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Farmington advisory committee reviews trail upkeep, signage plans and Safe Routes curriculum
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Summary
Committee members reviewed winter bollard maintenance and trail repairs, discussed regional wayfinding and a grant-backed push for mile markers and unified signage, and agreed to pursue Safe Routes curriculum and grant options for a part-time bike–ped coordinator; minutes were approved.
The Town of Farmington Active Transportation Advisory Committee on Nov. 12 reviewed a series of trail maintenance and wayfinding projects and agreed on next steps for grant applications and school outreach.
Bruce Donald, the committee’s trail lead, described a winter maintenance program for trail bollards, saying crews will remove damaged posts, “bring it back to the shop, grind it down, paint it, and get all the reflective tape on it.” He said removing bollards along River Road remains on the list but would require saw-cutting and patching and therefore be handled in the construction season rather than winter.
The committee spent substantial time on wayfinding signs and ADA access. Members noted that formalizing a trail with crosswalks and permanent signs could trigger additional work and approvals with public works and planning staff, and some raised questions about ADA guidelines for mountain-bike trails. One participant said there are no U.S. federal ADA standards specifically for mountain-bike trails and members discussed whether the trail should be paved or remain stone dust if it is to be memorialized with formal signage.
On trail repairs, members reported recent work addressing sinkholes and saw-cut pothole repairs at places including Meadow Road and Red Oak. Bruce said a new path connection at Depot Place appears to be complete and will be inspected to confirm whether it was paved or left as compacted stone dust.
Regional coordination on signage was a recurring focus. Committee members described a multi-town effort with Simsbury and Avon to standardize parking-lot and trail signage and pursue a Connecticut Recreational Trails Grants Program application (deadline Dec. 18). The group discussed mile markers to help police and EMTs locate incidents and suggested volunteer hours could help meet grant match requirements.
On school outreach, the committee agreed to form a subcommittee to pursue Safe Routes to School curriculum offerings. Members noted BikeWalk Connecticut’s curriculum and training, and discussed funding options — including Department of Transportation microgrants, foundation support and possible fee waivers from BikeWalk Connecticut. A board member with ties to BikeWalk Connecticut said the basic instructor training runs about $1,200, with roughly $500 a year for fleet rental; the organization can also loan bikes and trainers to towns.
Members also debated creating a part-time bike–ped coordinator to pursue grants and coordinate projects. Options discussed included a Farmington-funded position, a grant-funded capacity hire, or a shared position among neighboring towns. Several members cautioned that a non-Farmington hire would need careful structure so it remained accountable to local stakeholders.
The committee approved the minutes from Oct. 8 by voice vote. Before adjourning, members were asked to review a new economic study on the Canal Heritage Trail prepared by Cambridge Econometrics and to follow up on grant and signage cost estimates.
The committee set follow-up actions: Bruce will confirm technical details (paving vs. stone dust) for new connections, coordinate signage pricing for oval parking-lot signs, and meet with Russ Arnold (public works) on wayfinding crosswalk needs; a website meeting is set for Nov. 19 and a November subcommittee will be scheduled to progress Safe Routes planning.
