Questions And Confusion

Over Traffic Study

To the Editor:

I have received a number of puzzling inquiries about the status of the most recent Queen Street study. Please allow me to take a few moments to clarify the most recent Queen Street area traffic recommendations of Vollmer Associates, The Borough Board of Burgesses, and Police Commission.

As many know, the Vollmer Associates engineering group did a traffic study referred to as the “Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan.”  The Board of Burgesses did a 50-hour plus evaluation and analysis of the Vollmer Traffic Study. The Board of Burgesses’ study included a 16-page report.

The Police Commission received a “Response to the Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan by Vollmer Associates” (undated) to which the Police Commission met in a Special Meeting on July 5 at 6 pm and accepted recommendations or modified the recommendations of the “Response to the Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan by Vollmer Associates.”

 The Police Commission minutes for the July 5 meeting appeared on the town website within days (most commendable) and were approved at the Police Commission meeting of July 10.  The minutes reference “Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan” and then itemized each section of the plan as accepted or modified (example: At 6:05 pm a motion was made...to accept the recommendations A1 through A4 from the plan in compliance with existing Borough land use regulations.  Motion seconded...and unanimously carried.)  Unfortunately, there were no descriptions of the individual items addressed or voted on.  The assumption of course was that they applied to the sections from the “Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan” as referenced in the minutes.

In fact, the motions of the Police Commission addressed the “Response to the Queen Street Area Traffic Improvement Plan.”  This “Response” is quite different from the original “Traffic Improvement Plan.”  The “Response” addresses most of the concerns expressed by the Board of Burgesses.  Both Vollmer Associates and the Police Commission are commended for clearly heeding the concerns of the Board of Burgesses.

Here are the major issues and the respective results as they now go to the Board of Selectmen:

1) The flagpole – flagpole area and surrounding private property owners will remain untouched;

2) the Queen Street / Glover Street intersection island will not be refigured and will not impair the Phillips home;

3) No parallel parking is recommended in front of Town Hall or The General Store;

4) Stamped pavement crosswalks are recommended;

5) Sidewalks on Queen Street are strongly recommended – which side of the street to be further studied; and

6) Three speed bumps on Queen Street were recommended. 

  As presented in their earlier report, the Board of Burgesses reaffirms positions (1-5 above) as recommended by the Police Commission. Although the Board of Burgesses does oppose three speed bumps and recognizes potential legal liability issues with their imposition, the Board of Burgesses recommends one temporary study speed bump, the effects to be studied, if necessary.   

   In summary, the dedicated work of all is recognized.  The Police Commission is commended for its efforts to balance community character with traffic safety.  A special thank you to the Board of Selectmen for channeling the process so knowledgeably and appropriately. 

   Hope this helps to clarify some of the questions and confusion.  

Very truly yours,

James O. Gaston

Warden,

Borough of Newtown

18 Main Street, Newtown                                                 July 12, 2007