Church Street Residents Call for Removal of New Double-Yellow Line

Saying they feel blindsided by a change to their neighborhood that appears to be exacerbating safety problems by speeding up motorists, Church Street residents are calling for town officials to remove a new double-yellow centerline.

Painted on the newly re-paved road, the centerline doesn’t jibe with the charming look or feel of Church Street, and appeared one morning with no input from any of those who live in the 16 houses there, according to a formal petition lodged Tuesday with the town.

One of those who signed the letter, Carlene Towers, said there are no speed limit signs on Church Street and that the new centerline creates a raceway-like appearance that invites motorists to go even faster.

“Everyone was really upset about it and we have a major speeding problem on our street, because it is considered a cut-through,” Towers told NewCanaanite.com. 

As residents of Silvermine Road argued to traffic officials two years ago, Towers also voiced concern that a double-yellow line on Church Street will negatively affect property values. 

The problem of speeding cars is made significantly worse at certain times of day on Church Street because of a longtime problem of double-parking parents collecting kids from a dance school on the corner of Main Street, residents say.

Representatives from all but two homes on Church Street signed a petition sent to town officials including the first selectmen, head of public works and police, and that’s only because no one has been able to connect with them, Towers said.

According to the petition, which also is supported by Church Street residents Barbara Newman, the double-yellow line “harms the neighborhood and it is inconsistent with regulations and zoning objectives.”

“We therefore request immediate removal,” the petition said.

Since it appeared last week, residents have seen “a material increase in automobile speeds on Church Street,” it said.

The petition continued: “Cars now seem to treat it like a main thoroughfare, zooming down the street at 40-plus mph. We, like others on the street, have small children and this presents a major problem. We did not choose to live on Rt 123 or Rt 124, we chose to live on a quiet street because of this fundamental safety concern. Furthermore, Church Street is among the most coveted residential streets in town because the residents, by and large, have chosen to restore the original early 20th century houses, rather than tearing them down. Turning this street into a high-speed thoroughfare is inconsistent with New Canaan’s greater goal of maintaining and encouraging investment in its quaint small town assets.”

The petition calls for the town to find a way to push the traffic cutting through on Church Street to use Maple Street instead, as it no longer has any residences between South and Main.

“There is no logical reason why Church should be a cut-through, any more than Oak or Harrison others—none of which have double yellow lines,” the petition letter said. “In addition to removing the double yellow on Church, there are many strategies that the town can and should employ to move traffic from Church to Maple and 106. It is surprising that these measures are not already being employed.”