LTA Town Improvements
Last week at the Police Commission meeting there were a number of pedestrian points of business. I wanted to share them with everyone. Some of the improvements take a long time to come to fruition but our concerns have been, and continue to be, heard.
Earlier this year the crosswalk signs along Church Hill Road were upgraded. They have multiplied, are more visible and were moved into better locations for pedestrians.
Tait Road
The town has approved "No Parking Here To Corner" signs for installation along Tait Road for the 25 feet before Taits Mill, and for the 25 feet along Taits Mill before Tait. These are consistent with CT parking regulations so people shouldn't be parking there anyway. Enforcing these no parking zones will make it safer for people to navigate that intersection which has bad sight lines.Daniels Farm Road
The results of a traffic study at the intersection of Daniels Farm Road and Strobel Road indicate that a traffic light is warranted. The project includes some widening of that section of DFR along the east side, installing a traffic light, sidewalks and crosswalks with a dedicated pedestrian signal. The project will include grade change and geometry improvement. There will be a public info meeting 5/31/2017, probably at the High School and the work is expected to be done in 2018. This is a state road, so the next step is to submit the warrant to OSTA for approval.Whitney Road
Trail Crossing
This summer the town will install warning lights at the Whitney Road crossing. The Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) will be pedestrian activated and be placed on both sides of the road facing in both directions. Since Whitney gets so much local traffic it won't take too long for drivers to learn that the flashing lights mean someone is actually crossing and slow down. The Chief asked about also including a speed warning sign that flashes you speed if you exceed the speed limit. The Commission approved that request as well. This should make that crossing feel much safer.Whitney and Main Street (111)
The town has approved the request to ask the state for a traffic light at Whitney and Main St. Separate from that the town is going to initiate a master plan for that neighborhood. Hopefully, between the two, we can get crosswalks at that intersection and make it reachable by pedestrians.Trail Crossing at 111
The Town Engineering Department and an engineer from Tighe and Bond presented a proposed plan for the trail crossing of 111 that calls for RRFBs (3 sets in both directions), improved advanced signage and advanced pavement markings (SLOW PED XING). The plan, as submitted, would be installed this year (probably Fall).Addressing the Commission, I acknowledged that while the plan was an improvement on the existing crossing treatment it did not go far enough to make crossing feel safe to me. In my opinion the speed differential, traffic volume, road width and number of lanes combine to require a more aggressive treatment. Drivers need to be alerted to the crossing and reminded that they need to STOP for pedestrians within the crosswalk. The drivers just don't see us in time to stop.
The state has recently installed a few HAWK signals (overhead lights that flash red when a pedestrian crosses) and I asked about installing a one here. While I felt the Commission was receptive, the consulting engineer indicated that it was not the right treatment for that crossing. So, the plan, as drafted by the consultants, was approved for submission to the State who must still approve it.
Patience is a virtue.
