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Time to Implement

Complete Streets is a nationwide policy and design approach focused on building safe, healthy, connected communities. The movement focuses on improving street connectivity to allow people walking, biking, or taking public transportation to reach key community points such as schools, shops, and community centers.

By adopting a Complete Streets transportation policy, Clinton would help provide access to the jobs, shopping, education, and health care that our community deserves. Complete Streets also would improve public health and provide additional economic and environmental benefits by reducing traffic in our congested downtown.

How do we make this happen in Clinton? The good news is that we already have a plan. The Clinton Town Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) was adopted in November 2015, and includes a commitment to Complete Streets. The POCD also covers Safe Routes to School, which would improve road safety and encourage children to bike and walk to school, plus the Clinton Greenway to enable pedestrian and bicycle access the entire length of town connecting to the existing green in Madison and the extensively planned greenway in Westbrook. These programs all would improve the quality of life for Clinton residents, plus attract visitors and newcomers to our town.

The current Board of Selectmen is not taking action to implement Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, or the Clinton Greenway, however. Why aren’t they doing anything? We have a plan, now it’s time to implement it.

Christine Goupil is running for first selectman and supports a Complete Streets policy for Clinton. Her runningmates Jack Scherban and Tim Guerra also enthusiastically support this plan, and together would work to implement Complete Streets along with Safe Routes to School and the Clinton Greenway. I encourage your readers to vote Row A in the Democratic primary Sept. 12!

Kathleen Skoczen

Clinton