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Virginia Raff: Safety Minded

Since moving to Madison, Virginia Raff has put the rights and safety of bicyclists and pedestrians at the forefront. A member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) since its formation in 2018, Virginia says she became involved with the Committee as a result of her work with the Shoreline Greenway Trail (SLGT).

“I’ve been very involved with the Shoreline Greenway Trail for some time, and was involved with the building of the section that is now around Hammonasset Park, and I am still involved with that,” Virginia says. She is currently a member of SGT’s Board of Directors, serving as chair for Madison.

SLGT, a nonprofit with the goal of creating an unbroken 25-mile stretch of preserved shoreline, aims to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety for recreationists from New Haven to Madison.

“Eventually we want this to run from the East Haven border to the Clinton border,” Virginia explains. “Officially it is East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Madison. There is quite a bit of it done in East Haven, and quite a bit in Branford. Guilford has been slow to be part of the effort, and we have a little over a mile and a quarter here in Madison. So, our goal is to ultimately have one long stretch of unbroken trail that will have environmental benefits, as well as recreational and commuter benefits.”

Virginia says that while she was working with SGT on the Hammonasset Park section of the trail, she began to hear more and more feedback about the dangers of walking and biking.

“During that time, I went to several workshops associated with the Plan of Conservation and Development, and it was very clear to me that the thing most people wanted were better facilities for biking and walking. A huge part of these sessions was this concern from residents, and it was also something that was made clear when the town was adopting their Plan of Conservation and Development,” Virginia says.

According to Virginia, after meetings with town officials, including then-First Selectman Tom Banisch, she was able to convince the elected leaders to form an entity that would address these concerns.

“Tom had asked me, ‘What can I do?’ and I said, ‘well you could have a bike walk committee.’ And he said ‘okay,’” says Virginia. “That’s how it all happened.”

BPAC is now the town entity working to keep Madison’s streets safe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Their social media arm, Bike Walk Madison, is involved with a number of projects, including working with the Police Department on safety recognition events, and awareness programs, according to Virginia.

“One of our charges on the Committee is to create a Master Plan for biking and walking for the town, that will help guide the town whenever they are doing any type of work or construction on streets, sidewalks, bridges, or what have you. This will provide guidance to make those projects safer for bikers and walkers,” says Virginia.

One of the first things BPAC did was create a safe streets policy which, Virginia says, requires major town roadwork projects to take all users into account.

“The biggest part of that is it says that whenever the town undertakes major construction, not filling potholes or minor stuff, but when they do large road-related projects, they have to take into account all users,” she explains. “We certainly know that they can’t always accommodate all users every time, but they have to try to accommodate all users, and they have to have a reason if they don’t. Now, that reason can be simply that the right of way was too narrow, but they have to have a reason. All users have to be considered.”

Safety is another issue that both the Committee and Bike Walk remain committed to, by educating all road users, drivers, bikers, and walkers, about how they can remain safe and be mindful of the safety of others.

“Safety is also one of our other charges,” says Virginia. “Well firstly, people should understand some of the basic rules. Many people along the shoreline walk on the wrong side of the road and bike on the wrong side of the road. And walking on the wrong side isn’t quite as dangerous, but riding on the wrong side of the road can be deadly. Any driver pulling out of their driveway or street will be looking to their left to take a simple right turn and not be looking to their right. I’ve actually seen people get hit this way. You come up on the right of a car looking left and they will hit you. You are supposed to walk against traffic and ride with traffic, and bikers are also supposed to obey all the same traffic laws that cars have to obey. So, they have to stop at all stop signs and lights, they have to signal for a turn, all of those things. Then there is also the issue of what they are wearing as well,” says Virginia. “Bikers really should never wear dark clothes regardless of the time of day, but especially at night. Bikers and pedestrians should also utilize lights and reflective gear. Folks really need to make themselves visible to motorists.”

Motorists also need to do their part, according to Virginia. Although the BPAC and Bike Walk Madison don’t ordinarily become involved in vehicle issues, as part of their charge, they partner with the town to help design and implement features that slow drivers down and provide safer navigation for all road users.

“Traditionally, most intersections have been designed to get vehicles through as fast as possible, never mind the walkers and bikers, but there are ways to construct crosswalks, and intersections and even streets in a way that really slows traffic-they are called traffic calming devices,” says Virginia. “So, though there sometimes aren’t direct ways we can influence drivers, especially teenagers who as most of us know tend to drive too fast, but there are a few things we can do to help slow things down.”

Virginia jokes that she’s finally gotten to the age where she can’t bike anymore and can manage only short walks, but that hasn’t dampened her commitment to Madison’s residents.

“We are all in this together. No one wants to hit anybody or kill anybody out on the road. I have known people who have hit others with their cars and the person who hits a victim can also suffer the devastation of that trauma as well,” says Virginia. “All of us are in this together, and we all really need to encourage everyone who drives to slow down, and to make sure as bikers and walkers that we’re following the rules and being aware.”

There are safety tips for bikers, walkers, and motorists on the town website under the BPAC’s link that provide excellent advice and recommendations for how to safely navigate area roadways.

Note: In recent years bike safety organizations are recommending that bicyclists and pedestrians using roadways at dusk or at night not use flashing lights for safety. Some recent studies have demonstrated that flashing lights can actually increase your chances of being struck by a vehicle at night. The experts recommend reflective wear or striping, or utilizing a solid light when out at night or at dusk.