Police Commission Discusses Traffic Woes at Gerdes, Conrad

The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates.

Traffic engineers say the motor vehicle backup and speeding problems that New Canaanites are seeing in the “South of the Y” neighborhood during commuter hours are due to two main issues.

The town has been grappling with backed-up vehicles on Gerdes Road, and a related problem of speeding on Conrad Road, for more than one year. In the morning, especially, southbound Merritt Parkway commuters are skirting traffic between exits 38 and 37 as directed by navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps. Drivers either queue up for the Gerdes Road/South Avenue light to re-enter the Merritt at exit 37, or else swing out wider to Conrad and Whiffle Tree Roads, officials have said.

According to Greg Del Rio, director of traffic engineering for New Haven-based Hardesty & Hanover, the town’s efforts have been hampered in two ways—with respect to the timing of the signal at Gerdes and South, and malfunctioning sensors that could help alleviate traffic congestion if working properly.

Specifically, Del Rio told members of the Police Commission at their June 20 meeting, when the firm studied the problem of signal timing at Gerdes and South, it found that it was “favoring South Avenue more than it had to” and that “time that could be given back to Gerdes,” Del Rio said.

To address the problem, eight seconds were taken from South and given to Gerdes during the morning which helped to alleviate some traffic, he said. 

“All the other times of the day, this issue is not a problem, so, the timings can stay the way they are but we are recommending that eight-second shift,” Del Rio said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “What that will do is bring that queue way down so that it doesn’t reach back to Conrad.”

In addition, Del Rio said, the firm identified that the “loop detectors” (machines that detect the presence of vehicles at stoplights) had been disconnected. 

“They were broken, so it was working on a pre-time basis and that also is inefficient and not lending time back to Gerdes,” Del Rio said.

To fix this, the loop detectors, now deemed obsolete, have been replaced by a new technology, he said.

“Now we’re using video cameras. If you look on the northwest corner, you’ll now see the little, bell-looking thing on the top – that’s a ‘360 camera’ that senses the same areas that the loop was, but virtually,” he said. “It tends to give it back to where the cars are waiting or hold it while cars are still coming.”

The town has had several stops and starts since it began focusing heavily on relieving the high-volume traffic for the neighborhood, including a proposal to install a “mini-roundabout” and a short-lived experiment involving a barricade that drew criticism from many residents.

Here’s how Del Rio broke down existing conditions in the area:

• Gerdes Road is used as an alternative route during AM and PM rush hours due to congestion on adjacent Merritt Parkway (state Route 15)
• Congestion on Gerdes Road westbound during the weekday morning peak house to to traffic signal at South Avenue (state route 124)
• Contributing factors to traffic coming off White Oak Shade – regular commuter traffic from the neighborhood including Norwalk coming up and New Canaan coming down but frequently, when there is a backup on the Merrit, Waze, and Google Maps guide cars through local streets, contributing to traffic.
• Often goes past Conrad Road, people take alternate routes and jump long queue that takes several cycles (when traffic lights switch from red to green and so forth)
• Due to congestion on Gerdes Road westbound during the weekday morning peak how Conrad Road to South Avenue southbound is used as an alternative route

Del Rio, neighbors and town Department of Public Works officials have said they’re concerned about Conrad being used as a shortcut, with an increase in traffic volume, acceleration, speeding and noise pollution on the residential street, as well as rushing drivers ignoring signs. During the meeting, officials discussed the difference between speed “humps” and “bumps” and discussed ways to calm traffic by making the roadway appear narrower while still allowing safe passage for larger vehicles. 

Here’s what some of them had to say at the meeting:

• Bart Codd, resident of Conrad Road: “Just looking at the concepts, …  all of them say may reduce diverted traffic. It’s kind of unknown if it would or wouldn’t. The one thing it does say – and I know that the chief [Police Chief John DiFederico] and Tiger are pretty adamantly against speed humps – is that it will reduce speeds. That’s proven. Studies will prove that. Speed humps will reduce the speed. Those proposed three speed humps will reduce the speed on those sections of the road… I’m glad that the town is looking at this, trying to do something. I know closing the street off was great, but that’s not reality. It would have been nice if there could have been something else that they looked at it. I think that they could probably get the same, uh, result with just a stop sign instead of the roundabout, but that’s for, the town officials to figure out.”
• Eric Thunem, resident of Gerdes Road: “I love the fact that we’re looking at this and we’re looking at multiple options … I think the speed, officer, with respect to the data you have collected, if the radar speed sign was right there before the intersection, you’re not catching any of the speeders from South Avenue to that point. I think where the sign is now, which is about halfway between South Avenue and Whiffletree Road, that would show better data,” Thunem said. (Mann said it would take ⅔ of the neighbors to approve the placement of the speed detector). 
• Janelle Sinacori, resident of Conrad Road: “For some of the speed reports, of course, if the monitor is near a stop sign, it’s going to show very low numbers. The most recent speed sentries were put up during Memorial Day weekend, so a holiday week, I think all about volume and speed was probably understated … As far as the yellow lines and the white lines, I saw in his report, he said they’re for under 6,000 vehicles – that’s not needed. So at this point, I don’t see why we need it … I think we can move forward with the other options and not have any lines with the mountable curb. I just wonder if there are any reports out there about teenagers kind of four-wheel driving over them and playing with them and not going around them as far as the roundabout goes … As far as the catch basin goes, there is a catch basin in the intersection in front of my lawn. That is actually at the highest point in the whole intersection. None of the water goes to that. All of the water goes down the hill by the electrical pole into my side yard … I’m looking forward to the humps, looking forward to the stop signs, and thank you for your patience with listening to us for the past year.”
• Mike Nurzia, resident of Conrad Road: “I agree with my neighbors, but the single most important point to me is safety, mainly for pedestrians, both myself and others going to and from South Avenue. I agree with the speed humps and other measures such as lines. I like the lines, but if my neighbors don’t, I can go without them.”