The Borough Board of Burgesses this week unanimously voted to oppose a series of recommended changes for the Main Street flagpole intersection, which a traffic engineering firm has made to the Police Commission to improve public safety in the heavily traveled area.

Borough Warden James O. Gaston, Sr, said January 13 that that all six burgesses at a January 12 meeting voiced opposition to the traffic recommendations made by Frederick P. Clark, Associates, Inc of Fairfield.

The burgesses in opposition are Joan G. Crick, Anthony P. Baiad, Jr, Betsy Kenyon, Joseph Maher III, William J. Lucas III, and Chris Gardner.

“The burgesses are vigorously opposed to it,” Mr Gaston said. The burgesses instructed Mr Gaston to write a letter to the Police Commission informing that agency of the burgesses’ opposition.

The Police Commission is the local traffic authority. The commission recently hired Clark Associates to study improving the problematic flagpole intersection, which has a high accident rate.

In a report to the commission, Clark has recommended a range of changes at the intersection, including installing traffic signals, altering the geometry of the junction, and modifying some traffic flow patterns, to reduce the accident rate in the congested area. The various alternatives studied for improving safety at the intersection are all based on keeping the flagpole at its current location.

The five-legged intersection of Main Street (US Route 6/State Route 25), Church Hill Road (US Route 6), and West Street has a 100-foot-tall flagpole at its center. The flagpole, which is not shielded by barriers, effectively serves as the hub of a traffic rotary. Access to the intersection is controlled by stop signs on Church Hill Road and West Street.

Mr Gaston said that the burgesses doubt that the safety hazards at the flagpole intersection are as serious as the Police Commission has portrayed them.

In its report, the Police Commission, Clark Associates recommends that a long, narrow raised center median be installed on Main Street’s southbound approach to the flagpole. Also, Clark recommends that the Church Hill Road approach to the intersection be shifted southward within the state’s right-of-way, so that the road alignment for left-turn movements from westbound Church Hill Road to southbound Main Street would no longer require motorists to drive around the flagpole to make that left turn.

Also, Clark recommends that the northerly leg of West Street be closed to traffic and that the southerly leg of West Street carry two-way traffic. Such a change would reduce turning-movement conflicts at the intersection, according to Clark.

Currently, West Street forks around the Newtown Meeting House at the intersection, with the westbound traffic exiting Main Street traveling on the northerly leg of West Street and the eastbound traffic entering Main Street traveling on the southerly leg of West Street.

The flagpole intersection meets the state Department of Transportation (DOT) criteria for traffic signal installation and they should be installed, according to Clark.

If it is determined that installing traffic signals at the intersection is not appropriate, the various recommended geometric changes for the intersection would still be appropriate, resulting in the intersection having improved traffic safety and reduced congestion, according to Clark.

The proposed geometric changes would result in the elimination of certain perpendicular parking on the west side of Main Street near the intersection, according to the traffic study.

Burgesses

Mr Gaston asked why Clark Associates did not approach the burgesses about the traffic study after having been hired by the Police Commission.

The burgesses oppose traffic signals at the intersection for aesthetic reasons, he said. The area lies within a historic district, he noted.

“I would hope that common sense would prevail here,” Mr Gaston said, noting that the many changes proposed by the traffic firm are unnecessary.

The burgesses support creating textured pavement surfaces on Main Street near the flagpole so that motorists’ would experience a “rumble effect” when driving through the area, prompting them to slow down, he said.

Also, the burgesses want the crosswalks at the flagpole intersection to be better marked and more clearly visible, he said. Also, the portable signs which are positioned on crosswalks to remind motorists to yield to pedestrians should always be in place, he said.

Also, police should be stationed at the flagpole intersection to direct traffic during the morning and evening rush periods, Mr Gaston said.

Mr Gaston charged that the Police Commission does not have the authority to deal with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) on the flagpole intersection issue, adding that the Board of Selectman functions as the town’s agent in such situations.

Because both Main Street and Church Hill Road are state roads, making any changes at the intersection require state approval.

Mr Gaston said he does not believe that there would be local support for the changes at the flagpole intersection which have been proposed by Clark Associates.

 The Police Commission has not acted on Clark’s recommendations. The commission is expected to discuss the traffic report at upcoming sessions.