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NORWALK, Conn. – Calling it "an injury waiting to happen," a group of Norwalk citizens is urging Norwalk's city government to narrow the road to Norwalk's beach, making it a one-lane road in each direction.
The government has responded: Common Councilman David McCarthy (R-District E) has organized a special meeting of the council's Public Works Committee, which he chairs, May 31 and has invited residents to voice their safety concerns about Calf Pasture Beach Road.
"Calf Pasture Beach, Taylor Farm, Cove Marina and Ludlow Park are among the wonderful public resources that make our city such a great place to live and visit. But Calf Pasture Beach Road, the main pathway to those places, is an injury waiting to happen," said Peter Libre, a member of the group pushing for safety measures along the road from Ludlow Park to Calf Pasture Beach. "The solution, recommended by both of the city's consultants, is to make the outer lanes vehicle-free for use by everyone not in a car, from school kids to retirees. That's the step we are urging the mayor and the council to take."
The group, which has an informational website and a petition drive, is pushing for an idea presented in the Norwalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Transportation improvement plan, submitted to the city in January by Fitzgerald and Halliday Inc., a Hartford firm.
Hal Alvord, director of the Department of Public Works, said May 1 the city would propose sharrows, a traffic lane marked to indicate that motor vehicles are expected to share it with bicyclists. McCarthy said he spoke to Alvord and that proposal has been postponed while the council studies the issue. He said he called the special meeting based upon a request from councilwoman Michelle Maggio (R-District C) subsequent to concerns, discussions and personal experiences throughout her district.
The sidewalks in question are shown in the video posted with this story, from the group's website, which also invites visitors to send letters to the mayor and the council calling on the city to fix the problem.
David Marcus, an activist who is behind the blog Livable Norwalk, recently used a speed gun to clock the traffic on the road. He found most people are speeding, an observation that was confirmed by Police Chief Harry Rilling. Marcus also has a petition, which has 239 signatures on it.
Marcus is in favor of the "Road Diet" outlined on Page 32 of the Norwalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Transportation improvement plan, assessable by this link. It says, "The resulting roadway profile would include a 6 feet wide bicycle lane on both sides of the roadway, with a 14 feet travel lane and a 4 feet inside shoulder. These changes would not require reconstruction of the roadway, rather restriping and signage improvements. This solution has been proven highly effective on a number of projects throughout the country, having been used on roadways with average daily traffic volumes exceeding 20,000 vehicles per day."
The special meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. May 31 in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. Norwalkers can speak for five minutes.
Comments (11)
As a resident of the area, this initiative has my full support. The argument that kids should be taught to walk in the road is feeble in this case. There are many categories of pedestrian that are at risk walking in this stretch of road, with totally inadequate sidewalks. And this stretch of road is of particular concern because the speeding and otherwise reckless driving there is so rampant, and goes largely unchecked by police - especially racing motorcycles. It's harrowing at best to walk there under any circumstances, whether you're a student or an adult with a stroller..whatever. Either improve the walkway and bike way, and/or crack down on the reckless driving for once.
Funny as the speeding was a Police car going on an imaginary call at 44 mph in a 25mph when the survey was done.. Also anyone that can say a kid should not be taught to walk on the sidewalk instead of the the road is simply put a fool. This ridiculous plan will never get off the ground as its just a few blow hards that are concerned with their own agenda that support it..
It's hard to watch the video at http://BeachRoadSafety.org and still say that these conditions are perfectly safe or that all these kids just need to watch out better.
A few drivers' desire for a passing lane in a 25mph zone is, in this case, outweighed by the broader desire of the community for safer streets and a better quality of life.
Another possible solution would be to install traffic control at the intersection of the monument at Fifth St/Gregory Blvd/Marvin Road... where those drivers who like to race down to the beach anticipate the widening from 1 lane to 2 with a delicious "S" curve to make the ride that much more fun. Instead of slowing down, racers and motorcycles like to gun the engines and pay no attention to pedestrian traffic. This would slow the traffic down somewhat. The drivers coming from Fifth Street have to stick their cars out so far into that intersection because of the inability to see around the overgrown bushes on the north side of the street, making further hazards. There have been so many accidents at that intersection in the last couple of years that it makes me wonder if the city is paying any attention at all. An intersection with a historically high number of wrecks begs a traffic study. The road is ONE lane all the way from 95 to the beach except for this patch between the park and the marina... if cars can survive one lane all that way, why so important to spread out into 2 lanes for a quarter mile?
