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ORW prepared a Transit Oriented Design (TOD) Master Plan for a portion of Essex at Vermont Route 15 and Susie Wilson Road. The plan articulates a vision and sets a blueprint for new growth in a more compact, pedestrian and transit-friendly fashion, building on a long-term conversation in the town and region about higher-density development in this area. This plan was a forerunner in the planning for converting strip development to ‘walkable urbanism.’ One key strategy in this area is the expansion of the street network to provide multiple route choices for cars, pedestrians and bikes. One of the more vexing problems in the Susie Wilson Road area is the street network that is not interconnected, requiring all traffic to use congested Susie Wilson Road. The conflict between local and through traffic on this roadway has caused it the dubious distinction of having one of the higher accident rates in the region. Expanding the street network provides an option for traffic to be more dispersed through the network, rather than loaded on one arterial, and helps build a street and block pattern at a walkable scale.
