Driver Kills Pedestrian at Elm and Temple in front of Yale University Campus

Yet another pedestrian death at the Yale Campus.

 "A 53-year-old New Haven man died Sunday after a car struck him at the intersection of Elm and Temple Streets.

 So reported police spokesperson Capt. Anthony Duff.

 The downtown crash occurred at 4:30 p.m. The driver “remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation,” Duff wrote in a release. The department’s Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating."

https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/driver_kills_pedestrian3/

Safe Streets Update 2020

Here is a useful 2020 update from Laurie Roark at the Yale Herald on the "safe streets" movement in New Haven, describing recent pedestrian fatalities and actions to try to address the situation:

https://yale-herald.com/2020/02/07/mixed-signals-the-future-of-pedestrian-safety-in-new-haven/

Here's a section:

Safer Streets

The same week that the Watch for Me CT pilot ended, a 55-year-old man was killed while crossing Whalley Avenue. It was the second pedestrian death by car in New Haven this year—equal to the number of gun fatalities by the same date. 

To Ward 1 Alder Eli Sabin, GH ’22, who voted to approve the Watch for Me CT pilot, the program seemed like “a good opportunity” to protect the most vulnerable users of the city’s roadways. “We’ve had as many pedestrians die in car accidents this year as we’ve had homicides in the city. This is a really important concern, and people are literally dying because the streets aren’t safe.”

Since 2009, pedestrian deaths in Connecticut have doubled. Of the ten largest cities in New England, New Haven has the highest percentage of residents who walk to work, and last year, nine pedestrians were killed in crashes with cars on New Haven streets.

Whalley Avenue, where the man was killed, is five lanes wide. With turning lanes and shoulders, pedestrians cross 100 feet of street on a crosswalk. They have 21 seconds to do so. The average human walking speed is about 3.1 miles per hour. Twenty-one seconds is not enough time, even at an average pace. This means that to cross Whalley Avenue safely, you have to walk fast, and if you can’t—due to age or ability or other factors—you can’t cross the street safely, even if you follow traffic laws.

In January of 2017, Melissa Tancredi was killed at the intersection of York Street and South Frontage Road, when a driver drove onto the sidewalk, striking her. 

Laws against jaywalking wouldn’t have prevented Tancredi’s death, and Chief Reyes agrees that targeting pedestrians is not the most effective strategy. “Our goal is not to give tickets for jaywalking,” he told  NPR. “We clearly see that’s not having the desired impact. Our goal is not to penalize the pedestrian. Again, a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk does not pose the greatest threat.” But he maintained that pedestrian enforcement and awareness is a part of keeping streets safe, and that he doesn’t plan to take it off the table.

“In my mind, the key would have been enforcement only on cars—motor vehicle drivers—because their motor speeding, their not paying attention, can have the most harm,” said Neil Olinski, a self-identified pedestrian advocate and Transportation Planner at Milone and Macbroom, a transportation and engineering consulting firm with offices throughout New England. “You can educate pedestrians to try to ward off [risky] pedestrian behavior, but at the end of the day, it’s about infrastructure.” 

Olinski is part of the Safe Streets Working Group—formerly known as the Complete Streets Working Group—an informal activist organization named after a law passed by the city in 2008. “Changing the way streets are laid out, design-wise, is the ultimate thing that creates the most safety,” he emphasized.

The Complete Streets legislation was pushed through City Hall by activists in response to two particularly horrific pedestrian deaths that year: the death of Mila Rainof, MED ’08, a medical student only a few months away from beginning her residency in emergency medicine when she was hit while crossing South Frontage Road, and the killing of Gabrielle Lee, an 11-year-old struck by a vehicle while crossing Whalley Avenue—which the death records repeatedly show as one of New Haven’s most dangerous streets.

Complete Streets makes streets complete, or in other words, safe, through standard engineering treatments for signage, lane widths, pavement marking dimensions, and turning radii, all pushing toward a lower target vehicle speed. Lowering vehicle speed is a primary goal for complete streets, because vehicle speed directly impacts the severity and number of crash-related injuries and fatalities. At 20 miles per hour, the odds of pedestrian death in the event of a crash are around five percent. At 30 miles per hour, it’s about 45 percent, and at 40 miles per hour, there’s an 85 percent chance that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle will die.

“Take Elm Street. It looks like a highway. It’s got four or five lanes, so motorists just drive unconsciously. Without even thinking about it, they just speed. Because they think, Oh, there’s all this extra pavement for me,” said Olinski. “Every extra lane is just more pavement that could be a conflict between pedestrians and a car.”

Adopted in 2010, Complete Streets created a design manual for the City of New Haven, which aimed to formalize a process for community participation in the city’s street redesign processes. This included a project request form, providing citizens with a public platform through which to submit information about street improvement projects. The design manual defines the goal of Complete Streets: “Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities.”

The goal of the Safe Streets Working Group is to make sure that the Complete Streets legislation does what it promised to do 12 years ago: make changes in the design of the city streets that lower vehicle speeds and increase safety for all road users—and do so transparently and efficiently. Since it was passed in 2008, Complete Streets “has not lived up to where [organizers] had hoped we would be in ten years,” said Rob Rocke, GRAD ’96, another member of Safe Streets. 

“It kind of comes down to: what does the city want to prioritize—traffic flowing through the city, or safety?” said Olinski. “If it takes a little extra time for a car to go through the center of town, so be it. The middle of the city—you want it to be a place that people want to go to, not to get through.”

Renewal and Reversal

In the mid-20th century, the U.S. was committed to making its cities worthwhile places to go. Their strategy, however, relied on making them easier to get through. Faster, too.

Throughout the 1950s and ’60s, the City of New Haven took in more federal funding for urban renewal infrastructure projects per capita than any other city in the U.S. These projects profoundly changed the New Haven we know. Most notable is the Oak Street Connector—an expressway designed to link Interstate 95 with Route 8, a Connecticut state highway 16 miles to its weStreet To build the highway through the center of the city, Mayor Dick Lee authorized the destruction of the entire Oak Street neighborhood, displacing some 800 families whose homes he had labeled as “blight,” instead prioritizing the quick car journeys of suburban dwellers through Downtown. Only one mile of the Oak Street Connector was ever completed, and it still stands between Interstate 95 and Chapel Street, severing The Hill neighborhood from Downtown.

Vincent Scully, Sterling Professor Emeritus of the History of Art in Architecture, wrote in 1967, “It would appear that we love the road much more than we do places, certainly more than we love cities, so that our political powers always gather behind the highway network, and we are ready to destroy anything for it.”

