Thank you, village trustees, for supporting Complete Streets

The North Country Healthy Heart Network is thrilled to learn that the Malone Village Board has passed a resolution approving Complete Streets recommendations for Main Street; our friend, Boyce Sherwin, has called the Complete Streets recommendations “the most important restoration effort for the Village’s Main Street in my lifetime,” and we agree.

Earlier this year, Mark Fenton declared that Malone “is ready to try something new” as it relates to its downtown. Fenton, a national public health, planning, and transportation consultant, came here in May to meet with businesses, nonprofits, residents, and local leaders to explore ideas and projects aimed at increasing pedestrian safety, boosting the health and wellness of the community, and stimulating the downtown economy. Fenton’s visit was sponsored in part by the Heart Network’s Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program.

The resolution adopted by the village board hits on many of those themes and include the following suggestions:

• A “road diet” between Creighton Road and Brainardsville that features one travel lane in each direction and a center two-way left turn lane, as well as a bike lane in each direction and, wherever possible, additional diagonal parking
• Prioritizing roundabouts for intersection improvements
• A gateway monument at the east and west entrances to the village
• Creating and protecting bike lanes when possible/feasible
• Optimizing bump outs to enhance pedestrian visibility and safety
• Making Main Street crossings as straight and short as possible
• Improving road performance measures by adopting the “Guidebook for Developing Bicycle and Pedestrian Performance Measures”
• Initiating recommended demonstration project trials for enhancements such as pedestrian islands, bump outs, bike lanes, parklets, and more
• Prohibiting left turns unless specifically indicated

We thank the Malone Chamber of Commerce, the Malone Revitalization Foundation, Malone Middle School, and many other local partners for helping us get this far. We look forward to what comes next.