Subcommittee plans National Bike Month outreach, public education video and May events

The Stratford Housatonic Greenway Complete Streets subcommittee used its April 2 meeting to flesh out a May calendar of events for National Bike Month, organize a short instructional video about the town’s new Main Street bicycle infrastructure, and recruit volunteers to hand out reflective gear and appear in short social media clips.

Town planner Smitha Atata and committee volunteers outlined a May schedule that begins with a May 1 kickoff: a planned two-hour public outreach and reflective-gear distribution at a coffee-shop location near the train station. Committee members said the town will issue a proclamation and a press article on May 1, and that social media (Town of Stratford Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and the mayor’s newsletter will be used for distribution. The subcommittee also listed May 4 (Ride a Bike Day), May 7 (National Bike to School Day), and May 17 (a wayfinding bench, two benches and a bike rack at Broad and Main) as planned events tied to the rollout.

Members discussed production of a short instructional video to show riders and motorists how to use the new bicycle infrastructure on Main Street. The proposed route for the instructional clip was described as Barnum Avenue to Stratford Avenue (covering the new Main Street segment), with shots that demonstrate use of bike boxes, dashed lane markings and interactions with vehicle traffic. Michael (identified in the meeting as the project videographer and a frequent ride documentarian) said a tightly planned shoot could yield usable material in roughly two hours but that realistic production, including multiple passes and cutaway shots, could require up to four hours; he also noted editing time after shooting. The group discussed possible shoot dates in April (week of April 14) and weekend options such as April 12–13 or the weekend of April 19, and emphasized that weather and participant availability will determine the exact date.

Committee members said the town’s standard recreation waiver includes a video release Michael wrote last year and that that release went through town lawyers; staff noted the town may need a release tailored to this town-produced outreach if footage will be used beyond club promotion. The subcommittee agreed to recruit volunteers for May 1 and to use existing club and town mailing lists and the Stratford Crier for targeted outreach; members cautioned about broadly broadcasting volunteer recruitment on public Facebook pages without vetting volunteers who will handle town-distributed reflective gear.

Members also discussed scheduling and calendar logistics for summer rides and family events (kids rodeo, possible Milford–New Haven ride) and agreed staff and volunteers will coordinate via email and a shared spreadsheet and Google Calendar. The subcommittee planned to favor weekend rides because midweek attendance has been low. No formal vote was taken on these outreach items at the meeting; they were recorded as planning and direction to staff and volunteers.

The meeting concluded after routine minutes approval and a motion to adjourn.