Williston
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NOVEMBER 27, 2024
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
Reviving Route 2 connections
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Cold turkeys
Town considers bike, pedestrian route between Village and Taft Corners BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Eleven years have passed since the Williston Selectboard approved a plan for a bike and pedestrian connection along Route 2 between Taft Corners and Williston Village. A minor portion of the plan has been implemented: the widening of bike shoulders on the steep section between Southridge and Old Stage roads. But the more impactful and costlier improvements, including construction of a rec path travelling east out of Taft Corners; a sidewalk for pedestrians on the steep section; and improvements to sidewalks in the village, are still on the drawing board. Town planners are revisiting those ideas at a public meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 7-8 p.m. at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library and online via Zoom at www.zoom.us/j/87301750819. Connecting the Village to Taft Corners for cyclists and walkers is a community goal outlined in the town’s Comprehensive Plan, last updated in 2020. Planners are currently reviewing the Town Plan for a 2025 update, and that goal continues to be a top priority. “We’ve heard from many folks that bike and pedestrian facilities, and this facility specifically, are highly desired,”
ROUTE 2 BIKE, PED CONNECTIONS WHAT: Public meeting WHEN: 7-8 p.m. Dec. 3 WHERE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library
Community Development Planner Melinda Scott said. Before the town would seek funding for the project, it plans to update a decade-old feasibility study that states its aims as “enhancing the safety and mobility of pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users along this corridor regardless of age and abilities, and … providing a safe and or separated route from the high volume of traffic along this segment of Route 2.” The update will take a fresh look at existing conditions for cyclists and pedestrians along Route 2 and seek reaffirmation of the selectboard’s preferred project scope. Four of the five board members that approved the plan in 2013 are no longer on the board. The Dec. 3 meeting will start with an overview of the project before opening up to a general public discussion. Public comments are also being taken by the town planning department at planning@willistonvt.org or by calling (802) 878-6704.
Challenging conditions, top, greet the runners at CVU’s annual Turkey Trot 5K on Saturday in Hinesburg. Pat Frazier, left, was the first overall finisher. For some, above, enthusiasm outweighs the chilly weather. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY
Handmade Pasta Dinner Starts at 4:00 Nightly on the Church Street Marketplace
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