Bike/Walk Commission

CITY OF NORWALK BIKE/WALK COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 ATTENDANCE: Emily Burnaman, Chair; Nicholas Pappas; Manny Salgado; Rebecca Stoll OTHERS: Greg Pacelli, Transportation Planner, TMP; Jaleah Green, Norwalk Health Department To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone, Zoom, and/or the City of Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at http://www.norwalkct.org/meetings. I. CALL TO ORDER Ms. Burnaman called the meeting to order at 6:04 PM. II. ROLL CALL Ms. Burnaman called the roll, and all those listed in the attendance were present. III. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Phil Chiaia Mr. Chiaia said he will be undertaking the first-ever hydro bike crossing of Long Island Sound and is raising money for the Great Cycle Challenge during the month of September, also highlighting environmental stewardship, focusing on clean water, and community connection. The launch date is September 27th, and he would appreciate the commission's support in spreading the word to help raise money for the charity. Ms. Burnaman asked what the name of the organization is and what he is specifically raising money for. Mr. Chia said the Great Cycle Challenge is in support of the children’s cancer research fund. As a finisher to the month, he wanted to highlight the alternative modes of transportation as a means of mobility. Ms. Burnaman wished Mr. Chia the best of luck and said the commission would promote the event on their social channels 1 Lee-Ann Etter Ms. Etter said that as the Complete Street initiative continues, she urged the commission to consider the residential areas where residents would be impacted by any significant commercial installations. She hopes to hear more about the balance of the impact on property owners and how it will be addressed so that it is positive for everyone, not just bikers, and not negative for people whose properties are being impacted by the installation of commercial sidewalks. Mr. Salgado joined the meeting at 7:15 PM. Ms. Stoll said this issue seems to be under the Complete Streets Committee more than this commission, and asked if there are any updates from them. Mr. Pacelli stated that an official meeting regarding Lockwood Lane has not yet been held, but a public meeting is forthcoming between the DPW and the residents. Ms. Burnaman said she had received a few emails from the Lockwood Lane community and other neighborhood members, and she is working with the city to respond to those. IV. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Regular Meeting of August 4, 2025 ** MR. SALGADO MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS SUBMITTED. ** MS. STOLL SECONDED THE MOTION. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Open Streets Check-in • Review and updates on current or planned Open Streets programming Ms. Burnaman said that Ms. Bisceglie had reached out to her point of contact at Recreation and Parks, but did not receive the green light to follow the same channels the committee had used the previous year. She does not believe there are any plans for this year. She mentioned discussions about smaller, organized street opportunities and special events. She asked the commission members if they had any ideas for an event this year. Ms. Stoll suggested a kids' bike swap/giveaways, which came through Ms. Niedzielski-Eichner. There was further discussion regarding holding a future open streets event. Ms. Burnaman asked the commission for their thoughts on having an open streets planning committee. The commission agreed, and it was decided to have a further discussion at the next meeting. 2  B. Bike/Ped Master Plan Update • Becca Stoll to report on information received from Tanner regarding the Bike/Ped Master Plan. Ms. Stoll said she and Ms. Burnaman had a meeting with Mr. Thompson, which was very educational and helpful. She noted that there is a lot of work to be done and volunteered to be the point person, aggregating the data. Ms. Burnaman said there has been significant progress since the document was created and suggested adding this agenda item to the next quarterly meeting with TMP. Mr. Pappas said at the last meeting that Mr. Thompson had attended, he had mentioned that there was some willingness on the commission's part to go before the Ordinance Committee to see if having the Bike/Ped Master Plan in the commission's purview would consider the changes that have happened since it was first written. He said, based on tonight's conversation, it appears they will not be pursuing that. Ms. Stoll said she would need to follow up with Mr. Pappas next month after she does some research. Ms. Burnaman said that Mr. Thompson's proposal still makes sense, and a meeting can still be called with the Ordinance Committee. However, she suggested waiting until after they review the Strategic Plan for 2025, so it could be used as an opportunity to make that shift for the Strategic Plan for 2026. She also said that with the mayoral election, there will be some change. Mr. Pappas said he agrees, but would like to help when reviewing the ordinance to determine what should or shouldn’t be included. C. Previous event recaps, grants, and remaining old business • Including any remaining topics from previous meetings pending follow-up actions and votes. Ms. Burnaman said there were over 16 bikes at the last Saturday SONO Market, which was a really great turnout and a great opportunity to engage with the community. Mr. Salgado agreed and said the commission did a great job in terms of improving the wayfinding for the bike valet. Ms. Burnaman said she had met with the Director of the NICE Festival, and the commission will need to discuss the vendor application fee, which is required because they had lost some federal funding. She said this will be included on next month's agenda for further discussion and a vote. 3  VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Funding