Queen Street Residents Ask For A Series Of Stop Signs

By Steve Bigham

Residents of Queen Street have requested the town install three stop signs along their road as a way to slow traffic.

At Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Jill Beaudry of 36 Queen Street suggested that stop signs be erected at the intersections of Lovells Lane, Borough Lane and Elizabeth Street.

State law prohibits the use of stop signs to slow traffic. However, they can be used for safety reasons, Mrs Beaudry said.

“I’m asking you to please help us to put stop signs up there for safety reasons,” she said.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he would pass on a request to the Police Commission, the town’s traffic authority. However, he could not guarantee the results.

“Speed is excessive all over town, but I know in the past that unless [the Police Commission] feels stop signs are called for, they will not do it,” Mr Rosenthal said.

The Police Commission has heard concerns about the high speeds on Queen Street in the past. Mrs Beaudry made a request for stop signs this past summer. However, at the time, the commission was busy in meetings concerning the fate of its police chief, and no action on the request was taken. Mrs Beaudry plans to return this winter.

Residents are also interested in the use of “portable” speed bumps. But, according to Mr Rosenthal, there are some liability issues when a police department arbitrarily lays these down on a road.

The residents of Queen Street are also concerned about the proposed plan to build a soccer field on town-owned land across the road. This could create further traffic problems, they say. They are also keenly interested in the fate of Fairfield Hills, which lies just a few hundred yards to the east.

Queen Street is home to several young couples who have been outspoken in their concerns for the future of Newtown. Michael Floros of 32 Queen Street is chairman of the town’s Fairfield Hills Advisory Committee.

Andy Willie of Butterfield Road also spoke to the selectmen Monday. Still annoyed over the fact that the town recently paved his road, he said cars are already going faster. He requested that the town erect signs at the borders saying, “Newtown does not tolerate speeding.”

Mr Willie also complained that a newly-erected bus stop sign on his road was too close to the actual bus stop, and that some erosion problems that were supposed to be resolved with the paving  still occur during rainfall.

“It’s ridiculous to have a sign here if the school bus stop is right in front of it,” he said.

Mr Rosenthal said he would seek to have the sign moved to a more ideal location.