Over the past two years, our town has partnered with consultants from Stantec to reimagine the future of West Hartford Center. After extensive studies and multiple citizen surveys, Stantec developed a forward-thinking design (referred to as “Option A”). This proposal sought to expand sidewalks, reduce crosswalk distances, increase tree canopy coverage, create protected bike lanes, and transition from diagonal to parallel parking in the town center.
At today’s Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) meeting, the Town decided to take a different approach. While we believe that this adopted plan could have been improved by further expanding sidewalks for outdoor dining and adding bicycle infrastructure, we respect the decision made and would like to express our gratitude to all community members who engaged in this process, voicing strong support for a safer and more vibrant town center. We also appreciate the Town for pausing the final decision amidst strong community pushback to allow time for additional reflection. While the outcome may not be exactly what we had hoped for, it represents progress toward a better Center for everyone.
There are several positive developments to note:
- The Town Manager has committed to making the extension of the Trout Brook Trail from Trout Brook Drive to the Main Street intersection permanent, utilizing SS4A funds. Further details, plans, and scheduling will be forthcoming. We are incredibly excited about this news!
- During Bike West Hartford’s summer Center Streets event, the Town recorded over 400 cyclists using the trail extension—a significant win for our community!
- The revised Center plan includes the installation of retractable bollards along LaSalle at Farmington Avenue and Arapahoe, enabling periodic closures of LaSalle for community events. We’ll soon be able to enjoy a car-free LaSalle on these occasions.
- Raised mid-block crosswalks are planned for both LaSalle Road and Farmington Avenue, enhancing pedestrian safety.
- Large “mobility hubs” will be established near Veteran’s Memorial Park and the Arapahoe Parking Lot. These hubs may feature bike shares, scooter shares, and covered bike parking to support multimodal transportation options.
While we at Bike West Hartford are disappointed by the removal of protected bike lanes and preservation of diagonal parking, overall we are optimistic. Slowly but surely, we are moving in the right direction. The Center Plan briefed today may not fully align with our vision, but it is a meaningful step forward. In the final design drawings, which have yet to be fully developed, Bike West Hartford would like to see the town adopt a raised intersection at both LaSalle and Farmington and at LaSalle and Arapahoe. The raised intersection at Farmington and LaSalle was in prior options briefed by Stantec in February 2024.
Finally, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the Town for listening to our concerns, and, most importantly, to our community members who dedicated their time to attend public meetings and share their thoughts with the Town Council. Also a big thank you to those community members that donated to Bike West Hartford’s GoFundMe quick build effort which helped us prove that protected bike lanes work. Your advocacy has been crucial in shaping a better future for West Hartford Center.
Sincerely,
Bike West Hartford