Transportation Council outlines Millerton Pedestrian Plan

MILLERTON — In its ongoing mission “to support communities in their efforts to become more walkable,” the Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC), in coordination with a local Task Force, presented the Millerton Pedestrian Plan to the village community on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Aimed at creating a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly village, the plan has three main components: an inventory of sidewalks and other pedestrian infrastructure, improved safety and access recommendations and design concepts for Main Street and Century Boulevard. The plan also marks the fifth sidewalk study supported by the Metropolitan Planning Organization. 

A tidy crowd of 20 community members made its way to the NorthEast-Millerton Library Annex last week, at 6 p.m. Before the start of the presentation, attendees were encouraged to sign in and to take a copy of the Millerton Pedestrian Plan base map. All were welcomed to the presentation by DCTC Senior Planner and Project Manager Emily Dozier.

With a particular focus on improving Main Street and Century Boulevard, talk focused on improving pedestrian access to key destinations, improving safety for people walking in the village and enhancing the pedestrian experience in the village.

“I think Millerton has been very successful at developing a unique small-town identity,” Dozier said. “I think that with the extension of the Rail Trail in the next year or so, more people will be drawn in. I think that by looking at this now, we can talk about how to improve walkability and safety.”

With a catalogue of sidewalk inventories, Dozier gave examples of municipalities that have benefited from pedestrian planning, such as the village of Rhinebeck in 2011, the town of Hyde Park in 2013, the town of Pine Plains in 2014 and  Arlington town center this year.

Dozier explained that the council walked Millerton streets to complete an inventory of village sidewalks, rating them from excellent to poor or unusable. The inventory took sidewalk conditions, issues and amenities into account along with data elements pertaining to width, material, locations and other identifying features.

Following an evaluation of the inventory, it was found that 80 percent of the village’s existing sidewalks are in good condition, though some areas need improving. 

Based on field observations, most of the sidewalks are in good condition with the exception of North Center Street, Church Street, John Street, Dutchess Avenue, Maple Avenue and a couple others. A lack of sidewalk connections was also observed on Century Boulevard, North and South Center streets, North Elm Avenue and Main Street east of Maple Avenue. 

Many of the sidewalks in the village were described as narrow; some are asphalt. Though there are a few marked crosswalks, many have faded. The council pointed to accessibility issues at the intersection of Main Street and Maple Avenue. It also noted curb ramp issues, such as missing ramps or warning strips.

Other field observations assessed inconsistent pedestrian amenities, undefined or unclear parking, the lack of on-street bicycle facilities and signage and pedestrian-oriented land use opportunities.

A map was projected on screen to provide a visual of the current sidewalk system and other infrastructure. Dozier compared future visions against  existing views and concerns.

Recommendations were made. Dozier guided her audience through recommendations for the intersection of Main Street and Duchess Avenue/John Street, the Main Street corridor, Century Boulevard, the intersection of Main Street and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and the village’s overall infrastructure.

Looking over Century Boulevard, it was suggested the village redesign the street. With sketches in hand, Dozier outlined the advantages of striping a center line, marking and regulating parking spaces, painting high-visibility crosswalks, building sidewalks, constructing curb extensions at the crosswalks, planting trees and installing streetlights.

Additionally, the plan suggested ideas related to safety, bicycle access and public space in the village.

When it came time to talk about financing, Dozier said funding could be attained on the local, private, county, state and federal levels.

The next step will be to finalize the plan’s recommendations and write up reports that will be distributed to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), Dutchess County Department of Public Works (DPW) and the local Task Force for review. A final plan will be provided to the village along with supporting files. Currently, a final report with prioritized recommendations is expected to be released by early 2018.

Toward the end of her presentation, attendees discussed their questions or concerns in detail.

“I think we had a good turn-out,” Dozier said. “People were pretty supportive of what we’re doing and the work we’ve done so far.”

To view the full presentation, go to www.dutchessny.gov.