Dozens of Old Greenwich residents urged the Board of Estimate and Taxation at a public hearing to fund construction of sidewalks on Shore Road to Tod's Point, citing repeated safety incidents, heavy pedestrian and bus-stop use, and long-standing planning recommendations.

Children and parents described daily risks waiting at bus stops and walking along the narrow, curved stretch of Shore Road. “Please help us build a sidewalk,” said Rose Beecher, who identified herself as a Shore Road resident. A child speaker who identified herself as Kit said, “My dad got hit by a car while running to Tod’s Point. Please put sidewalks to support so I can be an independent kid and be safe.”

The testimony included both personal safety concerns and community-use arguments. Nico Bowne said a sidewalk “would separate pedestrians from traffic, providing a secure space for walking, running, or biking,” and Xavier Tishler called sidewalks “an investment in health, safety, and inclusivity of the community.” Several speakers noted existing bus stops: one speaker said, “There are 26 bus stops on this stretch of road. Yet we have no safe passageway for our children and families to get to and from these stops.”

Supporters pointed to a Department of Public Works feasibility effort funded last year and to multiple town studies over two decades that have repeatedly flagged the Shore Road-to-Tod’s Point section as a high priority for pedestrian facilities. Maggie Bowne asked the board to approve $1,250,000 “to engineer and build this sidewalk to the causeway before Tod’s Point,” and cited town data that nearly 549,270 visitors came to Tod’s Point in the 2024 season, estimating about 10% of visitors arrived on foot or by bike.

Not all commenters agreed that immediate construction is the only route. Jim DiMarco, who called for broader safety solutions, said sidewalks “are not going to slow the traffic down” and urged the town to evaluate alternatives and pilot treatments such as striping or temporary changes before committing to construction. He also asked why public hearings on some related crosswalk projects were held late in the process.

Speakers asked the BET to approve full funding for design and construction in the fiscal budget now so the project can move from feasibility to engineering and build phases. There were no motions or votes during the public-comment hearing.

The public hearing on the fiscal year budget continued to accept testimony on other items before closing at 7:44 p.m.