To the Editor:

These are my observations on why traffic has become so congested in Newtown during the last decade or so. Of course there are more drivers in town, but I don’t really see that as the biggest contributor.

I see that the trouble on Interstate 84 East between Exits 8 and 9 is caused by too many impatient people speeding in the slow vehicle lane when things get slow in the regular travel lanes. They cause slow traffic to come to a stand-still when they try to merge back in after speeding by everyone. Then, too many impatient people allow GPS to take them through town at the slightest hint of trouble on Interstate 84. We also have many more reckless drivers during heavy traffic times on the highway who cause traffic jams when safe drivers get scared to death by their road racing and slam on the brakes. Not to mention the actual accidents they cause. And the improvements to Exit 11 mean that more people are travelling through town to access it.

Our traffic is not just through-traffic though. Let’s examine our own behaviors. I’ve seen that Covid has changed our driving culture in that we rarely carpool, and too often just jump in the car to go out because we can. Clearly to me, it’s a remnant of our cabin fever. And (believe it or not) our gas prices are too low to discourage it. And lots of cool new eateries and retail businesses along Rt 6 in Bethel and Danbury draw us out in unprecedented numbers. And the people in the housing there travel here to our businesses and medical facilities too. I see what seems like hundreds of kids flow out of the Middle School every afternoon on foot walking past the waiting busses. Every single one of them will have a parent picking them up in the center of town at the end of their work day.

And who are these people on the road all day besides us locals? Well, they are the delivery people for those who shop too much from home and the service people for those who don’t do any of their own household chores. Then those people drive out to the gym to get their exercise because they can’t jog on the roads with all the crazy delivery/service drivers.

It is very naïve and unwise to think that our woes will be solved by stopping new housing.

Randi Kiely

Newtown