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09/24/2019 02:48 PMThe conceptual design of a project to add numerous improvements to pedestrian walkways on and around Bradley Road has just been completed, allowing the town to move forward with getting the project out to bid.
Among other things, the project would extend sidewalks across driveways on Bradley Road, creating a continuous pedestrian path from the Tuxis Pond walkway east to Wall Street, according to Town Engineer John Iennaco, who went over details of the design at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Sept. 9.
It is being funded by a state Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) grant of $200,000, according to Assistant Town Engineer Robert Russo. TOD grants are intended to fund projects that create or improve pedestrian access around railway stations.
Some sidewalk would also be widened to be compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Iennaco said at the meeting. The project would add four crosswalks: one at Wall Street leading to Bradley Road, two on Bradley at the Old Route 79 intersection, and one crossing Bradley to reach the train station. The Old Route 79 intersection would become a three-way stop, according to the plan, and the train station would involve a “push-button beacon” to alert motorists, according to Iennaco.
The project was designed to create as many specific improvements as possible within the budget constraints, Russo said. A couple areas with “specific needs” were highlighted as the designs were formed, according to Russo, including the Bradley Road and Old Route 79 intersection, where some residents with disabilities had less than ideal access to surrounding areas.
Vista Life Innovations is a full service organization supporting people with disabilities, according to its website, and sits at the intersection. At the Board of Selectmen meeting, Ienacco said people in motorized wheelchairs leaving or arriving at Vista Life often simply moved along the side of the road until reaching a ramp access point on Bradley or Old 79.
Both Ieancco and First Selectman Tom Banisch (R) said that they had spoken to representatives of Vista Life about the project and received positive feedback. Iennaco also said all improvements would be ADA compliant, potentially completing a fully accessible path from the southern part of the Tuxis Pond path all the way to the east side of Wall Street.
Both Russo and Ienacco said that staying within the $200,000 grant remained a high priority. If a final design looked like it might put the project over that limit, certain non-essential elements would be cut, they said.
Russo said the current design includes a plan for an informational plaque and enhancements to the entrance of the Tuxis Pond walkway, which might not make the final design if budget becomes an issue.
The next step in the project is to hold a public meeting, Russo said, which will focus on business and property owners in the project’s scope, but will be open to the public. The time and place of that meeting has not yet been set.
Ienacco and Russo both said the project could be finished before winter, though they cautioned there were still other variables that could push back that timeline. Because the project is funded by state money, it is also subject to a state review process, according to Russo. He said early spring was a more realistic projection for the project.