Burgesses Oppose Traffic Diversion—

Borough Critiques Town Center Traffic Plan

By Andrew Gorosko

Members of the Borough Board of Burgesses have issued a critique of the Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan, explaining their objections to the document, as well as aspects of the plan that they support.

The single-spaced, 17-page analysis of the traffic plan makes point-by-point comments on the plan’s many recommendations to improve traffic flow in the town center.

At a heavily-attended December session on the traffic plan that was sponsored by the burgesses, some residents criticized a concept to modify the Main Street flagpole intersection, while others raised doubts about other recommended traffic improvement concepts.

The 29-page draft traffic plan produced by Vollmer Associates, LLP, of Hamden covers potential traffic improvements in the town center during the coming 20 years, making about 40 recommendations for traffic changes. The consultants investigated traffic problems on Queen Street, Glover Avenue, Church Hill Road (Route 6), Main Street (Route 25), Mile Hill Road (Route 860), and Commerce Road.

Vollmer produced the traffic plan for the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials (HVCEO), on behalf of the town.

Following future added public comment on the traffic plan, the Board of Selectmen would set road improvement priorities and apply for grants to be used toward specific improvements.

In their critique of the traffic plan, the burgesses note that motorist speeding is a problem throughout town, not only on Queen Street.

An impetus to conduct the traffic study was Queen Street residents’ frequent complaints about speeding traffic along that street. The mile-long, north-south Queen Street links Church Hill Road to Mile Hill Road. The northern section of Queen Street holds commercial and school uses; the southern section is residential.

“Combined with an influx of out-of-town use, the town as a whole has seen a significant increase in traffic on all roads…The Board of Burgesses will continue to vigorously oppose any plans that intend to divert traffic from one residential street to another,” according to the burgesses.

The burgesses object to a proposal to divert traffic flow from Queen Street onto Main Street and Glover Avenue.

“Intentionally directing traffic from one residentially zoned street to another residentially zoned street, particularly one already overused, is unacceptable,” according to the burgesses.

“Shortly after the completion of Wasserman Way in 1999, Main Street [daily] traffic in the borough ranged…from 15,000 to 17,000 vehicles. By 2005, it ranged around 21,500, an approximate 20 percent increase. The Board [of Burgesses] strenuously opposes any plan that would divert traffic onto Main Street, an already significantly overly traveled roadway,” the burgesses state.

The Queen Street traffic plan also must be reviewed by the Borough Zoning Commission and the Borough Historic District Commission, according to the burgesses.

Of various traffic changes recommended in the traffic plan, the burgesses say, “The proposal represents a significant overkill for a growing townwide problem that can be more easily and more economically addressed through stricter law enforcement.”

The police department’s 2007-08 budget proposal to hire two additional police officers toward of the goal of improved traffic enforcement would address motorist speed control more simply and at less cost than measures recommended in the traffic plan, according to the burgesses.

The burgesses strongly support a traffic plan recommendation that sidewalks be built along the southern section of Queen Street to improve pedestrian safety there.

Flagpole Intersection

In their critique, the burgesses oppose a proposal to modify the traffic intersection at the Main Street flagpole.

Installing a set of traffic signals and reconfiguring traffic flow at the flagpole intersection would improve the movement of traffic and pedestrians there, according to the Vollmer traffic planners.

Under the concept, the 100-foot-tall flagpole would remain at its current location and become part of a small center traffic island. No traffic signals or wiring would be attached to or hung from the flagpole.

The current eastbound section of West Street near the Newtown Meeting House would be converted to two-way traffic flow, and the current westbound section of West Street there would be closed to through- traffic and be used for parallel parking accessible via a driveway running parallel to Main Street.

The traffic study states there would be a loss of parking spaces in front of the Meeting House, but the visual appeal of the landmark would be enhanced by the addition of a front lawn.

Also, the burgesses oppose the elimination of perpendicular parking near the Newtown General Store on Main Street, oppose the creation of a T-shaped intersection where Glover Avenue and Queen Street meet, and oppose speed bump installation on Queen Street. 

Excluding the consultants’ proposed extension of Commerce Road to Wasserman Way to create a local north-south connector road, the estimated cost of the consultants’ proposed traffic improvements is $1.89 million. Funding would come from local, state, federal, and private sources. Funding estimates are based on 2006 cost information. More than half of the required construction money may be available from state and federal sources.

During the past several years, Queen Street area residents often have attended Police Commission meetings in seeking to resolve concerns about the volume, speed, and noise of traffic along that congested road. The ensuing Queen Street Area Traffic Study stemmed from those residents’ interest in improving traffic conditions along that street.