Safe access to city recreation

Norwich has many great outdoor features. One particular area is Mohegan Park and, close by, basketball courts and a new tennis court being installed, adjacent to the park and middle school. Currently, both sidewalks that could lead to two entrances to Mohegan Park end prematurely. One ends right before McKinley Avenue Extension turns into Reynolds Road and the other stops on Rockwell Street near Sheltering Arms. Both stopping points turn into roads with inclines and blind bends. From there, neither Mohegan Road, Mahan Drive, nor John Edward Drive have sidewalks, also all adjacent thruways to one of our middle schools, in addition to the recreation areas. It can be quite dangerous for walkers, especially all of the foot traffic heading up Reynolds Road including many of the city’s youth as well as students from NFA who access playing fields near the courts. Studying sidewalk installation on Reynolds Road might also have a secondary impact if it were to include a water study based on the homes that were flooded on McKinley Avenue Extension in 2021. Safe access to Norwich’s outdoor public spaces, especially those frequented quite often, would benefit all who use them and increase access.