Description
Not sure why but in the past 2 months the rate and speed of traffic up Eld (from State to Orange) has increased markedly. There are no posted speed limits on Eld Street and the cars race up the street dangerously. A posted sign may cut down on some of this aggressive driving. Failing that, perhaps speed bumps are in order.
12 Comments
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
I agree that a speed limit sign should be posted. This street, as well as all other residential side streets throughout New Haven, should be posted at 15 or 20 miles per hour. Within residential sections of other Connecticut towns and cities, posted speeds of 15 or 20, and sometimes even 10, are common. Speeds of more than 15 or 20 are unacceptable in residential areas because they create noise and lead to numerous pedestrian injuries, and sometimes fatalities of young children. Are New Haven's children worth less than the children of other towns and cities in the state?
In the medium-term, narrowing the street down by deploying changes to the physical condition and/or the visual perception of it, would be far more effective at creating a more "livable" street than speed bumps or posted signage.
There are dozens of options for doing this, ranging from more costly to less costly:
-New curbs, bump outs, chicanes, physically narrow streets
-Raised crosswalks at intersections, like the one shown here
-Alternative Painting and striping techniques, additional speed limit indications
-Many types of so-called "temporary" (in reality, semi-permanent) traffic calming measures that the city has largely ignored up to this date, even though they cost almost nothing to install and are extremely effective.
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
J (Guest)
Mark,
I agree with your post; lots of different solutions the city could adopt (many of them cheap). Eld St is already so narrow that an accident is just waiting to happen, especially given how many children leave on the street. Let's hope Eld (and the rest of SOHU) get their speed limit signs, at least as a first step toward avoiding tragedy.
Eld resident (Guest)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
Thanks for posting these updates, Eld resident and J. I agree it's a great first step.
Have you considered working with your local Aldermen & neighbors to submit a "Complete Streets Request Form"? They are available at http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Engineering/completestreets.asp. New Haven's Complete Streets manual has been widely recognized as one of the best in the country, but requires ongoing public pressure -- I believe that getting these types of public requests on the official record, alongside similar requests from the many other neighborhoods within New Haven, will help provide an impetus for the city improve the safety of roadways over time. The requests will be documented in annual reports and implementation (or lack of) can be tracked each year.
If you need help completing the form itself you may want to contact your local alderperson, some of the folks at New Haven Safe Streets at newhavensafestreets at gmail.com or folks at Elm City Cycling, a bike/pedestrian advocacy group at elmcitycycling.org.
J (Guest)
Mark,
Thanks for the info. This is a great idea, and I'm willing to submit a project request form for Eld Street. As Eld Street resident noted below, the combination of local kids and the students at St. Stan's + speeding is a bad one so the sooner this gets looked at, the better.
Eld resident (Guest)
J (Guest)
Dear Eld Street Resident (and neighbor!),
I agree about the garbage truck; nearly sideswipped my car this morning. Have you tried complaining to John's Refuse directly? I feel like standing out in front of the truck when it races up the street and speaking to the driver, but that may not be the optimal strategy.
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
That would be amazing, J. Good luck with the application.
If you would like to join the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition (CT Livable Streets Campaign), a signup form / survey is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/streets2010.
Acknowledged Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking (Registered User)
J (Registered User)
Closed Manager of Operations, Process Improvement - Transportation, Traffic, & Parking (Verified Official)