CT: Norwalk to design 'pedestrian-first' city with passage of Complete Streets initiative

The Common Council has signed off a new initiative that envisions the city as an accessible haven for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, alike.

The Complete Streets ordinance aims to design the city's streets so that they're safer for all travelers and to build community, said Jim Travers, transportation, mobility and parking department director. He said the goal is to turn Norwalk into a "15-minute city," meaning residents could navigate from their homes to city amenities and daily needs within 15 minutes by either walking, driving, bicycling, or taking public transit.

"This is going to make Norwalk aesthetically pleasing, it's going to make Norwalk safer," Mayor Harry Rilling said at the Nov. 12 Common Council special meeting where the ordinance was unanimously approved.

Roads are generally built to accommodate drivers and other motorists primarily, Travers and TMP Assistant Director Garrett Bolella said. Complete Streets widens the roadway engineering focus from those motorists to include users of all ages, accessibility needs, and modes of travel.

"We're designing a pedestrian-first city," Bolella said in October. "When you design a road for the most vulnerable users, you really make the roadway safer for everyone. Everyone is a beneficiary."

The Complete Streets ordinance calls for safer streetscapes that accommodate accessibility and multimodal travel options to ultimately "stimulate economic and community development, foster more livable and walkable neighborhoods, and enhance local economic vitality and livability."

Being a 15-minute city doesn't mean that travelers will be able to get through city limits in 15 minutes, Travers said. Access to needs and amenities, like public parks, green spaces and schools in a short travel radius with accommodating infrastructure helps foster that sense of community, he said.

"Traveling through a city doesn't do anything for us," Travers said Tuesday. "Building a city is building a community. The whole thing about Complete Streets is about creating community, not a faster city you can zoom through."

Parts of the ordinance also encourage connectivity of walkable and bicycling infrastructure like the Norwalk River Valley Trail to expand Norwalk's multimodal transportation options to other communities.

Its most imminent edict calls for a design guide due 30 days after the ordinance's passing that will plan its construction and rollout. Travers said that the guide will be ready by the Dec. 12 deadline.

Even without a design guide in place, Norwalkers can expect to see more of the work the city has been doing to expand walkability, pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, Travers said. Much of the city's work adding sidewalks — like those in Rowayton — bike routes, and walkable infrastructure for students in the Safe Routes to School campaign preceded and aligns with the Complete Streets ordinance goals.

A prime example of Complete Streets in practice, though, is the Wall Street revitalization, Travers said. The first phase of the project will add pedestrian-level lighting, brick amenity zones, a raised crosswalk, a decorative arch over the roadway, trees, and a revamped streetscape optimized for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists by fall 2025.

Those are added benefits to the community-building that Travers said Complete Streets emphasizes.

Three more phases to be completed within five years will further develop the Wall Street area and reinstate it as a downtown in Norwalk.

A handful of residents came before the council to discuss the Complete Streets ordinance; all of them expressed unwavering support.

Resident Paul Fox was one of them.

"When we're all more comfortable walking and biking on our streets, we're less inclined to get into a car for trips that are within walking distance," Fox said. "This has the potential to reduce traffic, help us lead healthier lives, and transform our streets into vibrant social spaces, helping us connect with our neighbors."

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