Appreciation for Recent Transportation Safety Improvements

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West Hartford has made steady and positive strides in transportation safety over the past few months. As we reflect on these positive changes, we’d like to highlight key developments and express our gratitude to the Town of West Hartford for their commitment to road safety improvements.

Recent Advancements

  1. Vision Zero Map: The Town launched an interactive map showcasing vision zero projects at various stages of completion. We encourage residents to explore it.
  2. Road Safety Audits (RSA):
    • Albany Avenue underwent an RSA in July 2024, spanning from Bishop’s Corner to Prospect Street. Potential improvements include a road diet, enhanced pedestrian accessibility, and upgraded bus stops. We eagerly await the final report.
    • Sedgwick Road is slated for the next RSA. With its expansive width (50-60 feet) and oversized lanes (up to 15 feet) serving Sedgwick Middle and Duffy Elementary schools, this area presents significant opportunities for improvement. Potential enhancements include narrowed travel lanes, protected mid-block crossings, center islands with native street trees, bicycle lanes, and speed tables.
  3. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs): These push-button crossing signals have been installed at numerous pedestrian crosswalks throughout town, greatly enhancing safety.
  4. Boulevard Transformation: Recent improvements include:
    • Narrowed lanes (10 feet)
    • New bike lanes
    • RRFBs near Sedgwick and Whiting Lane
    • First raised crosswalk / speed table! The West Hartford Engineering Department addressed concerns about snow removal, emergency services, and drainage with the design. The solution is simple and effective!
  5. Grant Awards:
    • Funding secured through CT DEEP for a comprehensive study of the Tri-Point Greenway concept, connecting Trout Brook Trail to Newington and Hartford.
    • $3.1 million federal Safe Streets for All grant for quick-build safety improvements, focusing on West Hartford school zones.
  6. Trout Brook Trail: Phase 3 nears completion, featuring a narrowed Trout Brook Drive to accommodate the trail extension. The new section is expected to open in October or November.
  7. New Britain Avenue Road Diet: The State DOT implemented a road diet between Newington Ave. and Shield Street in Hartford and West Hartford, marking a significant step towards improved safety.
  8. New Park Avenue: The public meeting for the New Park Avenue Complete Streets design is this Tuesday, September 17 at 6:30 at the Elmwood Community Center. The Town’s plan which was shown some months ago was excellent, and they should be commended for their efforts. A protected cycle track is planned for this transit-oriented development (TOD) zone, which will connect to the Trout Brook Trail. In terms of suggestions, we would love to see some more large, native street trees in this area to make it more pleasant for pedestrians and bicyclists, and for additional traffic calming. The creation of the TOD zone with extensive bike, pedestrian, local bus, and bus rapid transit accessibility combined with streamlined housing approval will continue this neighborhood’s remarkable transformation. In the future we would love to see further exploration of an Amtrak/CTRail stop here, which would propel even more sustainable growth and rehabilitation in this area.
  9. Quick Build Trial at Center Streets: We had an amazing turnout at Center Streets this year, and we thank our supporters and attendees for making it a fun event. The Town collaborated with us to create a bike lane extension from the Trout Brook Trail to S. Main Street, and it was well received. We hope this quick-build trial is considered for the future planning of this corridor, as connectivity from the Trout Brook Trail to and through the Center would be a wonderful thing for our community. We also hope to see more quick build demonstration projects around town in accordance with our Vision Zero Action Plan.

Looking Ahead

Bike West Hartford commends the Town for its steady progress in road safety improvements. We anticipate continued enhancements to our community’s safety infrastructure in the coming months and years.

As we move forward, we hope to see additional improvements, such as:

  • Adopting Option A for the Center Master Plan, which makes more space for pedestrians and outdoor dining by incorporating parallel parking instead of angled parking. The Town has until December 2024 to make a decision before funds expire, and there has been no public update. We hope that town leaders will make the right choice for the benefit of businesses, residents, and visitors alike, and we reiterate that there is no economic case for preserving excess parking in our Center which is already oversupplied with parking.
  • More raised crosswalks and speed tables across town
  • South Main Street road diet
  • Bishop’s Corner safety improvements which will be briefed some time in the Fall 2024 by CTDOT.
  • Flex posts to protect bike lanes in accordance with the Town’s new Bicycle Facility Plan which is pending approval
  • Greater connectivity to the Trout Brook Trail via the Reservoir, the Tri-Point Greenway, and even north of Heritage Park to Albany Avenue and Bishop’s Corner (2025 is a new year for more grant applications!)

We encourage all residents to stay engaged with these initiatives and to provide feedback to the Town as we work together towards a safer, more accessible West Hartford for all. They need to know that these changes are benefiting us all. We encourage you to please reach out to the Town of West Hartford to thank them for their ongoing safety improvements across Town. 

And if you can, please again advocate to our town leaders for Option A of the Center Master Plan, because timing of that is critical and the Center redesign is a once in a generation opportunity to dramatically improve our Town.