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Bike Walk Madison Looks to Increase Safety for All

In an effort to make shoreline streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, Madison’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) is working to educate and raise awareness about road safety through its social media affiliate Bike Walk Madison CT.

“We are getting a lot of feedback from residents on various streets and areas that could use some updating in signage, sidewalks, and pathways,” said BPAC member Jeanne Morrissey said. “We are really just trying to get the word out to everyone who uses the roads — bikers, pedestrians, and drivers. We want to make all of these activities safer for everyone so that people can feel safe if they want to take a walk or a ride with their families.”

BPAC was formed by the Town in January 2018. It’s primary goal, according to its charge from the Board of Selectmen, is to create a long-term Bike/Walk master plan for the town and to promote public participation in this planning process. The end game is to improve the Town’s facilities and infrastructure to make biking and walking safer, easier, and more accessible for all.

In the past, many municipal safety campaigns emphasized and focused on driving safety, which ultimately is a huge factor in the discussion of street safety. However, BPAC and Bike Walk also want to inform and raise awareness for cyclists and pedestrians on how their behavior can affect road safety.

“A lot of our social media safety is geared toward the biker because ultimately, they are not only the ones who are vulnerable, but also because they are the ones visiting our site. Drivers normally are not visiting a bike and pedestrian oriented forum,” said Morrissey. “But it truly is an uphill battle. Everyone who uses our roads needs to take a moment and reflect on safety. Our goal is to get bike paths, and even just repaving can improve safety. We but do feel that we are getting a lot of very positive feedback and the engagement is good. We are getting a lot of information from residents who have engaged with us.”

BPAC meetings are open to the public and their schedule and more information can be found on the town website. For more information, search Bike Walk Madison CT on Facebook.