Since then, the tide has changed. City alders and planners have learned that streets designed to get cars through the city as quickly as possible are dangerous for the pedestrians who rely on walkable streets and public transportation. The 2008 Complete Streets Legislation is a part of this effort. The City is also engaged in an ongoing project of converting multi-lane, one-way streets, such as Church Street, back into two-way roads—a strategy which encourages drivers to drive more cautiously, reducing speeds and, therefore, deadly crashes.

On a larger scale, in 2010, the City received federal funding—$16 million—to begin the Downtown Crossing Project, a long term conversion of the Oak Street Connector from a highway back to a low-speed, multi-use road.

Mayor Justin Elicker, SOM ’10, FES ’10, who was sworn in on Jan. 1, has been at the center of that fight since he was an alder in East Rock. In 2011, he authored a resolution which criticized Downtown Crossing for repeating many of the car-centered design policies of the Oak Street Connector. Primarily, North and South Frontage Roads—some of the deadliest roads in the city—would remain four to five-lane roads. The Board of Alders’ resolution recommended turning North and South Frontage Road into a pair of two-lane roads with a target speed of no more than 25 miles per hour.

Phase I of Downtown Crossing was completed in 2016, converting the former highway into two one-way boulevards, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and South Frontage Road. The lanes were narrowed to slow traffic, the speed limit was lowered to 25 miles per hour, and a bicycle lane was added. At the end of the new roads, the city put in a shiny new 14-story research building at 100 College Street.

Last July, the city broke ground on Phase II, which will close the highway’s first exit into the city and convert Orange Street into a through road once again. The plan also calls for a protected bike lane and a pedestrian safety island mid-way through the crosswalk. Its projected completion date is late this year. Phase III will be complete in 2023 or 2024, connecting Temple Street to The Hill and finally reuniting the neighborhood to Downtown. The two phases are projected to cost $53.5 million.

Downtown Crossing is evidence of the high cost of traffic infrastructure. Redesigning the streets may be the best way to keep pedestrians safe, but cost and slow timelines are prohibitive. In 2017, the city contracted a redesign of eight intersections on Chapel Street, Elm Street, and Church Street. The projected cost is $3.2 million. In comparison, the $15,000 state grant from Watch for Me CT is a paltry amount of money. 

According to Smart Growth America, a D.C.-based independent nonprofit dedicated to community focused infrastructure, the standard practice for assigning speed limits is to measure how fast most traffic travels on a road, and then set speed limits so that only 15 percent of the drivers are exceeding that limit. This results in artificially high speed limits, which make streets unsafe for everyone. “Rather than designing roads that encourage speeding and then relying upon enforcement, states and cities should design roads to encourage safer, slower driving speeds in the first place,” their report “Dangerous by Design” reads.

In 1995, the Netherlands stopped jaywalking enforcement altogether, meaning it’s entirely legal for pedestrians to cross the street wherever they like. There’s been a change in culture for both pedestrians and drivers alike—when no one assumes the right of way, everyone drives and walks with caution, and it works. Road deaths in the United States and in the Netherlands both peaked in 1972, but by 2011, the Netherlands had entirely outpaced the U.S.’s progress. In America, traffic fatalities decreased by 41 percent, but in the Netherlands, the decrease was 81 percent. If fatalities in the U.S. had declined by 81 percent, 22,000 fewer people would have died. 

Enforcement is thought of as an effective and cheaper strategy, but police salaries can be prohibitive, especially in a city where budgets have historically fallen short. For the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the City’s proposed budget reduced 490 police positions down to 429 and budgeted $4 million in overtime pay, half of the $8 million needed the previous year. When fully staffed, the traffic patrol division of the NHPD has only eight officers on the day shift (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and three on the night (3 p.m. to 11 p.m.). It is impossible to expect three officers to patrol 232 miles of streets to keep pedestrians safe.

There are a few cost-effective strategies which make safer streets. In terms of enforcement, red light cameras are cheaper than constant police patrol, and they may reduce traffic fatalities. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that red light cameras reduced the fatal crash rate of large cities by 21 percent, although other evidence indicates that while cameras do decrease the number of vehicles running red lights, there’s no clear suggestion that they reduce accidents. For now, there are no red light cameras in Connecticut, and there’s enough resistance to privacy violations across the state that, despite a concentration of support for cameras in New Haven, it’s unlikely that the city will install them any time soon.

The city has embraced some other cost-effective traffic calming strategies, including street painting. Colorful designs and patterns, painted onto the street, are designed to slow cars or encourage them to take wider turns. Last fall, traffic-calming designs were painted on Whalley Avenue between Howe Street. and Orchard Street, one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians in the city. In terms of city engineering, street painting is a Band-Aid, but sometimes you need a trip to the emergency room. 

Rolling Ahead

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Safe Streets Working Group had their largest public meeting to date. More than 40 community members gathered in a one-room schoolhouse in The Hill. In light of the ticketing incident in December, the pedestrian fatalities in January, and a general perception of recklessness on New Haven roads, the attendees were looking for answers. 

A generation of City officials who prioritized Complete Streets back in 2008 are now in the position to make change happen. Mayor Elicker, Roland Lemar, and Doug Hausladen, DC ’06—all three, former alders—are now the Mayor of New Haven, the co-chair of the Connecticut Legislature’s Transportation Committee, and the director of the city’s Transportation, Traffic & Parking Department, respectively.

Mayor Elicker opened the meeting with an acknowledgement of his dedication to the cause. “Complete Streets is one of the reasons I started to get involved in the community of New Haven,” he told the crowd. His mayoral transition report echoes the language of Complete Streets, outlining an initial focus on traffic calming, as well as transportation planning on Whalley Avenue and the Oak Street Connector.

Lemar has proposed two road studies to the Connecticut State Legislature, hoping to make safety improvements on Whalley Avenue and Ella Grasso Boulevard. 

Hausladen offered updates on a laundry list of improvement projects. The department’s new master plan is called “Safe Streets For All,” and with approval on new federal and state grants, Hausladen is confident about the city’s potential to make progress.

He also, importantly, addressed the diagonal crossing issue. “Our traffic signals are outdated, ” he said. One of his projects is to replace those outdated signals—which constitute all the pedestrian scramble intersections downtown—with concurrent signals. These are the standard, default signals you find in most cities. When there’s a go signal for the car, there’s a go signal for the pedestrian in the same direction. 

Approval and funding have been secured to update a number of Downtown traffic signals, four of which will feature a leading pedestrian interval (LPI). An LPI gives pedestrians three to seven seconds to start crossing before vehicles are given a green signal. With their head start, pedestrians can establish their presence in the intersection before vehicles start turning left or right into the crosswalk. Adding LPIs to an updated traffic signal costs nothing, but it makes a dramatic difference for pedestrian safety. 

And while a traffic overhaul will undoubtedly take time, a group of activists, politicians, and residents are committed to a safer future for New Haven.

