Pedestrian safety is now a top priority and concern for the Newtown Police Department and Borough Burgess Maureen Crick Owen.

In 2023, Newtown received a $80,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation as part of the Safe Streets for All program (SS4A), complete with a $20,000 in-kind match from the Town of Newtown. The SS4A program is an initiative started by the Biden-Harris Administration that promotes pedestrian and traffic safety with the ultimate goal of zero traffic-related deaths.

The initiative is community-based, and Newtown PD is asking for everyone’s help in identifying problem areas in town. Police Chief David Kullgren explained to The Newtown Bee that Newtown’s SS4A has three committees: police, Board of Education, and community committees. Each committee has identified its own areas of concern, but are determined to work closer with residents to identify more and brainstorm solutions for these areas.

Some areas of concern are crosswalk enhancements at 11 Queen Street in front of the middle school and Church Hill Road and Hawley. The BOE also wants to push for more bus cameras to enforce the statute regarding illegally passing a school bus. There is a push for crosswalk enhancements at Sandy Hook Center, The Boulevard and Queen Street, and Elm Drive and Sugar Street.

Another huge area of concern is the center of town at the flagpole. Chris Hottis of Flint Ridge Development developed a concept with warning lights in the road on both sides of the crosswalks by Edmond Town Hall and the flagpole, as well as rectangular flashing lights on the crosswalk signs, similar to the ones on White Street in Danbury on the Midtown campus.

Kullgren shared, “The crosswalks, like at Edmond Town Hall, can be significantly improved for pedestrian safety if you curb out the crosswalk with curbing.”

Crick Owen said, “We have a lot of kids that walk in the center of town when they get out of the middle school … people need to show more kindness and slow down and be aware of their surroundings.

“For me, it’s a happy sign when I see kids out walking and talking and being together — that just brings warmth to my heart to see kids like that … that’s what you want to see. You want to see kids out and enjoying life,” she added.

Crick Owen shared she was honored to be asked to sit on the SS4A committee and wants to hear more from residents regarding improving safety for all ages, not just the middle school kids. One of the Borough Board of Burgess’ highest achievements is making the Borough and center of town more walkable, including the sidewalk expansion down Sugar Street.

If there was an added crosswalk, or a “Block the Box” at Elm Drive and Sugar Street, residents would be able to safely walk from Currituck Road to Ram Pasture, and with the added footbridge being constructed at Ram Pasture, they would be able to walk almost straight through to Dickinson Park. That’s close to 1.5 miles of walkable space through the center of town.

Kullgren said, “We’re interested in [residents’] concerns to see if they match with those of our committees’. If the community brings up additional concerns, they’ll be added to the list supplied to the traffic engineer for their professional opinion and analysis.” He added, “[Resident] input and collaboration is imperative.”

Crick Owen said, “[Residents] should care for their own safety … this is safety for them, their family, as well as all of our residents in town… It’s a safety thing and people are walking more.”

If readers have areas of concern regarding pedestrian or traffic safety, they are urged to complete the survey. The town-wide survey can be found by visiting surveymonkey.com/r/Newtown_SS4A. Residents of the borough have a separate survey emailed out by Crick Owen, or if needed, email maureencrickowen@gmail.com for a copy. Both surveys are due November 8.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.