combination of shared lane and arrow. bicyclistsvehicles

Bicycle Parking – On-street bike corrals Portland OR

Streetscape Improvements Tremont Street, Boston - BEFORETremont Street, Boston - AFTER

Streetscape Improvements Winthrop Street, Cambridge - BEFORE Winthrop Street, Cambridge - AFTER

Crosswalks/Intersection Treatment Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Crosswalks/Intersection Treatment Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Wayfinding - Signage Directs users to and along trails/paths/bikeways Directs users to places of interest, giving distance and average cycling time Visual queue to motorists to be aware of bicycles Placed at key intersections and decision points Portland, OR NY Bike Routes

Innovative Planning, Better Communities DRAFT Vision All Norwalk residents and visitors have access to the benefits of walking and cycling. They are physically active and they and their children have learned to safely walk and bike, giving them mobility and independence. Norwalk is a community where people can walk or ride from their home to work, transit, to places for shopping and entertainment and for recreation. Norwalk’s streets are livable places that accommodate many activities. Neighborhood business districts are thriving with foot traffic from residents and visitors. A civic commitment to share the road is respected by drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. Norwalk is the hub of a connected regional bicycle network that includes bike lanes, multi-use paths and greenways.

Innovative Planning, Better Communities Potential Priority Areas East Avenue The Green Calf Pasture Beach Road Seaview Avenue Strawberry Hill Avenue High pedestrian/bicycle accident locations

Innovative Planning, Better Communities Types of Recommendations Multi-use pathways Signage Sharrows- shared bicycle travel lane markers Bicycle lanes Cycletracks- separated bicycle facilities Crosswalks Overall bicycle and pedestrian network

Project design concept sample Innovative Planning, Better Communities

Linkages- Harbor and River Trail Innovative Planning, Better Communities Naugatuk River Trail, Waterbury, CT East side of Norwalk Harbor

Innovative Planning, Better Communities Potential Recommendations Maps/Tourism brochures Education programs –Learn to bike –Group walks/bikes –Safe Routes to School education Enforcement Design standards Review of ordinances

Innovative Planning, Better Communities Next steps Identify priorities –Infrastructure –Amenities –Regulations/Policies Rank priorities Develop concepts Develop draft plan Public meeting

Innovative Planning, Better Communities On-line survey Link from Department of Planning and Zoning webpage:

Innovative Planning, Better Communities Contact Information Dori Wilson- Norwalk Planning and Zoning Department –(203) Ken Livingston- Project Manager- Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. –