While bike and pedestrian infrastructure construction can improve our safety, livability, and sense of place, in some places these improvements alone cannot undo decades of sprawl-oriented planning. Bike West Hartford board member Jason Wang writes in his latest op-ed about how he is excited for CT DOT’s upcoming plans to revamp Bishops Corner, but West Hartford needs smarter and more sustainable land use policies to really turn Bishops Corner and other strip malls into places where people can really thrive. In particular, oversized parking lots perpetuate car-dependence and waste valuable land while creating an inhospitable environment for walkers and cyclists. His conclusion:
Let’s ask that the CTDOT work closely with our town officials to address the root causes of Bishops Corner’s walkability, bikeability, and safety issues. We need to recognize that no amount of well-intentioned money spent on sidewalks and crosswalks can fix Bishops Corner. The only way to really fix Bishops Corner is to address the underlying suburban sprawl land use patterns which make the area inhospitable to humans.