| As a supporter of Shoreline Greenway Trail, you may want to know about an upcoming meeting hosted by SCRCOG in conjunction with the towns of Branford and Guilford and DOT regarding a study of the Route 146 corridor between Branford and Guilford. Please see the official hearing notification below and SGT’s public comment. |
| Virtual Public Information Meeting Tuesday December 1, 2020 SCRCOG, in conjunction with the Town of Branford and Town of Guilford and the Connecticut Department of Transportation is conducting a study of the Route 146 corridor from the western Route 1 (North Main Street) junction in Branford to the eastern Route 1 (Boston Post Road) junction in Guilford. The project study efforts are currently in the Existing Conditions phase. This project is intended to study the corridor and where determined by the Study Advisory Committee (SAC), provide recommendations for improvements to improve traffic operations, safety, and address locations with frequent flooding and future sea level rise through this area. In order to afford the public and interested parties the opportunity to review the existing condition project study information and provide input to the study efforts, a Virtual Public Information Meeting will be held on Tuesday December 1, 2020, 6:30 pm via Microsoft Teams virtual platform. Project study effort information will be presented and staff available to discuss the project study efforts. It is anticipated that the Federal Highway Administration will provide 100% of the funds. Anyone interested in obtaining further information or providing input may do so by contacting Stephen Dudley Deputy Director/Director of Transportation SCRCOG, Washington Avenue, 4th Floor West North Haven, CT 06473 Also via telephone at 203-234-7555 and electronic mail at Sdudley@scrcog.org Public comments should be received by December 31, 2020 to be included in the record of the meeting. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://vhb.zoom.us/j/99974282632?pwd=R2U3TmJBK0s1UXJVZmhSb3A5MzBldz09 R2U3TmJBK0s1UXJVZmhSb3A5MzBldz09 |
Route 146 Corridor Study Shoreline Greenway Trail Response
Shoreline Greenway Trail, Inc. has become aware of the Public Information meeting to be held on December 1 regarding the Route 146 corridor study between Branford and Guilford.
We recognize that the purpose of this meeting is to provide input for the Study Advisory Committee (SAC) recommendations for improvements to traffic operations, safety, and locations with frequent flooding and future sea level rise throughout this area. Since the primary purpose of our organization is to work with towns to advocate for the development of the Shoreline Greenway Trail between Lighthouse Point Park and Hammonasset Beach State Park, our main interest is in speaking to concerns for bicycle and pedestrian safety along Route 146.
Shoreline Greenway Trail joins with other groups in Branford and Guilford in valuing the preservation of Route 146 as a designated scenic highway and historic district. Since it is also a state designated bike route, it draws bike riders from the regional area and beyond. This makes traffic calming and reduced speeding a high priority. Our organization urges that any modifications to Route 146 should be in keeping with preserving its scenic and historic character.
Route 146 between Branford and Guilford was included in the 2010 Stantec Engineering feasibility study for the Shoreline Greenway Trail prepared for the South Central Council of Governments. As the towns of East Haven, Branford, and Madison, continue to develop sections of the proposed Shoreline Greenway Trail, and as more and more people turn to cycling for recreation and transit, bicycle use of this stretch of 146 will inevitably increase. We urge the Study Advisory Committee to take this into consideration as they develop their recommendations. We believe that this section of Route 146 should be primarily intended for the use of local traffic, tourists visiting in response to its historic and scenic designation, and bicyclists. It is not, nor should it be, a road used for speedy automobile transit between Branford and Guilford.
With the above in mind, we make the following suggestions:
- Preserve the historic and scenic character of Rt 146
- “Share the Road” signs should be placed frequently along this route
- A steady speed limit of 25 mph should be maintained
- Signage for No Thru Truck Traffic
- Consideration for speed bumps in critical areas
- Inclusion of bicycle/pedestrian lanes in any modifications made to address flooding issues
- The addition of bicycle/pedestrian lanes wherever feasible
- The use of sharrows in areas where the road is so narrow that there is no verge for bicycles to use
In closing, we would like to express our appreciation that SCRCOG, DOT, and the towns of Branford and Guilford are addressing this important issue.
Sincerely,
Shoreline Greenway Trail. Inc
Aziz Dehkan, Executive Director
Judith Miller, Ph.D. Chair