Descrição
This is where you cross Route 34 with no pedestrian crossing signals to guide you. A life or death situation every time. Due to be fixed eventually, but it would be nice if it happened sooner.
This is where you cross Route 34 with no pedestrian crossing signals to guide you. A life or death situation every time. Due to be fixed eventually, but it would be nice if it happened sooner.
69 Comentários
Kelley (Visitante)
jon (Visitante)
Anonymous (Visitante)
Anonymous (Visitante)
Brian Tang (Visitante)
I think the fundamental issue here is that the SE and NW corners of this intersection were designed to allow for high-speed turns. If those two corners could be made tighter, I think that would really help reduce the chance of a pedestrian being hit by a turning vehicle.
Depending on the drainage situation, I think it might be possible to lay some concrete down right on the asphault to extend these two corners out as a temporary fix. I'm pretty sure it's doable. I don't know how they keep water from freezing in the boundary and pushing the slab away from the pavement. It might only last a season or two.
For more money, the city could tear up the asphault at the corners and really redo them. That would cost quite a bit of money but could probably be done within a relatively short timeframe if the board of Aldermen decide this is that important of a priority and put the money there. My guess would be that it would take a few tens of thousands of dollars to redo these corners.
Laying concrete down on top of the asphault could probably be done for a tenth of that, but at that price it wouldn't last long.
Installing ped signals and a new timer to allow for a third (ped) cycle would require underground wiring (there are signal hook-ups only on the NE and SW corners) in addition to all the new signal equipment that would be needed. I think that would probably add up to something close to $1 million.
If you want to actually be fully compliant with today's standards, you would want to have fully actuated signals and turn lanes so that nobody has to wait through any needless cycles. Unfortunately, that would mean installing a completely new signal with detector loops and everything...which I think usually costs $1 - 3 million.
Brian Tang (Visitante)
Actually, even better would be to install raised crosswalks at the south and west sides of this intersection (the crosswalks where peds are most likely to be hit due to turning vehicles failing to yield). This would likely cost less than putting in ped signals and would likely perform better both in terms of pedestrian safety and traffic flow.
There will be the usual resistance from the emergency response people and the people who plow the streets. Hopefully, however, the emergency response people can be convinced that the reduced danger of traffic injuries and fatalities would more than make up for the slightly increased response times. As for the snow plow people, a raised crosswalk consists of two gradual grade changes with a sidewalk in between. There is absolutely no reason why they should have trouble plowing it.
Google "raised crosswalk" if you are not sure what I'm talking about.
Brian Tang (Visitante)
Transportation Dept. (Visitante)
Mark Abraham (Visitante)
Great work, Yale Traffic Safety Group, City and others! I look forward to seeing the new curb returns and signals. They will make it easier for people to cross. I hope that the group can find ways to be even more aggressive about making sure that there are no more injuries at this intersection. The only way to do that is to slow down traffic to about 20 MPH.
I just wish this would have happened earlier, given the literally thousands of people in the medical district who have publicly expressed concerns about this intersection over the past 10 years, and the number of people who have been seriously injured at it.
Brian Tang (Utilizador Registado)
Resident (Visitante)
can rumble strips be installed, or the lanes narrowed on route 34? has the DOT investigated this more?
traffic speeds really need to be brought down, or people will keep getting hit no matter how many signals you put up.
interestingly one of the students called it a death zone in yesterday's news article. it's unfortunate that that is how the heart of our city is perceived.
how many have to die before the DOT cares? give me a number.
Brian Tang (Utilizador Registado)
Brian Tang (Utilizador Registado)
The last photo might have been hard to make out. Here's a clearer version. At this intersection in Boston, they have installed two small signs, one angled toward turning drivers that says "YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS ON TURNS," and one angled toward pedestrians that says "WATCH FOR TURNING VEHICLES." I think it might be a good idea to install this sort of sign at a few places in New Haven. The danger would be if drivers interpret it as meaning that they only have to yield to pedestrians on turns at those particular intersections (e.g. N. Frontage and College, Trumbull and Whitney, etc.) and not everywhere else, the same way that drivers interpret the "NO RIGHT TURN ON RED" signs as meaning that right turns are only prohibited at those particular intersections when in fact right turns on red are illegal throughout downtown, not just at those intersections.