This is a terrific initiative to improve use of all the facilities along Calf Pasture Beach Road: the beach, Cove Marina, Taylor Farm, Marvin School and Ludlow Park. As a former Marvin School parent and the member of a family that regularly uses all of those great facilities, I know too well how treacherous the beach road can be. Let's make it safe and pleasant for everyone- car drivers and pedestrians.
JRC
this reminds me of the parent who fought to close the section of Grandview where the school is in the A.M. and P.M....once his kid was out of the school, he was the first to complain about the hassle it is to go around, instead of straight up Grandview,
Another thought (just to add a bit of controversy) shouldnt parents teach their children how to walk on roads with no sidewalks? How about the fact that if you cant fit three people across on a sidewalk...walk behind each other. And the joggers? They just jogged across the road (in the video) I didnt see a single one look to see if any cars are coming...
As for the school kids, there are many other schools in Norwalk that doesnt have a safe way for them to walk to, again I think it is up to the parents to teach them.
As for joggers/walkers...I travel Fillow St quite often in the morning...there are a couple people who walk IN the road (even tho there is a sidewalk) and when the cars come towards them, they walk into the path of the car. These are people walking towards the traffic, so they see the cars.
@Ken P Jr, please remember, this is a proposal to make the road safer for the kids who use the road every day to walk to school. They're important too.
That said...I wanted to address a few good points you brought up.
* Cove Marina access
Cove Marina is supporting the plan because they understand it will improve access. As part of the plan, there will be a dedicated right turn lane into Cove Marina.
* Will this cause congestion?
As you pointed out, the bottle-neck is the entrance to the beach. Whether the beach road is 2 lanes or 4 lanes or 10 lanes, it won't allow people to get into the beach any faster, so why not choose the option that also makes it safe for kids, joggers and cyclists?
Also, 3 out of 3 engineering consultants agree...the plan won't cause congestion.
Please be sure to watch the video at http://BeachRoadSafety.org showing current conditions on the road and I think you'll agree it's best to put safety first here.
Let's keep the focus where it should be...kids are in danger walking on this road every day. Watch the video at BeachRoadSafety.org to see what the Beach Road is like for its most vulnerable users. Several independent engineering firms have studied the road and said making it safer would not cause congestion. So why put kids at risk?
The kids are in danger walking up every road, The kids should be taught to walk on the sidewalk. Why is it every time anyone has some hair brain idea they invoke "the children".
This without question is the most idiotic thing I think I have ever read.
I have to laugh about this. Beach Road has always been a busy road, especially on week ends. No one in the past complained about the traffic, buying a house that close to the beach, you'd expect traffic. If you want a house near a beach and not have traffic, buy near a private beach, in my opinion.
Now, with that said, as for the speeders, stop paving the road. Let the potholes build up there like they are on other roads in the city. Easy fix for the problem :)
I have to wonder if these guys actually use the road or only walk on it. This weekend there was a line in BOTH lanes waiting to get into the beach. Make it a two lane road & people wanting to get to Cove marina are going to be waiting in line behind beach goers. Its almost amusing the way we have the city on one hand promoting the beach & trying to attract more & more people from out of town each year and a few residents on the other hand wanting to turn the only way there into an even smaller road than it is now. I admit traffic is a problem, but making the roads that carry it smaller isnt a very smart answer. Attempting to lessen the traffic is plausible, the road has been fine for decades, but the beach was mostly for use by residents in the past. Turning it into a destination and attraction from people outside of town might just be why theres so much use, I dont really know, but I thing a two lane beach road will do little but create congestion & new problems. Where will these bike lanes end for instance?
The City owns the land on the east side of the street from Marvin school all the way to the beach. Putting a pedestrian/bike path off the road on those properties is a much better approach, of course its not free though so has little likelyhood of serious consideration. Another way to lessen traffic is simply stop letting out of towners in or at least stop promoting it and hosting so many events there.