I have encountered a teen riding his bike recklessly on RT 146 near the Hotchkiss Grove area. This young man rides on one tire in the middle of the road putting himself and others at risk. He does not wear a helmet and appears to be under the age of 16. I was under the impression all riders under 16 are required to wear a helmet and follow traffic laws just like everyone else. This young man and his parents should take a cue from the younger children in the area who wear helmets, follow traffic laws and respect others.

I think this is an important issue. What I'm really hearing here is that we need bicycle lanes put in downtown Branford to keep our children safe and motorist safe. Possibly shifting to a one way model in downtown to increase parking availability, safety of pedestrians, and bicycle lanes.

Hi Greg,
I appreciate your feedback regarding keeping kids safe and considering options to improve traffic patterns in Branford. Cyclists and motorists each have a responsibility to obey traffic laws and share the road. My comment is directed towards the teenage males who blatantly put themselves and others at risk. I'm speaking directly about a 13-14 year old male in the Hotchkiss grove area who rides without a helmet, does not keep his hands on the handlebars and rides his bike in the middle the roads. It seems that this young man has no respect for others nor do his parents show concern regarding his behavior.

Hi Anonymous,

I think we are 100% aligned here. We need to make sure youth are following safety procedures. Also, if we are going to be the role models in our community (abiding traffic laws, pedestrian safety, wearing our own helmets while biking, dogs on leashes, etc.) and especially to our youth, we have a responsibility to make sure that the areas our youth exercise in is adequate and provides the safety necessary.

I think we should include the bike lane proposal in the greater downtown revitalization plan, as the additional safety of bike lanes will provide adequate space for cycling, and wheelies/manuals on bike if desired, but also provide pedestrians the safety needed on the sidewalks. I agree we should be supportive of our youths outdoor habits while nudging them in the right direction regarding helmet and traffic safety needed to navigate the current tight downtown.

As far as the one way traffic, I think it could go east to west downtown and west to east on South Main.

Really look forward to this.

Greg

Issue resolved