Queen St Sidewalks: East vs West

To the Editor:

The subject of sidewalks on Queen Street is once again in the news. Queen Street sidewalks are a logical extension of the sidewalk network in the Borough, and I whole heartily support their construction. Recently the Land Use Agency submitted a request for “The Safe Routes to School Program” for $500,000 to construct sidewalks with the intent of connecting the downtown area and the middle school with Reed School and Fairfield Hills. This is a wonderful concept for the residents of Newtown and those who might use the sidewalks.

The real question is which side of the street should they be placed. There are two options, the east side, which is where the middle school, the Merryhill Child Care Center, and Reed School are located, or the west side, which is totally residential.

The east side would connect the downtown area and the middle school all the way up to Fairfield Hills with pedestrians crossing only one lightly utilized street, Grand Place. It would also connect the open space which the Board of Selectman designated on the east side of Queen Street thus allowing residents to enjoy that property.

The west side would require pedestrians to cross Queen Street, cross Glover, cross Elizabeth, cross Lovell, cross Brought Lane, and then cross both sides of Queen Street at Mile Hill to traverse the same distance. All these crossings would be unprotected. Queen Street has daily traffic of almost 6,000 autos and Glover has close to 8,000.

The Police Commission voted unanimously to support the sidewalks on the east side, being the safe route for pedestrians. The borough government voted for the sidewalks on the east side after the Queen Street Traffic study was completed.

However the former Board of Selectmen suggested the west side based on some input from some influential residents on Queen. It seems they don’t want the sidewalks on their front yard and claim more people live on the west side. Elected officials are suggesting $200,000 in capital dollars might be available if the sidewalks are placed on the west side, and now the borough appears to be willing to change their recommended location.

This decision will possibly involve $200,000 of Newtown taxpayer’s dollars and the additional $500,000 from the federal government if the grant is approved. The decision on which side of the street the sidewalks are placed therefore needs to consider all those residents who utilize sidewalks in the borough. Politics should not be involved in this decision, nor should pressure from a few influential residents be able to dictate the side of the street.

Sidewalks on Queen Street are a great idea, and I fully support the expansion of sidewalks within the borough. This decision should reflect the needs of all residents, and it should be a “Safe Route to School.” Clearly the east side is the common sense decision.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                                       August 24, 2011