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Avon reviews Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, opens 30-day public comment period
Summary
Consultants presented a draft Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan that prioritizes low-cost short-term projects and an Implementation Matrix to time work with CT DOT paving; Council will accept public comments for 30 days before finalizing in March or April.
Dave Sullivan, manager of traffic and transportation planning for SLR International Corporation, presented the draft Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan to the Avon Town Council on Feb. 1, outlining short- and long-term recommendations and an Implementation Matrix to guide local priorities.
Sullivan said the plan separates projects into short-term items—generally under $100,000 and requiring minimal right-of-way or permitting—and longer-term projects that may need design work, right-of-way acquisition or coordination with state agencies. “Short-term recommendations connect the grid, making it a bit safer for cyclists with signage or a safer shoulder without a tremendous amount of money,” he said.
Fiona Flynn, a project engineer with SLR, described the range of pedestrian and bicycle facilities the plan recommends, from five-foot paved sidewalks to eight- to ten-foot side paths that can diverge from the roadway where constraints exist. Flynn noted the plan considers constraints such as guide rails, brooks, culverts and limited right‑of‑way and tries to propose buildable solutions.
Council members pressed on technical tradeoffs. Sullivan explained lane-width options and traffic-calming measures: while 12-foot lanes used to be standard, many local collectors use 11- or 10-foot lanes in constrained areas, and striping can create 10-foot travel lanes on a 22-foot roadway by marking outside shoulders. He also cautioned that anything on a state highway requires coordination with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT).
Council members discussed several local items that the plan flags. Mr. Weber identified three missing trailheads—Governor’s Horse Guard Trail/state park at the west end of Arch Road, an Avon Land Trust trailhead off Nod Way, and a trailhead at Hazen Park—that would improve connectivity. Mrs. Barthel suggested the town study a mountain biking park for youth and offered to help pursue grant funding for it.
The Town Manager said that, if Council is comfortable with the draft, the town will post the plan for a 30‑day public comment period, accept written feedback, and return the plan for Council discussion at its March or April regular meeting with any final revisions before adoption.
The presentation materials were made part of the meeting record.
