11 thoughts on “Selectman Williams Criticizes Decision To Pay $5,000 for Traffic Study of ‘Something That Is Not Going To Take Place’

    • They probably used data on motor vehicle volumes and speeds that had been captured by police on speed sentries in the past, and then did the work of analyzing it between Friday and Monday.

    • If a traffic study was done over a weekend, police station aside, hopefully it shows that the traffic signal at Farm Rd/South Ave intersection is in dire need of recalibration. When its on it’s own settings, and not controlled by the crossing guard, you are lucky if even the first two cars make it through (from Farm Rd) before it goes red again. How can we get this fixed????

  1. A study is not a waste of money. We should understand the traffic patterns on South Avenue insofar as they affect school start times and pedestrian safety in front of the YMCA. Do we want busses to exit the Waveny woods directly opposite the Saxe entrance if it decreases morning and afternoon congestion? Maybe. I do not favor building a building in the Waveny woods. But, I would like to know if a single-lane exit results in a significant benefit such as 8:10 start times.

    • John, I always appreciate your logical and open perspective toward the issues that affect our Town. I agree with you completely on the potential benefits of the study. On school start times alone we are planning on spending approximately $1MM a year and have likely spent over $100K on start time studies and surveys alone, not to mention the referendum. A more equitable result for all children was not considered based in large part to the potential for increased “traffic”. The fact that this was never examined and no attempt was made to even measure its affect for as little as $5k seems like analysis half done.

      • Well, except that the BOE DID commission TWO traffic studies while studying how best to optimize the traffic situation around Farm/South. In fact, one of the studies led to building an alternate exit route from the high school through Waveny to alleviate traffic at that intersection. Gosh, there goes our BOE and Dr. Luizzi crushing the due diligence thing …….

        • Are these traffic studies on the Start Times Website? Can these be shared with the public? Would be great to see them. If these specific traffic studies have been widely available to everybody than why doesn’t the town leverage them and save us $5K. I am sure they could use the info. And if you are referring to the BOE TAS studies, there is no traffic analysis included in there presentation packages. So would appreciate it if you could directed us to Start Time related traffic studies.
          That being said, why have the RESULTS of the study never been presented as a reason to pursue the current Start Time plan and discount all other solutions. Sorry, but when it comes to the health of our youngest a simple generic reply of “It’s Traffic” should not do. How much more traffic, 10%?, 20%? more? Were any alternatives to alleviate the traffic explored? Will the current proposed scenario increase traffic, if so how much? What would the difference be? Not saying that traffic should be a reason to potentially harm elementary school children, but at least quantify and present what the true cost of options are, if the studies have already been done.

  2. As I said with the Library project and other large issues the town would be very well served with a series of educational forums for the public laying out the options, cost and macro environment (i.e. value for repurposing the existing police station – for example how this impacts affordable and senior housing issues) so people can be better and more holistically informed on the subject. We should also break out must and need to have for the new police station and if any value in a joint police / fire / Ems solution or if they should stand alone.

  3. The woods between the High School and Saxe is very much part of Waveny Park. The plan to build a school administration building in the woods by former First Selectman Dick Bond went to a referendum and was soundly defeated by a 2-1 referendum in which more than 4000 people voted.
    As a former member of the Hands off Waveny group that organized the referendum, and the leader of Keep Waveny a Park, the group that stopped Waveny Care from building a retirement village in the park, I can assure you that a decision to build a new police station in the woods will be opposed by a referendum. Skip Hobbs

  4. What is driving the First Selectman’s relentless campaign to tear up a park or playing fields? Why is sale of the existing police building to a developer always offered as a justification? Have there been discussions about such a project with developers? If so, who?

  5. I thought Kevin supported the preservation of Waveny Park – I guess I misunderstood his position on that. Once you destroy that buffer you destroy an important part of the entrance to our town and community running trails. Whether it’s a bus route or a police station, these were not contemplated under the uses of that property. If the police need a new station, why not tear down the old one and build a new one in the same space rather than destroying parks or playing fields and giving developers another opportunity to build an oversized project in that neighborhood.

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