Norwalk plans to nearly double city’s bike lane network
NORWALK — Bicycling in Norwalk may soon be a bit easier and safer.
Transportation officials are moving forward with plans to nearly double the city’s network of bike lanes by the end of the year, a move they hope will boost cycling and make roads less dangerous.
The project, which is funded through a state grant, will expand the total length of bike lanes in the city from eight miles to nearly 16 miles, according to Norwalk Transportation Planner Greg Pacelli.
“We’re trying to create more options for people to travel in Norwalk rather than just driving,” Pacelli
said. “We want to open up more modes of transportation and create more accessibility for people, not just within the urban core of the city, but also the outer area of the city as well.”
Pacelli said the plans call for extensions to bike lanes along Water Street in South Norwalk and other spots on Route 136. New bike lanes will be installed on Rowayton Avenue, Richards Avenue and other city roads.
The project is funded through the Community Connectivity Grant Program, a state-funded infrastructure initiative aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. The grant funds, which total $280,000, will cover the cost of installing new signs and painting the bike lanes on the road surface, according to Pacelli.
Pacelli said the new 5-footwide bike lanes are expected to draw more cyclists onto city streets. Surveys of Norwalk residents have shown that a lack of bike lanes is one of the largest factors in preventing people from biking more often.
With just eight miles of existing bike lanes, Norwalk is “somewhat bikeable,” according to Walk Score, a Seattlebased company that measures walkability, access to public transit and bicycling facilities.
Pacelli said the new lanes will help boost Norwalk’s bike score and lay the foundation for future expansions to the network of bike lanes and trails that weave through the city.
Norwalk Bike/Walk Commission Chairwoman Nancy Rosett said the new bike lanes will also make roads safer for vehicles and pedestrians, as well as for cyclists.
Rosett said bike lanes reduce the amount of space vehicles can travel in a roadway, making it easier for pedestrians to cross a street. The narrower roadways also encourage drivers to travel at slower speeds.
“If, unfortunately, a motor vehicle collides with either a pedestrian or a bicyclist, the slower they are going, the less likely the pedestrian or bicyclist is to be seriously hurt,” said Rosett, an avid cyclist. “The seriousness of the injury increases astronomically with the speed of the motor vehicle. So bike lanes will make the streets in Norwalk safer for all users.”
Beyond making the streets safer, Rosett said, the new bike lanes have the added benefit of drawing more people to Norwalk. She said the increased bike traffic could ultimately help boost the local economy.
“Bicyclists tend to eat a lot,” Rosett said. “So they’re likely to stop and pick something up to eat or have a meal while they’re bicycling in the city.”
The project is scheduled to go before the Norwalk Traffic Authority later this month. If approved, state officials must then sign off on the planned expansion. Pacelli said if everything goes according to plan, the new bike lanes could be installed before the end of the year.