Town police are being urged to redouble their traffic enforcement efforts, especially along Main Street, to curb vehicular problems occurring along that thoroughfare.

Resident Karen Banks of West Street, which links Main Street to Sugar Street, told Police Commission members on September 2 she supports a Main Street resident’s recent comments about the need for heightened traffic enforcement on Main Street.

At an August Police Commission session, resident Sherry Bermingham said that Main Street needs “police help” for a its traffic-related problems, including speeding, congestion, rude motorists, and the presence of wide-load trucks.

The Police Commission is the local traffic authority.

Ms Banks told commission members that during the past year, there have been many wide-load trucks traveling on Main Street, hauling cargo such as large boats and massive industrial air-conditioning units. Also, tractor-trailer trucks hauling automobiles traverse that road, she said.

Most of the wide-load vehicles travel southward on Main Street, heading in the general direction of Bridgeport.

There also are problems with speeding and illegal passing on Main Street, Ms Banks said.

Ms Banks said she is especially concerned about the hazards posed to people by wide-load trucks as those trucks travel past the flagpole intersection and Newtown Meeting House at 31 Main Street when an event is taking place there.

Ms Banks asked what safeguards the town pursues in terms of wide-load traffic.

Wide-load traffic should be kept on Interstate 84, she said, adding that, “It’s a public safety issue.”

Police Commission member Brian Budd pointed out that wide-load vehicles are legally allowed on both I-84 and Main Street. Main Street (Route 25/Route 6) is a state road, he said.

The town cannot force truckers to stay on I-84 when hauling wide-load cargo, he said. Mr Budd noted that the state has positioned a traffic sign on eastbound I-84, west of Exit 9, recommending that truckers use Exit 11 to reach points south, as alternate route to Main Street.

The town police department has an officer who is certified to perform commercial truck inspections, Mr Budd noted.

Ms Banks urged that town officials work cooperatively with state officials to learn how traffic conditions can be improved on Main Street.

Police Commission member Joel Faxon said that commission members would prefer that truckers traveling on eastbound I-84 leave I-84 at Exit 11 in Sandy Hook, rather than leaving I-84 at Exit 9 in Hawleyville and then traveling southward on Main Street.

Mr Faxon added that another alternative for truckers would be driving eastward on I-84 to Waterbury where they could enter southbound Route 8.

Town police recently received approval for , which is being used for traffic speed enforcement through the end of September and to acquire some new radar-based speed detection equipment. The grant is part of the Connecticut Department of Transportation High-Risk Rural Roads Speed Enforcement Program.a grant of nearly $17,000

Police plan to spend $3,495 to buy some new radar speed detection equipment to replace older equipment, and $13,400 to cover police overtime costs for specialized speed enforcement work.

The speed enforcement is focusing on state roads, on roads which have many motor vehicle accidents, and also on roads that have high-speed travel due to their use by motorists as cut-throughs or shortcuts. Speeding along Main Street is among the enforcement targets.