All charges dropped against driver going 38MPH who killed New Haven pedestrian

By Randall Beach Updated 10:13 am EDT, Thursday, March 14, 2019

NEW HAVEN — Agnese Izzo, who struck and killed a pedestrian while driving near Yale New Haven Hospital two years ago, has had all four charges nolled.

Police said Izzo, now 30, of Aspen Glen Drive, Hamden, was driving up to 13 mph above the speed limit just before her car hit Melissa Tancredi while the victim was standing on a sidewalk on South Frontage Road at its intersection with York Street. This occurred at about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2017.

Tancredi, a Waterbury resident, “was vaulted into the air, struck the traffic control signal box and then landed across the sidewalk and roadway,” according to the police arrest warrant for Izzo. Tancredi was taken to the nearby hospital, where she died.

Izzo was charged with four counts: negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, following too closely, failure to yield to a pedestrian and traveling unreasonably fast.

But Izzo’s attorney, Hugh Keefe, said it was proper to have the charges nolled because “It was an accident. There was no criminal intent.”

“Unfortunately, this happens in our society with the use of automobiles,” Keefe added. “This was tragic for both sides.”

But Keefe maintained: “There’s no evidence of a crime here.”

Asked about the speed of Izzo’s vehicle — the police warrant said it reached 38 mph in a 25 mph zone — Keefe said, “If all you can prove is 13 mph above the speed limit, that’s not enough evidence to prove misconduct with a motor vehicle.”

Keefe added, “I don’t think a jury would have convicted her. There was no evidence of intent here.”

The prosecutor in the case, Assistant State’s Attorney, Laura DeLeo, did not return phone messages seeking more information on why the nolles were granted. Superior Court Judge Melanie Cradle presided over the session.

Keefe said Izzo pleaded nolo contendere to the four charges and they were then nolled. Keefe said Izzo did not deliver a statement during the session but simply answered routine questions from Cradle about the mechanics of the disposition.

Keefe also said Tancredi’s family was represented at the court hearing by an attorney, whose name Keefe could not remember.

“He said the family was disappointed” by the outcome of the case, Keefe added.

Keefe said part of the nolle agreement called for Izzo to have her driver’s license suspended. But Keefe said he did not recall how long the suspension will be in effect, nor did he have time to look it up in his files.

A New Haven Superior Court clerk said this information is available only through the state Department of Motor Vehicles. But DMV spokesman Jim Carson said Wednesday DMV has no records about a license suspension for Izzo. Carson said it might take several days for such information to be relayed from the court system to DMV. The court session occurred Monday.

Asked about Izzo’s legal right to drive since Tancredi’s death two years ago, Keefe said, “She has had the right to drive.”

According to the arrest warrant, before the collision Izzo was driving eastbound on South Frontage Road in a gray Infiniti G35X in a left-turn-only lane, which does not continue past the intersection of York Street.

“She did not execute a left turn but continued to travel straight, off the travel portion of the roadway and onto the sidewalk,” the warrant stated. “She struck Melissa Tancredi, who stood on the northeast sidewalk.”

The warrant noted that a police officer who responded to the scene spoke with Izzo immediately after the crash. “She recalled that she slammed on her brakes and then struck a pedestrian who was on the sidewalk. She could not provide any details as to what happened prior to the crash or why she drove onto the sidewalk.”

Another police officer who spoke with Izzo reported “she appeared very distraught as she cried and breathed heavily,” the warrant stated. “When asked, she was unsure what road she was on and had no recollection of what had happened.”

A third police officer who interviewed Izzo after she was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital quoted Izzo saying she had worked all day at the cardiac center at that hospital. She told that officer she was driving on South Frontage Road when she had to “brake very hard,” the warrant stated. “She did not remember what caused her to brake hard. When she stopped the car, she noticed a female on the ground.”

According to the warrant, the hospital staff did not perform tests on Izzo’s blood or urine “and there were no notes in the records to indicate that hospital personnel suspected she was under the influence of any type of drugs and/or alcohol. Mrs. Izzo denied while receiving treatment at the hospital having any other medical conditions that could have contributed to the crash.”

Police interviewed four witnesses to the crash. One of them said she was standing at that intersection, waiting to cross the street, when she saw a gray Infiniti driving east on South Frontage Road “at a high rate of speed,” the warrant said.

“The vehicle was in the left turn lane but did not travel left and continued straight,” the warrant quoted the witness. “The vehicle drove onto the northeast sidewalk and struck a pedestrian. The pedestrian flew several feet into the air and then landed in the roadway. Several bystanders immediately rushed over to provide aid.”

A second witness told police the Infiniti pulled out of a parking lot near Orchard Street in front of the witness’ vehicle. According to the warrant, “She saw the Infiniti brake hard in order to avoid impact with the vehicle that she was behind.”

A third witness told police she was walking on York Street when she heard a loud sound and then saw a car on the sidewalk and an unresponsive woman lying in the street.

“She eventually saw the driver of the car exit the vehicle,” the warrant said of the witness. This witness reported: “The driver had her phone to her ear.” The witness heard her say: “I think I killed someone.”

A week after the crash, police obtained a search warrant to search Izzo’s cellphone. According to the warrant, records obtained from Verizon Wireless showed Izzo was not texting or talking on the phone at the time of the crash.

But the warrant added the Verizon records “do not show if she was using any other phone applications such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. on the phone at/or leading up to the crash.”

The warrant stated Izzo’s attorney at the time, Kenny Levine, advised police that Izzo “would not be providing the passcode to unlock her iPhone for further examination.”

At the time of Izzo’s arrest, Levine told the New Haven Register that Izzo had tried to help Tancredi after the crash. Levine added: “My client is incredibly distraught over what happened that day and feels horrible about the entire situation.” He said she was no longer working at the hospital.

According to the warrant, videotapes from surveillance cameras near the intersection showed the Infiniti was on South Frontage Road and “traveled too close to the vehicle in front of it.” The tapes also showed “the vehicle was seen straddling the line between the center lane and left turn lane before it switched into the left turn lane.” A videotape of the crash showed “the vehicle did brake prior to impact (brake lights are seen) but does not engage in any evasive maneuvers such as steering.”

The warrant stated a police inspection of the car did not show any defects indicating a mechanical failure that would have contributed to the crash. The inspection showed the car was traveling at 35 mph two seconds prior to the airbag deploying and 38 mph one second prior to its deployment.

The warrant concluded: “The state of mind and the actions of the driver prior to the crash are unknown and inexplicable. Nevertheless, Izzo caused the crash by operating a motor vehicle in a manner indifferent to the risks her driving posed to human life.”

The fatal crash was the third in the last nine years in that area and the second fatal incident near the intersection since April 2008, when a medical school student was fatally struck while crossing South Frontage Road near York. A year later, a research scientist was fatally struck a few blocks away, on a South Frontage Road intersection at College Street.

