Traffic Woes ID’d For

Town Planners

By Andrew Gorosko

At the request of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), the Police Commission is submitting information on the three most pressing local traffic issues for inclusion in the Town Plan of Conservation and Development, which is now under revision.

That submission is based on a report formulated by the police department’s traffic enforcement unit, which is headed by Administrative Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde.

According to that report from Sgt Bahamonde to Operations Lieutenant George Sinko, the top traffic priority in town is resolving traffic congestion/safety problems occurring during the morning rush period in the general area where Berkshire Road (State Route 34) meets the Exit 11 interchange of Interstate 84 via Wasserman Way. The report suggests creating direct links between Toddy Hill Road and the Exit 11 on-ramps to alleviate morning rush congestion problems.

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) has long planned to redesign the Exit 11 interchange to simplify and improve traffic flow in that general area. However, a lack of funds for such improvements has stalled the project.

According to the traffic report, the second most important traffic improvement priority is a physical realignment of the broadly offset intersection where Church Hill Road (State Route 6), Commerce Road, and Edmond Road meet.

The DOT has long planned to shift the southern end of Edmond Road to the west, so that Church Hill Road, Edmond Road, and Commerce Road would meet in a conventional four-way intersection controlled by a four-way traffic signal.

The existing intersection of Church Hill Road and Commerce Road is controlled by a traffic signal, but the intersection of Church Hill Road and Edmond Road is controlled by a stop sign at the end of Edmond Road, posing traffic flow problems for motorists seeking to turn left from Edmond Road onto the congested Church Hill Road.

The traffic unit also suggests extending the dead-end Commerce Road southward to Wasserman Way to create a local north-south traffic link that would divert traffic away from the Queen Street/Main Street section of town.

The third traffic improvement priority is creating vehicular turning lanes on South Main Street (State Route 25), a business area that experiences congestion.

Having such turning lanes in place would allow the free flow of traffic, according to the traffic unit. The traffic unit lists the Citgo gas station at 151 South Main Street as a prime location for such vehicle turning lanes, when considering the high number of accidents that occur in that area due to turning traffic.

The traffic unit also recommends implementing a “curb cut management plan” to better regulate traffic flow via driveways at properties in congested areas.

Traffic Concerns

A related document on traffic issues from Lt Sinko to Police Chief Michael Kehoe raises other concerns about local traffic flow. That report also contains traffic-related comments for the P&Z to consider in updating the town plan.

Sgt Sinko recommends that the town consider working with the state DOT to have certain safety improvements made at certain South Main Street intersections, including its intersections with Swamp Road, Botsford Hill Road, southern and northern Peck’s Lane, southern and northern Elm Drive, Borough Lane, and Sugar Street-Glover Avenue.

Also, Lt Sinko recommends that areas on South Main Street that have high accident rates have vehicle turning lanes created in order to reduce the number of rear-ender accidents that occur when vehicles are attempting to make left turns from South Main Street into businesses.

Concerning Berkshire Road, Lt Sinko suggests creating truck climbing lanes in steep areas on westbound Berkshire Road to improve traffic flow. But he notes that proposal for such improvements was rejected in the past due to the state needing to acquire sections of front yards for road construction. The rural Route 34 is winding and narrow in some areas.

Also, the congested section of Berkshire Road lying between its intersections with Pole Bridge Road and with Wasserman Way requires a traffic engineering solution, according to the lieutenant.

Traffic congestion in the Berkshire Road/Wasserman Way area stems from commuters seeking to enter and to exit I-84 at the Exit 11 interchange, he observes, pointing out the nearness of the traffic-generating Newtown High School.

Concerning traffic safety problems at the Main Street flagpole intersection, Lt Sinko observes, “Due to the historic nature of the flagpole, it is a difficult problem to address when changes to the appearance of the site are involved…The option of creating a ‘roundabout’ at this intersection may be the best solution toward improving safety, while also preserving the historic qualities of the intersection…[If] funding is available, this would be a good option for the community to discuss.”

Other Points

In his report, Lt Sinko urges that the town keep updated its “roadway classifications” to ensure that the classifications are accurate based on population and development. Updated road classifications would be beneficial in terms of the town’s seeking state and federal transportation funds, he wrote.

Also, he recommends that certain improvements be made to the Sandy Hook Center intersection of Church Hill Road, Washington Avenue, Riverside Road, and Glen Road.

The lieutenant also endorses creating sidewalks on the southern section of Queen Street, in the area lying between its intersections with Glover Avenue and Mile Hill Road.

Lt Sinko also suggests that the town explore obtaining enhanced bus service from the Housatonic Area Regional Transit District (HART). “While the desire for this service is there, the [lack of] volume of demand for it may be an obstacle,” he wrote.

As local population and development increase in the future, the provision of local passenger rail service may become a transportation option, the lieutenant added. The presence of rail freight service is a local asset because it provides bulk materials to certain businesses in town, according to Lt Sinko.

The 2004 town plan that is under revision by the P&Z is an advisory document that provides the P&Z with general guidance in its decisionmaking.

The document lists a wide variety of planning goals for the town. P&Z members hope to publish an updated town plan by the end of this year.