I'd be curious to hear what other people think on the idea of putting up these sort of signs. We have similar signs at Whitney and Trumbull, but I hear they don't work very well there. I have suggested (in a comment here on SCF) revising the wording to say "TURNING VEHICLES YIELD TO PEDS ON GREEN," with "GREEN" followed by a green circle to make them consistent with the signs that say "YIELD TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON GREEN [followed by a green circle]" that are often installed adjacent to left turn lane signals. Let me know what you think.
Noam Harel (Visitante)
The new signal between College and York on N. Frontage tends to cause gridlock at College and N. Frontage due to cars backed up at the red light. I have an alternative solution, with rationale explained below:
1. Make Rt34W Exit 2 a LEFT-TURN ONLY onto College.
2. Add pylons across N. Frontage at the West side of College that allows cars turning right from College to turn, but does not allow cars blasting straight through Exit 2 to go straight.
3. Add a YIELD TO PEDS IN CROSSWALK sign for the cars turning right on to N. Frontage.
The reason the signal between College and York was installed in the first place was partly intended to smooth out the merge between N. Frontage and Rt34W. But if cars were no longer allowed to simply blast through Exit 2 on the way to York/34W, then the merge at that point would be minimal, since only a few cars turn from College onto N. Frontage. Therefore, the signal would no longer be necessary, avoiding gridlock. It would probably also smooth flow off of Rt34 Exit 3 due to the easier merge. And most importantly, this would eliminate the speeding cars/trucks that use Exit 2 as a shortcut to get to York/34W. The pylons and appropriate signage would make this transition a relatively easy one.
I hope this makes sense - I think it would really work for all sides.
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Jason S. (Visitante)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
http://www.seeclickfix.com/issues/23
Kale Edmiston (Visitante)
Brian Tang (Utilizador Registado)
The curb extension on the NW corner of the intersection was just completed! I saw it on my way out on a bike ride to Milford this morning. It looks great.
The NW corner is now a standard-dimensional corner, rather than a severely rounded-off corner, as had been the case since the early 1960s. This significantly reduces crossing distance.
Oddly, I noticed that spray paint markings had been applied for future crosswalk markings at three of the four crosswalks, but not at the one that you actually have to use if you are walking to the med school campus (on the west side of the intersection). This struck me as very odd, as that’s the only crosswalk I’ve ever actually used at this intersection. This has me mildly concerned. I hope there is some logical explanation for why spray paint markings seemed to suggest that a crosswalk would not be striped for the most important crosswalk at this intersection.
Anonymous (Visitante)
good to hear.
but these were requested 4 years ago.
4 years to build a tiny , but incredibly necessary, piece of concrete ? ? ?
is dot really that inefiiceint?
where are the others, where are the signals.
David Streever (Utilizador Registado)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
The Cancer Center is about to open in 2 weeks, adding significantly more vehicular and pedestrian traffic to this entire area.
The city, state and others had previously promised (in writing, I believe) that crosswalk signals and geometry improvements would be fully completed prior to the opening.
Should the opening be delayed until this life-or-death issue is actually addressed?
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Heather (Visitante)
Anonymous (Visitante)
"Totally ridiculous" is an understatement, Heather.
What is clear is that Yale, ConnDOT and the city have been aware of this problem for years and while they've waited (on fairly straightforward technical issues -- speeding and signals -- that could have been resolved within a few weeks if there were the political will to do it), many have been injured and killed here.
Beyond those injured, many more have been afraid or uncomfortable about walking through the area, and forced to get into a vehicle or just stay at home.
Those responsible continue to wait, despite the fact that the Cancer Center is about to open and add tens of thousands of additional pedestrian and vehicle trips to the area, exponentially increasing the risk of yet another fatality.
disgruntled prof (Visitante)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Dear Disgruntled Prof,
Thank you for expressing your concern over this intersection. It is indeed an economic development issue.
