Town of Mansfield
Transportation Advisory Committee
Minutes of the Meeting 
September 19, 2002

Present: Zimmer (acting chair), Nash, Thorkelson, Hultgren (staff), Zolnik (staff)

The meeting was called to order by acting chair Zimmer at 7:42 p.m.

The minutes of the June 18, 2002 meeting were approved. The reprinted bicycle map was distributed to members.

The public hearing announcement and the plan summary for the Rt. 395 corridor Transportation Improvement Area (TIA) was circulated. Hearings are scheduled for next week, then the plan is submitted to the State TSB.

Nash reported that the fare-free bus subcommittee had been active meeting with UConn students, WRTD staff and others. The bus newsletter was edited for final wording. It will be distributed to interested parties by WRTD. Information about the fare-free program will be continually sent to the parties of interest, and a meeting of all the entities who are participating (and may wish to participate) will be scheduled to critique/review/modify the program.

Hultgren updated members on the status of the current enhancement projects: Mansfield Center is nearly complete; the Birch and Separatist Road bikeways are still in design.

Hultgren updated members on traffic calming projects: speed humps will be installed on Dog Lane and Daleville Road this fall; there is some question as to the appropriateness of the "no through traffic" signs on Center Street (which the Traffic Authority will review) and the changes to Hillside Circle where it meets Hillside Road (UConn) should be installed this fall.

The Route 89 dehumping project will be reconsidered by the Town Council at its first meeting in October. Hultgren said that even though some of the hump was removed, it was still hard to see over the hump in smaller cars.

Hultgren said that concepts for the redesigned Stone Mill Bridge should be ready soon, and that he did instruct the consultant to consider "all architecturally appropriate designs".

Hultgren outlined the new round of enhancement projects staff was preparing for the Town Council. These included: 1) Extending the bikeway from four corners to the Holiday Mall; 2) extending the Mansfield Center walkway/streetscape to the Library; 3) a streetscape for the Rt. 195-downtown Storrs area (Liberty Bank to Dog Lane); 4) a streetscape for the Rt. 195-mall area/extending the sidewalk north to Puddin Lane.

Hultgren showed a sketch of a possible rotary at the eastern Hunting Lodge/Birch intersection to help eliminate "corner cutting" and other uncertain movements at this intersection. This concept will now go to the Traffic Authority for review. He said that the intersection of Birch and Bone Mill was also being looked at because of conflicts between traffic entering the Depot Campus (Weaver Road) and southbound traffic on Bone Mill Road turning onto Birch Road.

Hultgren showed a concept plan that would reroute Mansfield City Road from its intersection with Stearns Road away from Crane Hill Road and away from the corner farm. This will be discussed by Council and PZC in the near future. Members suggested that the Town consider acquiring development rights along the road to be discontinued so that the road swap didn’t end up just creating more building lots (instead of preserving the farm as intended).

The next meeting will be November 12, 2002.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Lon R. Hultgren
Director of Public Works

cc: Town Manager, Town Clerk, Town Planner, Assistant Town Engineer, Transportation Planning Aide, Social Services Director, UConn Transportation, H. Koehn, file