Madison discusses $1.4 million plan to add sidewalks, traffic-calming near Neck River School

Engineers and town leaders described a preliminary plan on Tuesday to add roughly 2,400 linear feet of five-foot sidewalks and secondary spurs to connect Neck River Elementary School with nearby school campuses along Green Hill and Mungertown roads.

“One of the goals was to provide pedestrian connection and safe routes to school between the Neck River Elementary School and the other school campuses,” consultant Ken Ganon of Stantec said during a presentation of preliminary plans and cost estimates. The firm’s early construction estimate is about $1.39 million, Ken Ganon said, noting that number could change as design advances.

The plan shifts much of the new sidewalk to the north side of Green Hill Road to avoid impacts to a specimen tree on the south side, adds a proposed three-way stop at the Warpus intersection and narrows travel lanes in places as a traffic-calming measure. Engineers proposed upgrades to the bridge rail and a slight roadway shift to fit a full five-foot sidewalk across the bridge.

First Selectwoman Peggy, who led the meeting, said the drafts reflect an effort to avoid private takings and limit tree impacts while improving connectivity. “We tried to avoid them as much as possible,” one engineer said when asked whether easements or takings would be required.

Public commenters—many of them residents and members of town advisory committees—largely supported adding sidewalks for school safety and neighborhood walkability. “The need is there, the desire is there, it’s happening,” Jessica Joseph, a member of the Madison Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, said, citing past bike-and-walk events with hundreds of participants.

At the same time, conservation-minded speakers urged careful coordination with town commissions and minimal damage to mature trees and wetlands. Terry Vanolder, who identified herself as a member of the Conservation Commission and the Tree Advisory Committee, asked that inland wetlands, the Conservation Commission and the Tree Advisory Committee all be consulted on potential environmental impacts to the Neck River and specimen trees.

Board members questioned trade-offs in the design. Several asked whether the project should prioritize re-engineering problematic intersections (particularly at Warpus) rather than installing sidewalks that require multiple crossings. “Sidewalks in a high pedestrian area…increase safety,” one board member replied, adding that traffic issues and enforcement remain separate but complementary problems.

Staff and consultants said the next steps would include more neighborhood outreach—ideally a public information meeting to get abutter feedback—and application to state funding programs (such as the town’s local transportation grant programs). Consultants noted that, if accepted into the state program, construction costs could be fully funded while the town would need to fund final design and surveying.

Residents and technical speakers suggested several design refinements to reduce tree loss and preserve habitat, including routing sidewalks around large trunks, limiting grading near driplines, and integrating habitat or educational elements where feasible. “If we could create a wildlife corridor and use this as an educational opportunity, it would be much more than simply putting in sidewalks,” a resident caller said.

The board did not vote on next steps Tuesday; it directed staff to schedule additional public outreach and to continue refining designs and cost estimates before committing to an application for funding.