Would you like to email the Yale Medical Campus Traffic Safety Group directly regarding your complaint? I believe they can be reached via newhavensafestreets / at / gmaildotcom. Your email will be kept confidential.
Of course, you don't have to step forward as the author of the above post, but you may be able to be helpful otherwise. I know that there are a number of upcoming meetings about this at Yale which some faculty will be attending. Please write to the above address if you would like to discuss.
Additionally, phone calls to local elected officials or directly to university administrators could help drive more rapid progress on this issue.
Mark
lk (Visitante)
Anonymous (Visitante)
lucky (Visitante)
Anonymous (Visitante)
Thanks for the comment, lucky. If this road were not so wide and speeds were lower, drivers would not run red lights as often. It is primarily a matter of design.
Police MV enforcement or red light cameras (which give automatic parking tickets to drivers who run reds) could have some degree of impact, but won't solve the issue.
In terms of accommodating all road users in a safe and accessible manner, ConnDOT's designs for the Route 34 intersections to date have been a complete and utter failure, and I somehow doubt the new "improvements" planned will be that much of a change.
The community has petitioned for 15 mile per hour zones and extensive traffic calming at these intersections in order to make them walkable. This is a critical public health issue for the many people who work and live in the area, including for thousands of children living in the Hill North neighborhood just on the other side of the Yale Medical Area.
Anonymous (Visitante)
Noam (Visitante)
The recently installed signal between College and York on N. Frontage tends to cause gridlock at College and N. Frontage due to cars backed up at the red light. I have an alternative solution, with rationale explained below:
1. Make Rt34W Exit 2 a LEFT-TURN ONLY onto College. This eliminates speeding cars going straight through College off the highway.
2. Add pylons across N. Frontage at the West side of College that allows cars turning right from College to turn, but does not allow cars blasting straight through Exit 2 to go straight.
3. Add a YIELD TO PEDS IN CROSSWALK sign for the cars turning right from College on to N. Frontage.
The reason the signal between College and York was installed in the first place was partly intended to smooth out the merge between N. Frontage and Rt34W. But if cars were no longer allowed to simply blast through Exit 2 on the way to York/34W, then the merge at that point would be minimal, since only a few cars turn from College onto N. Frontage. Therefore, the signal would no longer be necessary, avoiding gridlock. It would probably also smooth flow off of Rt34 Exit 3 due to the easier merge. And most importantly, this would eliminate the speeding cars/trucks that use Exit 2 as a shortcut to get to York/34W.
The pylons and appropriate signage would make this transition a relatively easy one.
I hope this makes sense - I think it would really work for all sides.
Anonymous (Visitante)
I agree that the Mayor, School Superintendent, Hospital CEO and Director of Transportation and others should be forced to walk across the road here each day instead of take their city-paid SUVs across.
That would do more to change the intersection than any amount of citizen pressure.
It's too bad our city has completely failed the public on this. In any other place, this dangerous situation would be fixed within a week, at least temporarily, using various engineering systems.
Reconhecido CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Anonymous (Visitante)
L (Visitante)
Community Neighbor (Visitante)
the Downtown-Wooster Square CMT would like to gather together a group interested in discussing this issue.
please email dwscmt@gmail.com if you'd like to gather to discuss the status of this item
JSJ (Visitante)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
That's really unfortunate to hear, JSJ.
Doug, once you have a meeting time for DWSCMT, can you post the info/location here so people can forward along to their contacts?
Anonymous (Visitante)
Yale student (Visitante)
Interesting comments, everyone.
If you are interested in being contacted by a member of the national press corps about the extremely high number of injuries and fatalities at Yale, and the conditions for walking between the medical campus and the downtown more specifically, please post your contact info here. We will give you a call!
Also they would be interested in more details on the pedestrian injuries that have occurred here, even if they were relatively minor instances. Please post them on this site if you prefer not to be contacted.
THANK YOU!
Yale student (Visitante)
How safe are the streets surrounding Yale?
SEPTEMBER 2006 -- Yale senior struck by a car while crossing Elm St., next to the Old Campus, causing serious hip injuries.
