Very bad accident just a few minutes ago at the...
Very bad accident just a few minutes ago at the corner of Alden and Chapel. This is a consistently troublesome corner given the high speed of travel on both streets. A traffic signal is needed. ▶Arquivada
I appreciate the spirit of your post, having seen several entire families narrowly avoid being run over and wiped out by speeding red light runners in recent weeks within this area. Speeding at your corner seriously erodes your quality of life and sense of safety.
Unfortunately a traffic signal might actually create more crashes, by encouraging people to run red lights. A more effective solution would be traffic calming, similar to what the city recently installed at Edwards and Livingston, or at any number of other intersections in the area. Traffic calming is also significantly less expensive than installing a new overhead signal.
The entire neighborhood needs a traffic calming master plan, similar to what other cities throughout the U.S. have done. New Haven is unfortunately far behind the times and as a result is missing a key opportunity to make its neighborhoods more walkable, livable, and attractive for families. A neighborhood plan would involve a strategic program of upgrades across a number of blocks which would result in a more attractive neighborhood as a whole, not just a few scattered improvements on a few blocks. In Fair Haven, the neighborhood passed around a hat and raised enough money to do a study in 2008, which proposed a detailed neighborhood traffic calming master plan for the eastern half of Fair Haven.
Also, some people say that traffic calming is expensive. The city has tended to pursue more expensive types of traffic calming (such as new curbs), but there are solutions like temporary curb extensions that are basically free if the city is willing to think outside the box and move forward more quickly. At the current rate, it will take approximately 600 years to improve the street grid - that is an unacceptable failure on the part of our local government.
This is a very bad corner and has been for more than 20 years, I have talked to alderpersons, called the city, been witness to more terrible accidents than I can remember and there seems to be no progress. The house at the corner has been hit more than once, There are huge trees that were taken down because they were hit so many times. This corner is also a children's bus stop. The lack of attention to the need for a light is inexcusable at this point.
The comment below is a great response to this issue. I think that areas such as Edwards and Livingston are a good first step to seeing traffic calming improvements in the city. Look at Quinnipiac Ave as the most recent example, West Rock Ave about a year ago and Woodward Ave - which was improved a few years ago. I think the city is making a good effort in getting to where we would like to be in terms of traffic calming and these examples are a good first step.
I think the city is making decent strides to improving intersections with street calming over the past several years. Look at Woodward Ave, West Rock Ave, Edwards & Livingston (mentioned below) and most recently - Quinnipiac Ave, not to mention the speed humps in various areas of the city. Sure, there are many areas that need improvement but at least the city is making some good first steps. This sounds like a great Complete Streets project.
I live at this corner and it is very bad. M.C. Mom (below) is right; the city is making progress--the even more dangerous intersection at Alden and Edgewood now has a light, and countless accidents have been prevented. This one needs help too--at the very least, a blinking orange.
I also wonder why the city doesn't deploy more temporary traffic calming. They can put it in to prove the concept, and then install permanent fixes when budgets allow. This isn't rocket science, but for whatever reason the city is enamored with fancy fixes like Edwards and West Park Avenue, rather than a fix that could be put in place in DAYS for a fraction of the amount.
I think the most effective and least expensive way to address this problem would be to install stop signs. And since there are many local sign companies, they can get them easily, quickly, and keep business within the area.
That's a good idea. Sort of a test run on intersection design to see if the temp installation will work as a permenant solution....before spending the money to make a lasting alteration.
This is a very dangerous intersection - very similar to the one on the corner of Alden and Edgewood before it received a traffic light last year. I have not seen the statistics but I believe that corner is now much safer with that light. The main problem is the approach to the intersection: On the one side, coming West from downtown, there is a long stretch of road from Central Avenue to Alden where drivers routinely open up to 50+ mph in a 25 zone. Coming from the other side, traffic accelerates down the Forest Road hill for a long stretch with no stop until the light at Central. I have seen the traffic calming patterns around the City and think they can make a big difference - in fact Alden Avenue would be a great spot for them. But on Chapel, I believe a stop light will best solve the problem. Blinking yellows are simply ignored.
Rob Oliver, you're right. And blinking reds don't work either, as people don't understand them and ignore them, too. If you've seen the before and after, or driven it, on Woodward Avenue...maybe that's what they need to do to Alden. But in some small roundabouts.
Image showing example of "temporary" curb extensions used widely in Europe and highly effective when the city budget can't support immediate changes. These last 5-10 years and are a fraction of the cost of permanent infrastructure, and if effective, can eventually be replaced by something nicer (like the bump out the city put in at the corner of Nash and Lawrence for example).
There is glass and debris in the road and on the sidewalks as the result of this accident. It would be dangerous for a citizen to try to clean this up due to traffic. Can public works come in to help?
Thanks
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23 Comentários
anonymous (Utilizador Registado)
I appreciate the spirit of your post, having seen several entire families narrowly avoid being run over and wiped out by speeding red light runners in recent weeks within this area. Speeding at your corner seriously erodes your quality of life and sense of safety.
Unfortunately a traffic signal might actually create more crashes, by encouraging people to run red lights. A more effective solution would be traffic calming, similar to what the city recently installed at Edwards and Livingston, or at any number of other intersections in the area. Traffic calming is also significantly less expensive than installing a new overhead signal.
The entire neighborhood needs a traffic calming master plan, similar to what other cities throughout the U.S. have done. New Haven is unfortunately far behind the times and as a result is missing a key opportunity to make its neighborhoods more walkable, livable, and attractive for families. A neighborhood plan would involve a strategic program of upgrades across a number of blocks which would result in a more attractive neighborhood as a whole, not just a few scattered improvements on a few blocks. In Fair Haven, the neighborhood passed around a hat and raised enough money to do a study in 2008, which proposed a detailed neighborhood traffic calming master plan for the eastern half of Fair Haven.
A similar problem, located a few blocks from your report, has seen some discussion on this as well: http://seeclickfix.com/issues/119210
Please visit http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Engineering/completestreets.asp and consider filling out a request form so that your intersection will be prioritized for improvements. Your Alderman can also help with this.
Also, some people say that traffic calming is expensive. The city has tended to pursue more expensive types of traffic calming (such as new curbs), but there are solutions like temporary curb extensions that are basically free if the city is willing to think outside the box and move forward more quickly. At the current rate, it will take approximately 600 years to improve the street grid - that is an unacceptable failure on the part of our local government.
Jody Platner (Visitante)
NH (Visitante)
This Should Work (Visitante)
Morris Cove Mom (Visitante)
Robert Forbes (Utilizador Registado)
Pedro Soto (Utilizador Registado)
Morris Cove Mom (Visitante)
This Should Work (Visitante)
Donald Harvey (Utilizador Registado)
I enthusiastically second Pedro Soto's suggestion for installing temporary calming measures as a test for defining a permanent solution.
Are they there yet?
Why not?
Rob Oliver (Utilizador Registado)
Morris Cove Mom (Visitante)
Pat Kalba (Visitante)
anonymous (Utilizador Registado)
anonymous (Utilizador Registado)
Anonymous (Visitante)
Thanks
Libby Stacey (Utilizador Registado)
Adam Marchand (Visitante)
The debris has been picked up, by two resident volunteers.
Adam Marchand, Alderman, Ward 25.
Adam Marchand (Visitante)
resident (Visitante)
Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking (Utilizador Registado)
City of New Haven (Oficial Verificado)
Encerradas City of New Haven (Utilizador Registado)