Multiple pedestrian deaths in 2019 on New Haven's Foxon Boulevard

From an NHPD news release: Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident Investigation

New Haven | On Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 44 year old Helen Ramos was pronounced deceased at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Several days prior, on the evening of Friday, January 18, 2019, at 8:22 p.m., pedestrian Ramos had been struck by a motor vehicle as she attempted to cross Middletown Avenue near Foxon Boulevard (Route 80).

The motor vehicle operator, a 47 year old New Haven resident, remained at the accident scene and has cooperated with the investigation.

Previously of West Haven, Helen Ramos had recently relocated to New Haven.

There was a pedestrian death in the same area a few weeks ago.

Another pedestrian struck and killed on Foxon Boulevard

A 49-year-old man has died from injuries suffered when a driver hit him on Foxon Boulevard.

The man, Rafael Torres, was pronounced Tuesday Tuesday at Yale-New Haven Hospital, according to police spokesman Capt. Anthony Duff.

Torres, who had recently moved to New Haven from Bridgeport, was crossing Route 80 (Foxon Boulevard) to visit a friend at 7:19 p.m. when a 32-year-old woman driving by struck him. The driver remained on the scene and cooperated with cops, according to Duff.

Above report via https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/struck_pedestrian_died/

Pedestrian Dies In Hit-&-Run in New Haven

From the New Haven Independent, September 26, 2017

"A 38-year-old woman died as a result of injuries suffered when two different cars hit her on Ella T. Grasso Boulevard.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m. Saturday.

Here’s what happened ,according to police spokesman David Hartman:

The woman, Shaneka Woods, was in the road at the intersection of Boulevard and Orange Avenue when a driver hit her. The driver fled; police did not obtain a description of the car.

A second motorist struck Woods. That motorist stuck around to speak with police.

Woods, “gravely injured,” “was rushed to Yale New Haven Hospital, but despite all best efforts, was pronounced deceased shortly after arriving.”

The department’s crash team, which is investigating the incident, asked people with information to call detectives at (203) 946-6304. They may call anonymously if they choose.

That stretch of the Boulevard is dangerous for pedestrians. Click here for a previous story on the subject, including efforts by the city to make it safer.

Click here to read a story about the trouble Woods used to have trying to cross a different busy roadway, Blake Street, safely with her young son.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/woman_38_dies_in_hit--run/

Even more pedestrian deaths at York & Frontage Roads near Yale University

Reporting from the New Haven Independent, Jan 17, 2017:

"For the second time in nine years, a car crash has killed a pedestrian at the intersection of York Street and South Frontage Road.

The latest fatal crash took place around 3 p.m. Tuesday. Police said a driver struck a 42-year-old pedestrian, Melissa Tancredi of Waterbury, at the intersection, and she died.

Tancredi was on the sidewalk, not in the street, when the driver of the car hopped the curb and struck her, according to police. Passers-by, including medical staff from Yale-New Haven Hospital a half-block away, tried unsuccessfully to hep her at the scene and keep her alive.

The driver was a 29-year-old woman from Hamden.

“Tancredi was standing fully on the sidewalk (northeast corner) at South Frontage Road and York Street when she was struck. [The driver] was operating her car in the left-most lane of South Frontage Road. Her lane is a left-turn only lane that does not continue (ahead) beyond the intersection. Despite traveling in the left turn only lane, [the driver] continued straight. He car jumped the curbstone, continued a few feet, struck the pedestrian and then a lamp post and the corner of the Air Rights Garage,” police spokesman Officer David Hartman reported in a press release."

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/pedestrian_killed_/

Young software developer mowed down, all 4 limbs broken, at corner of Bradley & Orange in New Haven's East Rock section

A woman hit a pedestrian with her car Monday night at Orange and Bradley streets 7:21 p.m. Monday and then drove away—leaving him with four broken limbs.

 The woman drove away from the scene of the crash but called 911, telling the operator what she had done and where she was. She said she drank two “Natty Ice” malt beverages before she hit the pedestrian, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman. Investigators found an empty can of the beer on the floor of her car. She was arrested and charged with “DUI, reckless driving, evading responsibility and assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle,” according to Hartman. The woman’s blood alcohol content was measured at .1707, more than twice the legal limit.

 The victim, a 29-year-old software application developer, remains in critical condition. He suffered severe internal injuries and breaks to all four limbs.

Source: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/drunk_on_natty_ice_driver_hits_and_runs/
August 26, 2015

Video program focuses on New Haven Safe Streets Coalition

"Perils For Pedestrians 191: New England" includes an interview with Doug Hausladen, co-coordinator of the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition (and current Director of the City of New Haven's Transportation Department).

Watch the program here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpuNERhoYlo

More pedestrian carnage in New Haven

A round-up of recent reports on the continuing trend of pedestrians being hit and nearly killed, or killed, in New Haven. New Haven Safe Streets will follow up to see if the pedestrians involved have survived.

Pedestrian critical after being struck in New Haven 
March 27, 2014 (New Haven Register)
A male pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a car at North Frontage Road and College Street early Thursday morning. (This is the same intersection where a Yale-affiliated researcher was run over and killed while crossing this area of Route 34 in 2009 - see http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2009/05/biotechnologist-critical-after-crossing.html for coverage. The area is now under heavy construction as the future global headquarters of Alexion Pharmaceuticals).

Pedestrian Struck in New Haven 
May 1, 2014 (NBC)
A pedestrian suffered minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle in the 200 block of Main Street in New Haven this morning. 

Motorcyclist Strikes Elderly Pedestrian 
May 6, 2014 (New Haven Independent)
A 73-year-old man was apparently crossing against a Don’t Walk signal at Whalley and Orchard around 8:20 p.m. Monday when a motorcyclist hit him—and may end up having killed him. The pedestrian, Willie Gay, was pushing a shopping cart across the roadway when the motorcyclist—a Waterbury man with a female passenger—struck him, according to Hartman. Gay was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where his condition is considered critical and his injuries life-threatening. The motorcyclist and passenger were treated at the scene for minor injuries. The police did not charge the motorcyclist with an offense. (See http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/17/a-failure-of-design-in-downtown-new-haven/ for an article about pedestrian safety in this area)

Pedestrian struck by car in New Haven 
May 22, 2014 (WTNH)
A pedestrian crossing a busy New Haven intersection was struck by a car Thursday morning. The pedestrian was hit in a crosswalk at the intersection of Church and Elm streets, just before 10 a.m. Witnesses tell News 8 this was almost a hit and run. They say people who saw the car hit the pedestrian also stopped the car from getting away. "He came and last second he tried to tap the breaks," said Art Voivin of Watertown. "But there was a gentleman there, one guy jumped out of the way. That guy got hit, did a cartwheel on his head. Then the car seemed to try to take off." Witnesses pointed to a dark blue Honda parked about halfway down the next block as the car involved in the incident. Elm and Church streets were shut down for about an hour. Police would not say if the driver was arrested and have yet to release a cause. Emergency officials arrived on scene to find the man lying face down in front of the courthouse. He was transported to a hospital where police said he is excepted to recover. Witnesses say the traffic light was still red when the victim was crossing the street.

