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Board hears Safe Streets Greenwich action plan and resolution to target serious-injury crashes by 2040
Summary
DPW civil engineer Michael Kisl presented the Safe Streets Greenwich Safety Action Plan funded by a $400,000 Federal Highway grant; the board held a first read of a resolution committing leadership to a goal of eliminating serious-injury and fatal crashes by 2040, and members debated the wording of that goal before scheduling a second read.
The Board of Selectmen heard a first reading Jan. 22 on the Safe Streets Greenwich Safety Action Plan and a companion resolution that would commit town leadership to an aspirational target of eliminating fatal and serious-injury crashes by 2040.
Michael Kisl, civil engineer with the Department of Public Works, said the town received a $400,000 Federal Highway grant to develop a comprehensive, Greenwich-specific transportation safety plan and that the resolution is a goal statement intended to qualify the town for future implementation grants. "It's goal setting. It's not committing you to any particular policy or project," Kisl said.
Select members asked for precision in the resolution's language. One board member cautioned that the word "eliminate" could be read as an absolute zero target and suggested softer phrasing; Kisl and other members said the intent was to "strive to eliminate" fatalities and serious injuries while recognizing the practical limits of engineering and the possibility of unpredictable events.
Board members discussed implementation tools that could be included in the plan's next phase: signal improvements, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, countermeasures targeted to high-crash corridors, and cross-department coordination with police and emergency services. Kisl said the town will solicit public comment on specific countermeasures in the coming months and that signing the resolution will improve Greenwich's competitiveness for future Federal Highway implementation funding.
What happens next: The resolution and plan language will return for a second read with clarified wording; staff will publish more details of proposed countermeasures for public comment and pursue competitive implementation grants.
