Norwalk transportation staff present preliminary capital budget focused on sidewalks, design and school signal

Norwalk transportation staff presented a preliminary, department-requested capital budget to the Norwalk Bike Walk Commission on Feb. 3, outlining planned increases for roadway design and reconstruction, new sidewalks and signal equipment tied to the new Norwalk High School.

“This is not the approved budget, but this is the budget as requested by the department,” Jim Travers of TMP told commissioners at the start of his presentation. Travers said the department-requested package reflects a substantial rise in capital spending compared with recent years, especially for design and sidewalk construction.

Why it matters: The request would fund several near-term design efforts and match commitments necessary to secure and use federal and state grants that the city is pursuing. Commissioners and staff said the requests aim to close sidewalk gaps near schools, reduce crossing distances and deliver upgrades needed to open the new high school safely.

Key details

- Roadway design and reconstruction: Travers said the largest increase is in the city’s road design/reconstruction account, which will fund design work and smaller reconstruction projects at intersections and other locations. That account will also carry proposed local matches for grant applications. “We anticipate a fair amount of the design work that’ll come out of there,” Travers said.

- Norwalk High School signal: Travers said the state and…