8-year-old girl hospitalized after hit and run crash at same intersection where 64-year-old man was killed a few months ago

Excerpt from the New Haven Register, 3/18/14:

"Police are searching for a white van that hit an 8-year-old city girl at Ferry and Pine streets Tuesday morning, police spokesman Officer David Hartman said."

"The girl is in stable condition at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she was taken following the hit-and-run, Hartman said in a press release."

"The van, which has double rear doors with windows, is believed to have damage to the front passenger side near or involving the headlight, the release said.  Hartman said officers were called to the scene at about 7:30 a.m. The girl was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the hospital."

As we previously reported, a 64-year-old man, John Mucha, was killed in the same place a few months ago.

Pedestrian Killed in Fair Haven

Excerpt from the New Haven Independent:

"a collision left a 64-year-old man dead in Fair Haven. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of Ferry and Pine streets. Here’s what happened, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman:

“Two employees of a local tire business were returning from a service call. They were driving in their company pick-up truck, heading south on Ferry Street, when the pedestrian, 64-year-old John Mucha, of New Haven, entered the roadway. The truck struck Mucha as he crossed the street. Mr. Mucha was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased

“The NHPD Crash Investigation Unit responded and commenced with their investigation. The driver and passenger of the truck remained at the scene and cooperated fully with investigators. The driver has not been charged in the accident. The investigation is expected to take some time and a final report and conclusion isn’t expected for several months.”

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/pedestrian_killed1/

New study on "Distracted Walking" overreaches in its conclusions

An interesting and important new study from Ohio State demonstrates the risk of cell phone use of walking. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/distractwalk.htm.

The study finds that over 1,500 pedestrians were treated in emergency rooms in 2010 due to injuries related to use of a cell phone while walking.  Of particular interest is the concentration of "distracted walking" injuries among the population age 16 to 25.

Unfortunately, the author's conclusion that "the best way to reverse these numbers is to start changing norms for cell phone use in our society" is an overreach, and is not backed up by facts.

Evidence shows that changing driver behavior and road speed, and increasing pedestrian/cycle use, is the only way to create significant reductions in motor vehicle injury.  "Vulnerable user" laws that penalize drivers for careless driving (e.g., running over 14-year old pedestrians even if they are using a cell phone, or chasing a ball) may also help reset behaviors and improve safety, as shown by examples from Western Europe.

Furthermore, we should consider that we have an elderly population that will double over the next 15 years. This population is where injuries are most concentrated. The population over 65 comprises 12% of the population, 22% of the pedestrian fatalities.  We can't "reverse those numbers" by reversing the aging process.

The rate of injury -- and the sense of safety and comfort that directly relates to the economic vibrancy of our cities and towns -- won't improve until risk is physically designed out of the system.  This is the approach that most cities  around the world are taking, recognizing that demographics, behavior, and technology changes with each generation.

Another Child Hit by Driver at Newhallville Street Intersection

Reporting today from the New Haven Independent:

A car struck a bicycle at the corner of Winchester Avenue and Highland Street Thursday afternoon and injured a young cyclist, the second such accident in a year.

Another driver hit a child riding on a bike at the same intersection last year, according to Tammy Chapman, a neighborhood organizer who lives two doors away from that intersection.

311 Request: Need crosswalk for children crossing from family housing to the grocery store. New Haven DOT response: We don't care.

This issue was open for a year, with six citizen votes to fix, then was suddenly closed and archived by the City because there is a crosswalk already in place at the next street intersection.  

In its response here, the City is essentially asking that the hundreds of residents living across the street from the market (who consider Franklin & Grand, or the market entrance drive & Grand, as their "intersection") shouldn't cross at their own nearby intersection to get there.  

The City is saying that, within a very high crime area, these persons should have to walk all the way down to the next street intersection, cross there, and then walk back along the blank facade of the market.  

This response is not acceptable - when every person is crossing at a location, then the appropriate infrastructure must be provided to make it safer for all road users.

For discussion of a similar issue at another nearby supermarket, click here: 

Pedestrian Critical in Hit and Run Crash on Whalley Avenue Near Downtown New Haven

10 November, 2012, New Haven:  At 3:05 AM, Officers responded to the area in front of 308 Whalley Avenue. Callers to 911 reported a pedestrian had been struck by a motorist who then fled the scene.

There, they located the victim, 17 year old male. EMS personnel arrived and began their treatment of the young man, who'd suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was rushed to the St. Raphael's campus of Yale - New Haven hospital.

A witness told investigators he'd heard the accident. As he was getting into his car, he heard a thump. He looked in the direction of the sound and spotted a grey four door Nissan Altima (or similar mid-sized car) speeding from the scene. The suspect car may also have heavily tinted windows and significant impact damage to its front end, hood and/ or roof. There may be a '3' and/ or '1' or '31' in the characters of the license plate.

Any witnesses or people with information they could share with investigators are urged to call the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304 or 203-946-6316 and ask for a Detective or member of the Crash Investigation Unit.

50-year old man in crosswalk sent to hospital after vehicle runs red light in East Rock / Cedar Hill

An excerpt from coverage on Friday's crash, at WTNH:

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in New Haven. The pedestrian, who is described as a 50-year-old Hispanic male, was crossing the street at Ferry and State.

Police said the man was in the crosswalk when a vehicle ran a red light and made an illegal left turn. The vehicle struck the man and fled the scene.

He was take to Yale-New Haven Hospital. No additional details are available at this time.

State Rep: Team up red-light cameras with 'traffic calming'

An op-ed from State Representative Peter Villano, a supporter of safer streets, appeared in yesterday's New Haven Register:

Here is an excerpt:

I agree fully with the Register’s editorial recommendation that the next legislature should rework and approve the stalled red-light camera bill to help “spare people from injury and death.” In its current form, however, the bill lacks sufficient support from Democrats, the majority party in the legislature, to justify placing it on the calendar for the necessary three days’ notification, let alone calling for a floor vote by the full chamber.


Legislative opponents, among others, insist the bill is less about safety than about money — the revenue stream the red light-running fines of $50 per offense would produce for the municipality and the manufacturer of the device.


