The state wants New Canaan’s support in removing the flashing yellow light at South Avenue and Gower Road, though local officials say they’re reluctant to give it, particularly if the town is expected to pay to install some other traffic-calming measure as a replacement.
The flashing light on South Avenue/Route 124 and Gower Road in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
Officials in the Connecticut Department of Transportation do not want to maintain the light on state Route 124—a responsibility made more onerous as DOT crewmen have had to respond to work orders placed by a local resident who doesn’t like the light and regularly contacts a state maintenance garage about it.
Specifically, DOT officials want to know whether New Canaan would consider installing pedestrian-activated flashing beacons, such as those planned for God’s Acre, at the Gower intersection, a popular place for people to cross as they travel to and from South School.
“I was hopeful from [the DOT’s] request that the state would pay for it and install it for us, but I was wrong,” Police Capt. John DiFederico said during the most recent meeting of the Traffic Calming Work Group.
The project would cost about $17,000, according to Tiger Mann, assistant director of the Department of Public Works and a member of the group.
New Canaan has long resisted the state’s urging to remove the flashing light, since most locals have said they want it to remain, according to Mann.
“They just want to get that thing out,” Mann said at the meeting, held April 26 at the New Canaan Police Department.
Though the light serves no traffic control function, it’s visible from far away and reminds drivers that there’s a school crossing at Gower, Mann said.
“It blends in when I get close, but when I am at the police department and looking down the street, it gives me a point of reference and makes me realize that it’s Gower and South and there’s a school there.”
Local funds to remove the light would not be available until the fiscal year 2018 budget at least, and that’s only if the town approves the expenditure, DiFederico noted.
Traffic Calming Work Group members decided to notify the DOT that they want to retain the flashing light, but would be open to a suggestion regarding the flashing beacons should the state be willing to pay for the project.
Just because one person dose not want the light that lives near there dose not mean (maybe) paying $17,000 down the road – If the state dose not want to maintain the light going forward – I am sure New Canaan would not mind fixing a light (l.e.d.) once and awhile.
The flashing light is important to let people know that there is a school there and to slow down and also protects the crossing guard that has to go into traffic to stop cars so that kids can cross the road safely to get to school. If one resident is bothered by a light that has been there for a very long time to warn people to slow down because of a school then that person should invest in blinds for their windows and care about the safety of our children and residence using that intersection. $17,000.00 to remove and put something else up is a joke of a price. Taking the light down and adding a crossing sign is a waste of time considering nobody driving down south ace. In the am cares about pedestrians or flashing lights or crosswalks or staying in the proper lane. I see more cars create their own lane in opposit traffic lanes to get to the corner of south and farm to turn left or to go in the left turn lane to go straight through that intersection. Where are the cops to prevent this? Farm road and south avenue are very dangerous in the am when kids are being brought to schools at that intersection. And the crossing guard that works the light at that corner is worthless. I see so manny kids have near misses with cars trying to cross the roads and the guard does nothing but stand by the electric box and push a button. Unlike the man at South school and Gower road that actually goes out into traffic and controls the cars.