Changes are coming to downtown West Hartford to make it more bike-friendly. Local and state leaders announced funding to redo a stretch of Farmington Avenue to insert a separated bike lane.
The stretch of Farmington Avenue, from Trout Brook Drive to South Main Street, is slated for a facelift come summer.
“This grant is the missing link that turns a great trail into a truly connected transportation network in our town,” said Jay Stange with Bike West Hartford.
The Trout Brook Trail, a bike path through West Hartford, is set to get connected to downtown.
It’s a state grant for over $384,000 dollars that will adjust traffic patterns a bit, and add a separated bike lane to Farmington Avenue.
“We are proving that if you build safe infrastructure, people of all ages will use it,” Stange said.
During a weekend testing window back in 2024, they trialed the concept using traffic cones and on-scene police officers. That weekend, over 400 people used the added bike lane.
“Overall positioning us to be a leader in road safety for all users,” said Mayor Shari Cantor.
Cantor said the project fits perfectly into the town’s “Vision Zero” initiative.
Over the last five years, the stretch of Farmington Avenue in question has seen more than a hundred crashes. This change will not only protect pedestrians from accidents but also calm traffic in the area.
That does mean there’s potential to slow traffic. A tradeoff, the mayor said, she is willing to see.
“There might be a little more of a backup at times btu if people are safer and it might take a few more minutes to get to your destination, it’s well worth it,” she said.
It’s a small batch funding state, and local leaders say it can have a big impact.
“These things do mean a lot when we look at the lives that can be saved,” said Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner for the CT DOT.
Construction is slated for July.