Whatever the validity of that claim, data demonstrate that the serious problem of red-light running must be addressed. The Federal Highway Administration reports that from 2000 to 2007, the average annual fatalities resulting from red-light running was 916 in the U.S. In 2007, there were 883 red-light running fatalities, and the numbers for recent years are still tragically high.


The inherent flaw in depending solely on cameras to promote public safety is that they do nothing to alter a driver’s behavior. They simply finger the guilty party after the offense has been recorded, an example of justified punishment but not prevention. A companion program is needed that alerts the heavy-footed motorist to changing road conditions ahead, to lane alignments, to structured changes, to slow down for pedestrians and crossing traffic at the busy intersection ahead.


A “traffic calming” program is developed to do that. Not a one-size-fits-all program, it is engineered to the specific demands of each traffic artery in harmony with in-street and neighboring environments. The toolbox bulges with options to control local or through traffic and is readily adaptable to local needs. Examples are speed humps, bump-outs (slight extensions of sidewalk), lane alignment change and shared lane markings. 


To gain support of skeptical legislators and citizens, the red-light camera bill — this year’s HB 5458, or a revised version — must require those devices to be used only in tandem with a local traffic calming program. With these added features in place, emphasis changes from solely penalty payment to public protection. During the legislative session, I had such an amendment prepared for HB 5458, but it was never called. However, it simply states that any municipality authorized to use “automated traffic enforcement devices” must by ordinance provide “for the use of such traffic enforcement safety devices as part of an overall traffic calming plan.”


That or similar language must be part of any future red-light camera legislation. We’re not entering new territory. These programs abound in this state: in New Haven, Hartford, Stamford, Norwalk, West Hartford and many other communities. My own community, Hamden, has four neighborhood-developed traffic calming programs in various stages of implementation. Red-light cameras and traffic calming programs complement each other. Linked legislatively, they will help create downtown and neighborhood environments that adequately and safely accommodate all users at all times.

Op-Ed: Federal transit grants are key to New Haven jobs access

Expanded transportation options, particularly within our city's core, are critical to creating a more equitable and integrated city. A streetcar is one way to improve the performance of the local bus system and expand access for residents. The Transport Politic published this graphic of a possible New Haven Streetcar line several years ago, showing a route that connects employment centers and neighborhoods right near Downtown (e.g., the Hill), plus lines expanding into surrounding neighborhoods such as Fair Haven and Dixwell.

Below is a slightly edited version of a Safe Streets Coalition op-ed piece that appeared in the New Haven Register this week. Please call your Alderperson and ask them to support the grant.

For additional background on the project itself, please see this link on the Streetcar Plan.

FORUM: Federal transit grants key to New Haven jobs access


Wednesday, March 28, 2012 By Mark Abraham

The new members of the New Haven Board of Aldermen are aware that creating equal access to economic opportunity has never been more important. Recently, they voted to adopt a three-part policy platform calling for New Haven to ensure jobs, youth opportunities and public safety for all residents.

According to Angela Glover Blackwell of PolicyLink, a national research institute, such a focus on expanding opportunity for all is the superior economic growth model — for our city and for the nation as a whole. Research suggests that building an inclusive prosperity advances the well-being of all citizens over time, whereas erecting barriers to opportunity causes a place to wither on the vine.

The aldermen understand that transportation is one of the foremost barriers for our residents. This is especially true in an urban area like Greater New Haven where only 27 percent of jobs are reachable with a 90-minute public transit commute. This represents a lower than average degree of access when compared to the 99 other cities included in the Brookings Institution’s 2011 Missed Opportunity: Transit and Jobs in Metropolitan America report.

Among certain populations, the inequities are even more striking. For example, in the New Haven metropolitan area, 13 percent of black workers rely on public transit to get to work, including 22 percent within New Haven, versus just 2 percent of white non-Hispanic workers.

Over the coming weeks, the Board of Aldermen must consider whether it should accept nearly $1 million in Federal Transit Authority grants to study improved transportation within the central area of New Haven. The grant will be used to conduct an in-depth design analysis of the feasibility of a streetcar system, including alternatives such as improved bus service.

Unfortunately, some have questioned the acceptance of this grant on the grounds that it will not benefit residents.

Even though transportation improvements might initially take place downtown, residents throughout New Haven will benefit from properly planned transit systems that integrate buses and trains with streetcars, even well before they can be expanded into each neighborhood.

This is especially true for residents like myself who make transfers across existing bus lines, which this FTA grant can make more efficient, as well as for those who walk to the city center from adjacent neighborhoods.

Our aldermen do not need local experts to tell them that this grant is important. They should look to the leadership of President Barack Obama. Under Obama’s new initiatives, the administration has made this funding available because it knows that equitable city planning is the only way to sustain our nation’s human development, public health, and national security goals as gasoline prices rise.

Related to this grant, New Haven also recently received Federal Sustainable Communities Initiative funding to allow the local community to prioritize its vision for interconnected mixed-income housing, job centers, and transit improvements.

Streetcars are a tried-and-true way to make existing regional bus systems more efficient and accessible, a step which can improve employment and affordable housing opportunities for lower-income and disabled residents. Over the past year, the aldermen and citizens have raised many excellent questions about our transportation system.

The board should ensure that citizens can provide additional input into the planning process, including on land use decisions and health effects.

New Haven should not become one of the few cities to turn down this grant, and in doing so, close the door on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote a more equitable and inclusive city.

Mark Abraham received the Environmental Justice Network’s 2008 award for coordinating the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition. Readers may write him at 129 Church St., Suite 605, New Haven 06510. His email address is newhavensafestreets at / gmail.com.


URL: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/03/28/opinion/doc4f739f5ed437d668093741.prt

Pedestrian Critically Injured by Drunk Driver in Dixwell, Suffers Lacerated Liver and Two Broken Legs

Report from the New Haven Police Department, February 10th 2012:

At two minutes past midnight, Officer's Juan Monzon & Nikki Curry were walking the beat on Dixwell Avenue near Foote Street, when they were dispatched to Goffe & Sperry Streets, where it was reported a pedestrian had been struck by a car. They quickly made the three block trip. The pedestrian was being attended to by Emergency Medical Personnel from American Medical Response & The New Haven Fire Department. The pedestrian had no identification on him.

The operator of the 1997 Nissan Maxima which struck the pedestrian is Ian Phiri, a 23 year old man from Hamden, CT. He told Officer Curry he'd been driving on Goffe Street, when at Sperry Street, a man walked into the street and into his path. He said he struck the man and then drove to Whalley Avenue, where he pulled over and telephoned Police. Mr. Phiri returned to Sperry Street, where he spoke with Officer Curry.

