Bristol applies for ACRPC grant to study downtown access and speed

The Bristol Selectboard approved authorizing staff to submit a grant application to the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC) for a Transportation Planning Study aimed at downtown Bristol access and speed issues. The application, due Aug. 11, seeks an estimated $25,000–$30,000 from an ACRPC pool of roughly $50,000–$60,000 that typically funds three studies.

Chair Ian Albinson said the study would build on the West Street Sidewalk Improvement Scoping Study and focus on traffic speeds and patterns as drivers enter town past Lord’s Prayer Rock. Jessica Teets suggested defining the study boundary as the point “where the speed drops to 30,” distinguishing the posted reduced-speed-ahead sign from the radar speed-feedback sign. Joel Bouvier asked whether the study could examine moving the reduced-speed point earlier on the approach past Pine Tree Gardens.

The Selectboard discussed the town’s authority to set lower downtown speed limits because of Bristol’s downtown designation, noting a village-wide reduction might be simpler than a road-by-road approach. Chair Albinson said the Town would be able to design the study’s scope if the grant is awarded and that the study would provide comparisons from other towns to inform a State presentation.

Next steps: staff will submit the ACRPC grant application by the Aug. 11 deadline and, if funded, work with the Board to define the study area and questions it should address.