AUGUST 2009 -- Jogger killed while crossing Elm Street. Third downtown pedestrian fatality in less than eighteen months.
OCTOBER 2009 -- Another pedestrian killed crossing Church Street, suffered massive head injuries. A block from Yale offices and two blocks from the freshman quad.
MAY 2006 -- Yale junior is struck and killed while biking near the Yale Bowl.
MAY 2009 -- Medical Center Ph.D. Researcher struck and killed by bus while crossing Frontage Road, near the location of other recent fatalities.
February 2006 -- A Yale Music student is hospitalized after being struck by a car near Science Hill.
APRIL 2008 -- 4th year Medical student struck and killed while crossing South Frontage Road at York Street.
January 2006 -- Student hospitalized after being struck by a pick-up truck in front of the Yale School of Management.
December 2005 -- Two seniors hospitalized after being hit by a mini-van at the corner of Edgewood and Park Street.
MAY 2009 -- Woman hit and dragged by bus on Broadway near York. Multiple arm fractures, but pedestrian survives.
September 2005 -- Undergraduate sent to the hospital in critical condition after being struck by a bus in front of Woolsey Hall.
MAY 2008 -- A Yale Law student struck and seriously injured at the intersection of Chapel & High Streets, in front of the BAC.
FEBRUARY 2008 -- A visiting professor is hospitalized after being hit by a car on High Street, next to the Old Campus.
OCTOBER 2007 -- Freshman struck at York and Elm in a hit-and-run accident. She suffers four skull fractures.
OCTOBER 2006 -- Public Health graduate student struck at North Frontage and College, when a driver loses control and runs up on the sidewalk. Student suffers broken collarbone.
Jason Stockmann (Utilizador Registado)
I would be willing to speak to the press about traffic safety in New Haven. I would encourage others watching this issue to do the same!
My phone number is (315) 450-3309. Email is bauhaus2@gmail.com
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Anonymous (Visitante)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Brian, I don't like the new curb extensions. The corner is still very much rounded off -- compare it to Church and Chapel, or York and Elm, for instance. This enables very high automobile speeds around the corner, placing pedestrians at grave danger and significant discomfort.
The curb should be immediately extended even farther using a temporary curb extension, until such time as a more permanent curb can be installed. Someone posted a picture of a temporary curb extension, requesting one for State Street in New Haven, at this issue page: http://www.seeclickfix.com/issues/9150
There have been at least three formal traffic safety petitions with thousands of signatures between them, one in 2006 and two in 2008. All three of which specifically referred to these intersections and suggested very specific measures to increase safety at them.
There have also been multiple letters of concern from local residents and the Yale Traffic Safety Group. Multiple pedestrian and driver deaths and numerous serious injuries have been reported within this area. http://downtownnewhaven.blogspot.com/2009/05/biotechnologist-critical-after-crossing.html has a bit of background.
After reviewing current timelines for state traffic requests, etc., and looking at these curb extensions, let's be honest about this issue. It currently appears as if real progress on pedestrian safety, economic development and walkability for Downtown New Haven's medical district is going to have to wait for many more years.
These delays are unacceptable. We have the power to prevent more deaths and injuries, and we need to exercise our power now.
If government won't do it in the face of thousands of citizen requests, who will?
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
A couple more specifics on community requests since 2006:
1. Pedestrian Safety in New Haven, CT (2006)
http://www.gopetition.com/online/9868.html
We, the undersigned, call on the New Haven Department of Traffic and Parking to: 1) install walk-signals at all four corners of the North Frontage Rd-College St intersection; 2) install rumble strips on the ramps leading to the intersection; 3) increase the height of the railing lining College St bridge over Rt 34; and 4) increase the time allowed to cross the street by improving the signal-timing. A formal, citywide assessment of intersection-safety should follow, inclusive of its conclusions being released in a public report.
2. New Haven Safe Streets Petition (May 2008)
http://www.newhavensafestreets.org/2008/06/updated-list-of-petition-sponsors-and.html
By the end of 2008, establish strict 15-20MPH speed limits in all areas with dense concentrations of pedestrians and bicyclists, including the areas immediately surrounding Yale-New Haven Hospital...
