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Commission questions trip-generation rules, reviews Highway 37 path, on‑ramp feasibility and state legislative changes
Summary
The planning director urged replacing the city's trip-generation table with the ITE/American Traffic Engineering manual, presented a 10-foot multiuse path concept for Route 37, and outlined state legislative changes (referred to as Public Act 2530) that include climate assessments and optional resiliency/TIF districts.
During the Aug. 26 workshop, Planning Director Waleed reviewed transportation and regulatory items that he said merit commission attention: a proposed multiuse path on Highway 37, a potential engineered on-ramp to I-84 near the North Street/Starbucks area, pilot 'flex lanes' on I-84, and a plan to replace the city's trip-generation multipliers with recognized engineering standards.
On active-transportation planning, Waleed showed WestCOG materials calling for a roughly 10-foot multiuse path along parts of Route 37/39 linking the four corners toward New Fairfield. He acknowledged the study is a vision and that implementation would vary by segment; "it doesn't have to be all the way," he said, and staff would focus funding applications on the most-used sections and ensure emergency access.
Commissioners asked whether the DOT could add an on-ramp near the Starbucks intersection; Waleed said he had met DOT engineers and they would evaluate feasibility and safety constraints, noting the state owns nearby land and engineers "didn't shut the door" on the idea.
Waleed also criticized the city's existing trip-generation table, calling its numeric assumptions inconsistent with modern engineering practice and saying "nobody had an idea" where the table originated. He proposed replacing it with a clause that references the latest edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers / American Traffic Engineering manual.
Finally, Waleed summarized a state law discussed as "Public Act 2530," saying it will require future climate-change assessments, guidance on ideal density, and offers optional tools including transfer-of-development rights and resiliency improvement districts (similar to tax-increment financing) that the city could adopt by council ordinance. He said those tools are optional and the council, not the commission, would make final determinations on their use.
Commissioners asked for follow-up materials on feasibility, funding options and engineering standards; staff will return with additional detail and recommendations.
