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Wes Lovey sees pedestrians walking along Main Street in New Canaan for recreation or to just get where they want to go. And he does not expect them to disappear anytime soon.
Theyre commuters, theyre mothers, they are people pushing strollers. Theyre getting where they want to go, and you can make them safer or you can hang them out to dry, said Lovey, one of several Main Street residents who implored town officials to install sidewalks on the southern end of New Canaans main thoroughfare.
The longstanding debate over new sidewalks for Main Street continued Thursday night during a special public hearing of the Town Councils public works subcommittee. The discussion came a week after the Town Council voted to approve spending $4 million to improve several town roads.
Those in favor of installing sidewalks on Main Street from Oak Street to Farm Road insist it would improve safety and promote physical fitness. That includes Diane Hobbs, who says she enjoys seeing pedestrians who walk past her home. She also said that adding space for walkers could improve home values. Its a great selling point, Hobbs said. You can walk to town safely from your house.
Opponents of the proposed project say sidewalks would further narrow an already thin street, making it dangerous for vehicles to pass each other. Several people, including Wendy Van Parys, said the town should spend its resources on fixing roads first. New sidewalks (are) a nice to, but its not a need to, she said. Eloise Killeffer of Oak Street said it does not make sense to add more pedestrian traffic on a narrowing road. She and other also mentioned costs. Main Street south of Oak Street is not walker friendly, she said.
Jack Horner, chairman of the fire commission, said his committee did not have an opinion on the sidewalk project. That bodys primary concern, he said, is the safe passage of fire vehicles to emergency scenes and with any vehicles or people they encounter.
Public Works Subcommittee Chairman Paul Foley said the group will discuss the project at a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall.
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