By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — All kinds of data on Westport’s traffic safety problems, and possible ways to solve the chronic issues, were presented Thursday at the second public information meeting of the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” project.

Information presented was gathered by consultants from numerous sources, including 1,850 responses from a townwide survey of traffic issues, accident analysis and statistics on police stops and citations.

Some interesting results of the study presented at Town Hall by town officials and representatives from Tighe & Bond, the consulting firm hired by the town for the project, include:

• Westport police made 3,987 traffic stops last year, up 11 percent in just the past six months.
• The Post Road/Riverside Avenue and Post Road/Compo Road intersections were the top problem areas identified in the survey.
• 30 percent of the comments in the survey were about driver and car safety. Driver and car safety includes issues like speeding, failing to obey stop signs, using oncoming traffic lanes to pass vehicles on the left and other “dangerous driver behavior.”
• Traffic safety issues around schools comprise one of the top concerns of many residents.
• Residents say it is difficult to navigate the busiest intersections in Westport, especially for pedestrians.
• 77 percent of accidents in town occur at intersections.
• 25 perecnet of crashes in the analysis occurred on only 2.5 miles of all the roads in town.

Prioritizing projects that could help curb dangerous traffic situations is the next step in the process. Those selected will cover three categories: 

• “Green” projects, which can be done relatively quickly and are not costly such as improving sight lines at intersections by pruning greenery or adding additional stop signs or pedestrian crossing signs. 

• “Yellow,” or mid-range projects, which might include adding or improving sidewalks for pedestrian safety or adding signal lights.
• “Red” projects, the most expensive and complicated safety upgrades, could include obtaining a right-of-way on private property, or moving stone walls, culverts or bridges to improve alignment of intersections.

The main goal of Thursday’s meeting, however, was for the Safe Streets team to hear additional public opinion on the process and their concerns, Deputy Police Chief Ryan Paulsson said.

“We’re here to gather information,” he said. “We’re here for you.

About a dozen of those attending the forum spoke, including several Representative Town Meeting members.

They included Jennifer Johnson from RTM District 9, who got a round of applause from the audience when she said, “Issue more and more tickets.” She also called the center of Saugatuck “scary” after dark because of a lack of street lighting there.

Wendy Batteau, a District 8 RTM member, said the streets in her district also need more lighting because of the varied topography farther from the center of town.

Also getting applause for his comments was Richard Lowenstein, a District 5 RTM member, who said, “This is a quality of life issue … It’s like a drag strip. Slow the volume of traffic and slow the speed.”

Peter Gold, another District 5 RTM member, complained that service trucks for landscapers and other workers often block streets, especially when parked on both sides of a road. “They park on the roads when the houses they serve have perfectly beautiful driveways. They need to park in the driveways,” he said.

Greens Farms Road was cited as a dangerous road by several speakers at the meeting, including Art Schoeller, president of the Greens Farms Association. He said the winding road, sometimes jokingly called “I-95 North,” is unsafe for the many runners, bicyclists and pedestrians who use it, as well as for motorists.

A Greens Farms Road resident said the stretch of the road where she lives has been the scene of four car accidents in the past year. She tearfully asked for the traffic consultants to come view the problem area near her home. “I’ll make sure no cars are coming when you come so you don’t get killed,” she said.

Safe Streets and Roads for All is a $562,500 project funded by a $450,00 federal grant, with the remainder paid by the town. Full funding for the project was approved by the RTM in July 2023.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.