Government

New Crosswalk Behind Kiwanis Could Extend Walk-Able Access to Downtown New Canaan

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Seeking another way to help New Canaanites walk safely from residential neighborhoods to the downtown, officials are eyeing a plan to install a new crosswalk on Old Norwalk Road, up the hill and behind Kiwanis Park. The crosswalk, at Old Kings Highway, would connect on the west side of the road to a footpath that runs through the woods down to Kiwanis (see map below). And that park soon is expected to connect, by way of a new sidewalk running up to Main Street, to the downtown. Proposed by a town resident, the new crosswalk would, in theory, make it safe for people to walk across Old Norwalk Road from Old Kings Highway. Department of Public Works Assistant Director Tiger Mann said, pending his review, a recommendation to create that mid-block crosswalk would go to the Police Commission, which has final say.

Around Town

After Resident Petition, Town Eyes Traffic-Calming on Parade Hill Road

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Town officials are collecting data on cars’ speeds on Parade Hill Road and plan to enforce selectively the 25 mph limit there after residents said that pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers are at risk because trucks and other motorists travel and take blind turns too fast. Parade Hill is a popular cut-through between Routes 124 (Oenoke Ridge Road) and 123, including for commercial traffic on Interstate 95. Residents this spring petitioned the town to slow down the vehicles that use it. On Tuesday, members of the Traffic Calming Work Group agreed to put up speed sentries and, with hard data in hand, selectively enforce the 25 mph speed limit there. Parade Hill Road resident Mary Maechling said vehicular traffic seems to be getting increasingly fast, especially on weekdays, and that she sees many near-misses up near a blind curve toward the top of the road.