Other Officers were dispatched to the area for the purpose of rerouting traffic. The NHPD Crash Team and DUI specialist, Officer Dennis Mastriano were dispatched to the scene. Officer Mastriano spoke with Mr. Phiri. He said Phiri had the strong oder of an alcohol beverage on his breath. Mastriano administered standard field sobriety tests,each of which were failed by Mr. Phiri. Officer Mastriano arrested Ian Phiri for Driving Under the Influence, and transported him to Police Headquarters where he administered a breath test. The test was administered at 2:07 AM (over 2 hours after the accident) and resulted in a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .123 (.08 is the legal limit).

The victim who's identity remains unknown, is still hospitalized in critical condition, suffering from internal injuries including a lacerated liver & bladder, as well as two broken legs.

Phiri was charged with Assault in the second degree with a Motor Vehicle and DUI.

An image of the wide, dangerous intersection is shown above courtesy Google.

SUVs Crash Into Two Downtown Markets; Multiple Victims Hospitalized

Two crashes by out of control, red light running and speeding SUVs have recently plagued food stores in Downtown New Haven, near Yale University.


Image from the January 12th crash and reporting below from NHRegister. Updates will be posted here.

NEW HAVEN, 1/12/12 - One person was hospitalized after a two vehicle crash sent a Jeep into the front of a convenience store. The accident happened just before noon at the corner of George and Day streets. The impact sent soda and toilet paper flying from shelves inside Cecilia's Market at 539 George Street.

An earlier report from the New Haven Independent:

New Haven, 12/7/2011:

Police have concluded that the driver of a pick-up was responsible for an early Wednesday morning crash that led firefighters to rescue a woman trapped inside a Jeep that smashed into the new Elm City Market co-op on Chapel Street.

The crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. The driver of a Dodge Ram was traveling south on State Street when he ran a red light, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman. He hit a Jeep whose driver had been traveling west on Chapel Street.

The crash sent the Jeep “crashing and spinning” over the sidewalk on Chapel into a bus shelter, Hartman said. Then it crashed into a door and window at the Elm City Market. The woman was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital, as were the two drivers, according to Gambardella.

New Urban Network: Aldermen Seek Changes to Route 34

Please see today's reporting by Phil Langdon on the New Urban Network for an update on the Route 34 Resolution, which passed a Committee of the Board of Aldermen last month. An excerpt from Phil's report:

Among the changes sought by the aldermen are:
• Equal planning priority for pedestrian, bicycle, mass transit, and automobile traffic in the design;
• A pair of two-lane streets instead of two planned four-lane roads to carry much of the traffic that now uses the expressway;
• A maximum of three lanes where necessary (including turn lanes);
• Travel lanes only 10 feet, along with relatively tight corners, to calm traffic and minimize crossing distances for pedestrians;
• Separated bicycle facilities (cycletracks) adjacent to the two principal streets;
• Road design standards based on a target speed of no more than 25 mph;

Advocates for pedestrians, cyclists, and a less automobile-oriented design have been frustrated by the lack of cooperation from the mayor. The New Haven Safe Streets Coalition, which mobilized city residents to ask their representatives for a more pedestrian-oriented design, sent out a mass e-mail accusing the City of "trying to divide the community by spreading inaccurate information."

The Coalition said one letter from the City "claimed that widening highways like Route 34 can help reduce traffic within cities," when in fact the reverse is true. Another statement from the city claimed that intersections in the redesigned streets will be very similar to most intersections currently found in downtown New Haven, but cites what the Coalition says are "places that we know have been the scene of multiple fatalities and injuries in recent years, and that are not pleasant for young persons or the elderly to cross each day."

Driver Traveling at 60 MPH Hits Yale Residential College, Student Avoids Being Hit by 3 Inches

From the Yale Daily News:

A man driving a Volvo S80 crashed into a pole on Park Street outside Pierson College at around 11:10 p.m. Tuesday. The man was driving at over 60 miles an hour along Edgewood Avenue when the car swerved and came within three inches of hitting Chris Dennen '12 before smashing into the pole, according to three students who said they had heard an account from Dennen . Jeff Fell '12 and Sam Teicher '12, who both live on Edgewood Avenue, said Dennen was "shaken up" but unscathed. Dennen left the scene after the incident, they said. The vehicle's driver was not intoxicated at the time of the accident, police said. A graduate student, who lives on the corner of Park Street and Edgewood Avenue, corroborated the account, adding that the vehicle first hit the curb and lost a tire. The graduate student said two Yale Police Department officers who witnessed the incident both admitted they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

The incident took place just a block from where a speeding SUV careened off the road and into a house full of Yale affiliates in September.

Route 34: Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past (Testimony)

Public testimony from David Streever at the recent Board of Aldermen hearing on Route 34 public safety. The resolution in question passed the committee by a vote of 4-3, and now heads to the full Board of Aldermen for a vote. Please contact your Aldermen and encourage them to vote for a safer street.

The image shown here is an existing view of College & North Frontage: One of the intersections that the city proposes to significantly widen, even though local residents already consider it to be exceptionally dangerous.

---

Earlier this year, I read a quote in the Independent saying the Route 34 project began almost a decade ago. In reality, the proposal you see celebrated its birthday over one hundred years ago. The city is unaware of the long history of this project, and unaware that they are repeating mistakes first made almost a century ago.

In 1905, George Santayana wrote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. A few short years later, Frederick Law Olmsted and Cass Gilbert released a report on how New Haven should address a growing population and improve the cities basic infrastructure and quality of life.

The recommendations included expanded rail coverage, trolley service, and the purchase and demolition of hundreds of properties along Oak Street to place a city boulevard which would be lined with high-value property.

Over forty years later New Haven built Route 34, demolishing hundreds of homes and displacing almost a thousand families, and leaving out the expanded rail service, trolley service, and other mass transit and walkable elements. The original Route 34 was built entirely with cars in mind, and became purely a means of driving in and out of New Haven.

The project was marred by setbacks and delays, and never reached the final phases. The city was left with a lethal expressway which devalued property and could not be expanded upon, while literally driving residents out of the city. The loss of our tax base coincided with the loss of Federally funded road projects, and we were unable to complete the project.

Our experts in City Hall have forgotten this history. The history touted by the City says that Route 34 began in the 40s. Their omission of the good work of Olmstead and Gilbert is notable--it shows that they do not realize that 30 years of good intentions went into the original Route 34 plan.

The city seems flabbergasted by the wide-spread disagreement with their current plan, citing their good intentions and the economic development aspects of the plan. They claim that this is a phase one plan--and that while it is far from ideal, the issues we’ve identified as being dangerous and out of scope with the proposal will be addressed in later phases. What they do not realize is that this is what happened to Olmstead, Gilbert, and the aldermen--amongst them my neighbor Henry Harrison--when the time came to built the original Route 34.

