Faced with a new concern about the appropriateness of a push button-activated pedestrian “beacon” at one of New Canaan’s most difficult motor vehicle intersections, town officials are defending use of the device.
The rapid rectangular flashing beacon or ‘RRFB’ at the intersection of Main Street and Farm-Old Norwalk-White Oak Shade Roads is designed to help walkers safely cross east-west across Main.
Yet official state and federal guidelines call for the use of RRFBs “only at mid-block crossings or ‘uncontrolled’ intersections (lacking traffic signals, yield or stop signs),” according to a Dec. 15 letter that New Canaan resident Jeff Holland sent to the Board of Selectmen ahead of its Dec. 16 regular meeting this month.
“Guidance further requires that they not be overused, and even then only after an engineering study. I have not visited all of the many RRFB sites, but two concern me,” Holland said in his email, obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. “Maybe they can be addressed at this time. The intersection of Main, Farm, White Oak Shade and Old Norwalk Roads is a challenging junction further complicated by reduced sight distance from a fence installed in the public right-of-way. Importantly, this is a ‘stop-controlled’ intersection. Although it may seem counterintuitive, RRFBs are not normally allowed (in fact, ‘prohibited’) at this type of intersection. This was verified with an engineer at the FHWA. Before any maintenance is done, please verify that this device should be maintained at this location at all.”
Holland’s email came in prior to the selectmen taking up a new service contract for RRFBs at 16 New Canaan locations.
At the Board’s meeting, Public Works Director Tiger Mann addressed the concern, saying that a traffic engineer looked at the installation of the RRFB at Main and Farm in April 2021.
“We would agree that from an operational condition, the RRFB is appropriate as installed,” Mann said. “So we feel that the system itself is appropriate and the location is appropriate. Mr. Holland is correct that you can’t put in a stop-controlled intersection. Our opinion is that this is a two-stop controlled intersection with a segment in the middle. That’s why the RRFB is in the middle because White Oak Shade and Farm Road are stop-controlled to each other, and Old Norwalk Road and Main Street are stop-controlled to each other. It’s a very difficult intersection, but we feel that the installation there has helped specifically get students across, people crossing Main Street at that location.”
The other location that Holland flagged is an RRFB for a crosswalk at 220 Elm St. Holland said the signal buttons are supposed to face parallel to the crosswalk and that the ramp on one side of the crosswalk itself is “incorrect, unusable and obviously unsafe.”
Mann said the crosswalk “is located in an appropriate location to provide for safe passage across Elm Street for pedestrians” and that the town is planning to address the curb ramp issue.
What makes the intersection fun is that a 5th lane (right-only from Main to Farm) was added at a 4-way stop. This is Guinness-book material.
A 6th lane [right turn only from Old Norwalk Road to Main] was added to this challenging intersection.
‘Controlled’ isn’t an adjective I’d use in reference to this intersection. Rather, it’s an arena of unbridled vehicular aggression, with up to 6 cars vying for the center at any given time.
Another location that could benefit from RRFB is the crosswalk at the intersection of Park Street and St. John Place. Drivers approaching from either direction are focused on traffic more than pedestrians on the crosswalk.
I think there already is one up there, Scott.
I think the Town should give close consideration to installing traffic signals at the intersection. It is too busy to rely on the good judgement of hurried drivers about who has the right of way. It would also lead to more efficient traffic flows during the busy morning rush hour.
Disagree. The easiest way to make this intersection more efficient, and less confusing, is to make it considerably smaller.
Eliminate the turn lanes and condense the lead ins via extended sidewalks and plantings.
Traffic lights would require left turn signals and different timing sequences at different times of day. They are also very big and would also likely create light pollution for the houses on that corner.
Jeff Beck spoke about this intersection (and a lot of other great stuff) when he spoke here two years ago. Most of the town leadership attended at least one of the sessions.
Mike, I think there was one at Park and St. John some time ago but since removed. Not sure why, given traffic approaching from 4 directions.
We have lived on that corner for over 26 years. During that time, there have been very few accidents. In general, there is a coordinated give-and-take effort and traffic moves well.
I agree. I’ve driven through that intersection umpteen times when my kids went to Saxe and HS and on my way to the Norwalk business district. It might have an odd layout but since it is such a long double intersection but that length also gives a lot of time to correct any mistakes. As for pedestrians, I think that flashing crosswalk is justified.