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Town Panel Recommends Long List of Safety Improvements for Walkers, Cyclists

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Darien could make its sidewalks and roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists by adopting a series of improvements, initially near schools and train stations, an ad hoc committee told the Board of Selectmen. In a presentation to the board Monday, the Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Committee recommended changes that would make roads safer, but Beth Harmon, chair of the panel, said committee members also wanted to make the streets “healthy, more accessible and enjoyable.” The committee suggested that the town make some inexpensive, easier improvements sooner — such as painting new crosswalks at specific spots and adding signs and bicycle lane markers. For the longer term, the committee recommended a long list of improvements, including lighting under bridges, building new sidewalks or extending them, adding “bollards” (posts, to which chains could be added to provide barriers for pedestrians to prevent them from walking on streets at unsafe spots; the word is also used for plastic post-like signs that can be placed temporarily on a street), and other infrastructure improvements. The committee identified a total of 10 “key areas” around town where improvements should be made first — areas within a half-mile distance of the town’s seven schools as well as near four train stations (including two New Canaan Branch train stations — Springdale and Talmadge Hill — just beyond the town borders).

Letter letters

Letter: Pedestrian Advisory Panel to Give Recommendations Dec 14

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To the editor:

The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Darien will be presented with the Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Committee’s (PIAC) findings and recommendations for safe passage for Darien pedestrians and cyclists, in a public meeting on Monday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The event marks another step in highlighting the importance of safe walking and biking on the streets of Darien. The Committee will present a detailed report of its work since June of this year. The work of the Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Committee is intended to involve the community in discussions regarding potential high-value improvements to Darien’s existing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

Harmon Adelman

New Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Panel Takes First Steps

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A committee to recommend sidewalk and other projects for pedestrians in town held its first meeting Tuesday, elected a chairman and started researching information to help walkers, cyclists and others to get around town safely and easily. Members of the new Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Committee (created on Monday by the Board of Selectmen) will start gathering information on sidewalks in town, proposals for fixing or extending them and other ideas (like additional crosswalks) already proposed. The nine-member panel elected Beth Harmon as its new chairman (she was the only member who offered to take on the position) as well as Ted Hawkins and Pat Morrissey as co-clerks (to keep meeting minutes at alternate meetings). The committee expects to meet on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and perhaps other times as it tries to come up with recommendations for town spending. The Board of Selectmen would like a list of recommendations for where to improve or install new sidewalks or other pedestrian-friendly projects by the last quarter of 2015.

Darien Board of Selectmen

Selectmen Appoint 9-Member Pedestrian Infrastructure Panel

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The Board of Selectmen on Monday appointed nine members to the new Pedestrian Infrastructure Advisory Committee, a new body created to pay more attention to sidewalks and other infrastructure for pedestrians. The board had asked the Representative Town Meeting’s Pedestrian Infrastructure Subcommittee to find seven candidates (most of them RTM members) to form the advisory committee (which will hold its first meeting Tuesday night in Town Hall). Frank Adelman, chairman of the subcommittee, delivered a report (full text below) explaining how the members were selected. His report also suggested that the committee be expanded to nine members — largely because the new committee could use plenty of help with the job of examining pedestrian infrastructure and suggesting maintenance and improvement projects in upcoming months. Selectmen unanimously agreed to expand the committee and appointed all nine of the recommended candidates to it (list below).