New Haven is not learning from history. Olmstead, Gilbert, and Harrison had wonderful intentions--every bit as good as our current experts--and the individuals responsible for building Route 34 shared them. Much like our city staff, they naively believed that a Phase II was guaranteed. A mistake which even now, over 70 years later, dogs our city. We pay for this mistake with a high rate of accidents and deaths, pollution, crashed property values, and rising asthma rates. This stretch of road creates a very real barrier between the Hospital, the Hill, and Downtown, encouraging residents to drive when they could walk, and keeping neighborhoods segregated.

The current plan only increases this problem, by widening the road, and widening curb radii--the turning radius of the streets. These changes have been proven to increase speeds in study after study, which will make the street less safe to use. The addition of no less than 3 separate types of bike infrastructure--all within a few blocks of each other--will only cause confusion and frustration. How can a cyclist who is being diverted to a different type of infrastructure every other block behave in a safe, predictable manner?

The city should have followed their own grant proposal and built a street around living, walking, biking, and using mass transit. Despite showing us dozens of photos of other progressive cities where highways have been replaced with parks and light rail, they have proposed a plan that increases the overall speeds, danger, and widths of the roads.

One has to wonder why the final plan is so different from the original proposal the city submitted, and why, despite hundreds of residents attending dozens of public meetings, the plan has remained virtually unchanged since 2008.

The basis of the plan--a car-centric and widened expressway--has remained the same for 3 years. The number one feedback at every single meeting I’ve attended is:

"Build a smaller road--an actual boulevard--consistent with your proposal. Build a road which is safe to walk, bike, and live on. Build a road with civic improvements, not office complexes that will be mostly staffed by Guilford residents who can drive directly to their office on the new expressway you are proposing."

The resolution as submitted echoes the spoken and written words of literally hundreds of our neighbors. I have not attended a single public meeting where a city resident said that they’d like to see the current plan built without changes. The alternate vision for Route 34, as articulated by a broad group of architects, urban planners, and neighbors is a safe, economically strong road which will improve our city and strengthen our communities. The city's current proposal will do neither of these things. It will deliver a large lot to a private developer and cause further danger to pedestrians and residents.

How long will it take to undo the damage that the cities current plan could wreck? It has taken us 60 years to begin talking about how to undo the damage caused by the original plan. I sincerely hope that we don’t have to wait another 60 to have a safe and livable Route 34.

David Streever
Ward 10 Chairman
Board of Directors Elm City Cycling

Stand in Support of Safe Streets: Thursday, 10/13

Please take action today and tomorrow to make Route 34 a better project for all city residents. See http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2011/10/stand-in-support-of-safe-streets-action.html for details.

Coalition Receives Response from Mayor DeStefano on "Progress Report" Letter

Dear New Haven Safe Streets Petition Supporters:

Yesterday, Mayor John DeStefano mailed a written response to a group of elected officials and civic leaders who represent New Haven's 12 Community Management Teams and other associations within the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition.

Following up to our larger-scale Petition drive in 2008, this core group of neighborhood leaders had recently authored a detailed "progress report" on the city's Safe Streets programs, law enforcement activities, and Route 34 designs. Please click here to read the original "progress report" letter, and list of authors: Letter to Mayor DeStefano - August 24 2011

Please click here to read the Mayor's response: Response from Mayor DeStefano - September 22 2011

Regarding these requests, the City has proposed three follow up actions:

1) The Coalition will schedule a meeting with the City's Transportation Director, Jim Travers, in order to review each of requests in our letter. Please contact newhavensafestreets at gmail.com, or call (203) 500-7059, if you would like to attend this meeting. We will share the results of this meeting with this group and on the New Haven Safe Streets website.

2) The City has invited all of us to attend and participate in upcoming public workshops and hearings on major city development projects. In particular, several meetings and public hearings will be held regarding the Route 34 reconstruction project in the fall of this year. We strongly encourage you to attend these hearings, and demand street designs that comply with city regulations by prioritizing the accessibility of walkers, cyclists and public transit users of all ages and abilities.

3) In early 2012, City Hall will make a full report to the Board of Aldermen regarding the Complete Streets program (which has been recognized as one of the nation's best, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition), including a review of all requests submitted to date using the "request form" system. Please contact us if you have any questions about how this works, or if you would like help filling out "request forms" in your neighborhood. The forms are available at http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Engineering/completestreets.asp. Although we will demand that all streets be considered for improvements (and have requested next year's project schedules to help ensure this), we encourage every neighborhood and elected official to complete the official "request form," because this will help provide a greater degree of transparency.

To view a Sunday, August 28th feature story in the New Haven Register about our original letter, please visit the following article: New Haven Register: Advocates pleased with New Haven safe streets efforts, but say much work remains

Thank you again for your assistance as an author of this letter, and/or as a general supporter of the Safe Streets Coalition. We will continue to monitor New Haven's progress on the Safe Streets Petition, and look forward to additional successes in the coming years. Please feel free to forward this email to your neighbors and friends, or unsubscribe if you no longer wish to hear from us.

Best regards, New Haven Safe Streets Coalition Coordinators & CT Livable Streets Campaign Steering Committee

Stop Pedaling, Start Building Massive Debt: GM College Debt Plan

The source of this parody GM advertisement is unknown (please post here if you have it). See this post at Bike Delaware for background.

"Self Enforcement" Street Improvements Planned for Clinton Avenue in Fair Haven

Among New Haven neighborhoods, Fair Haven has long been an epicenter of grassroots citizen demand for slower, more livable streets and traffic calming (self-enforcing) street designs. Fair Haven is one of the oldest sections of New Haven, having been developed as a separate fishing village in the 1600s, and therefore was build around walking. Until very recently, slower neighborhood streets existed throughout the neighborhood and helped foster a very strong sense of community there. You can view the history of these efforts by clicking here and scrolling down.

Today comes news that the neighborhood will be seeing some additional improvements. According to Alderwoman Stephanie Bauer's post on the the Chatham Square Neighborhood website:

Jim Travers was able to get Richard Miller out to Clinton Avenue to discuss traffic calming measures. Street humps on Clinton between Pine Street and Grand Avenue will be placed, however an exact date has not been set as of yet. As soon as one has been set I will post that information. As a long term project, Jim is looking into aquiring the funds necessary to place a center pedestrian island on the wider part of Clinton Avenue, other options are currently being discussed to follow the current traffic calming manual.

Local resident, Lee Cruz, replies (excerpt below):

Great move toward more complete streets in Fair Haven, thank you to all who made it possible. To help calm traffic we should consider participating in the Urban Resources Initiative Greenspace program. Dan Burden, the traffic planning expert who we hired with our own money and with help from The Community Foundation and City says trees help slow down traffic, link here. Trees also have other benefits. Our neighborhood traffic report is to big to post here but if anyone is interested in seeing it I will look for a way to get it up online and post a link here on this site.