and Trail Opportunity • TMP Updates from Greg Pacelli and Jim Travers (TMP) on potential funding source and trail development opportunities. Mr. Pacelli said this was an opportunity TMP had noticed as there is a path that runs parallel to the Merrit Parkway, which is in the DOT right of way, and runs from West Rocks Road to Main Avenue and felt this may be a good opportunity for the commission to utilize some of the funding to get a consultant on board to do a feasibility study for that trail connection, especially since there are bike lanes in that section and could connect with future construction of the new ramps off the Merritt Parkway and then to Main Avenue as well. Ms. Stoll inquired about the commission’s role in this project. Mr. Pacelli said that putting the scope of work together and getting a consultant on board to conduct a feasibility study and TMP will assist with working with the consultant as much as possible. Ms. Burnaman said she would be interested in moving forward with finding a consultant for a feasibility study, especially given the current work in that area. She said that upon examining the map, the residential part of the neighborhood could be connected to both the commercial part and the NRVT. Mr. Pappas asked if there was a documented procedure in place to get this done with the consultant. Mr. Pacelli said, “No,” and if the commission is on board, these are discussions that could be had offline, listing the outcomes they want from the end of the study. Ms. Stoll said she wants to ensure the commission serves in an advisory capacity, as she prefers to defer to experts when it comes to spearheading initiatives and wants to bring a civilian perspective on how it will benefit the people of Norwalk. B. Walk/Bike/Roll to School Event- October 8, 2025 • Collaboration and support for the event in Partnership with Bridget Moriarty ( Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Active Transportation Unit Ms. Burnaman thanked Mr. Pappas and Ms. Randall for attending the South Norwalk School orientation day, which was a great opportunity to engage with the Norwalk Public Schools. It was a lovely event, and the commission had a table where they were handing out information. At the event, they also connected with the Safe Routes to School program and reconnected with Ms. Zanvettor and Ms. Kress, as well as met Bridget Moriarty, who offered to support the commission and further collaborate on the mission to engage Norwalk Public Schools for the Walk, Bike, Roll to School Day event. 4  Mr. Salgado said the next steps are to reach out to the school district next month, select which school the commission will visit, and invite Ms. Green to participate in the event, as well as representatives from Nuvance Health. Ms. Burnaman said they are trying to reinvigorate the Educational Subcommittee, which Ms. Green is leading, and suggested asking Ms. Bisceglie if she would be interested in volunteering on that committee, as she would be a great voice to have on board and has strong connections in the area. She also mentioned that Brianna from Nuvance Health was a great help last year and hopes to have her involved again this year. Ms. Green said she is on board to participate in helping plan the event again this year, as last year's event was amazing. Mr. Salgado said he will plan a meeting of the Educational Subcommittee to begin planning the event. C. Distracted Driving Deterrence Initiatives • Discussion of strategies and partnerships to reduce distracted driving and improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. The commission discussed strategies and partnerships aimed at reducing distracted driving and enhancing safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Ms. Stoll suggested liaising with Norwalk Public Schools to inquire about who is teaching driver's education in school so that the commission could speak to the class. Ms. Burnaman suggested that Ms. Stoll work with Ms. Bisceglie, if she is open to it, and find a point of contact. Ms. Stoll said she thinks this falls under the purview of the Educational Subcommittee, but she is willing to support it. D. E- Bike safety check-in • Briefing from the Norwalk Police Department on current issues and initiatives regarding e-bike safety. Ms. Burnaman said she connected with two members of the Norwalk Police Department, as they are interested in an E-Bike safety seminar. She said that Chaz Foster has volunteered to potentially help. The next steps are to coordinate to discuss a time and location to schedule the seminar. Ms. Green said she would like more details on the event, but is open to it. She also suggested including Brianna from Nuvance Health. VII. DISCUSSION A. Department of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking (TMP), Norwalk Health Department, NBW Educational Subcommittee 5  Mr. Pacelli stated that TMP has initiated two additional sidewalk projects this week, bringing the total to seven ongoing projects. He said by the end of the year, the city will have installed the most amount of sidewalks in one year ever. Ms. Burnaman said that she will be reaching out to Mr. Pacelli and the commissioners to schedule the next quarterly meeting with TMP. Ms. Green said the Health Department is partnering with NRVT to conduct walks every Wednesday evening at 5:30 PM, which are also listed on the Norwalk Health Department's website. She said she is also partnering with the CT State Norwalk to host walks for them, but the flyers for the events have not been distributed yet. Once it is complete, they will also be posted on the website. Ms. Burnaman said that Mr. Salgado will be working on the revitalized Educational Subcommittee. B. Items for Future Agendas, Commissioner Comments There was no discussion. VIII. ADJOURNMENT ** MS. STOLL MOVED TO ADJOURN ** MR. SALGADO SECONDED THE MOTION. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM. Respectfully submitted, Dilene Byrd 6