3. Yale Medical Campus Traffic Safety Group Petition: Letter to Improve Traffic Safety in the New Haven Medical District (May 2008)
Planned measures to improve traffic safety should occur in a timely manner and with community input. Planned projects include replacement of traffic signals along North and South Frontage Roads and the redevelopment of the Route 34 Corridor. The City of New Haven should enact traffic calming measures in the medical area specifically: Increase police enforcement of speed limits and red light adherence , Provide pedestrian safety guards, Improve signage indicating the hospital and pedestrian zone, Make crosswalks more visible , Reduce speed limits to 20 miles per hour
Document is reproduced within http://www.livablestreets.com/projects/new-haven-safe-streets-coalition/safe-streets-update-040109/report-re-traffic-safety-at-yale-university-final-9-march-2009.pdf
4. City of New Haven Complete Streets Order, Passed 30-0 by the New Haven Board of Aldermen (October 2008)
Develop progressive design standards that will be incorporated into a Complete Streets Design Manual .... Such design standards will address: target speeds; street and lane widths; signal timing and vehicle detection; uninterrupted block length; connectivity; transit accessibility .... These design standards will require that the target speed for streets around schools, hospitals and business districts that depend on pedestrian traffic be a maximum of 15 miles per hour. BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Complete Streets Steering Committee will communicate the Complete Streets Policy as an Ordinance Amendment for consideration by the Board of Aldermen not more than one year after the passage of this Order, with the requirement that the principles of this policy be incorporated into all aspects of street and transportation planning projects, scoping procedures, design manual, design approvals and performance measures.
(It has been almost 13 months now since that last one)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
WFSB TV had a great feature broadcast this weekend about College & North Frontage, entitled "Pedestrians Fight For Crossing Signals, Several Deadly Crashes Have Been Reported In Recent Years." The interview features Jason Stockmann: http://www.wfsb.com/video/21545874/index.html
In case you are not familiar with this intersection:
1. In the wake of several injuries and fatalities, immediate, specific changes were requested by 3000+ individual petitioners on three different petitions to the City of New Haven between 2006 and 2008.
2. Oncoming traffic often averages close to 45 miles per hour or more, and constantly runs red lights.
3. The curb geometry allows vehicles to fly around the corner at high speeds, even as pedestrians try to cross concurrently.
4. There are no pedestrian signals and very wide streets, making the street extremely difficult to cross.
5. The intersection is marked by tall weeds and poor designs that completely obscure the visibility of oncoming traffic (in fact, other nearby intersections, like Church and North Frontage, are even worse in this regard).
6. The intersection is located on a major pedestrian route. It is within a block of the largest hospital in the state, which has just undergone a $500 million expansion, adding even more pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
I hope that immediate action will be taken to improve these conditions before more pedestrians are injured or killed here. 76,000 pedestrians have been killed over the past 15 years in the United States, and New Haven has seen a disproportionate share of the recent injuries and fatalities.
Even if you have already signed all three petitions, http://www.seeclickfix.com/issues/23.html is one place where you may document your concern. Perhaps a media strategy using TV, radio, news articles, national stories, and individual local residents sharing detailed stories on SeeClickFix will help persuade ConnDOT or the city to fix this situation.
Please feel free to copy this note and forward it to your neighbors in this area.
Jean Maatta (Visitante)
I cross this intersection almost daily in both directions. The lack of a walk signal creates very hazardous conditions especially when motorists do not want to give pedestrians the right of way when they are entitled to it, which contrary to many pedestrians, is not all the time. I have seen pedestrians walk right out in the intersection against the light with oncoming traffic. It is very difficult to cross with the "go" when cars from the north want to make a right turn especially after grid lock has prevented them from making the turn. There should be signs about not blocking the intersection with more police monitoring to keep motorists out of the intersection when the traffic backs up. In the years I have been crossing this intersection, I have never seen any police present to control the flow of traffic.
Changes are definitely needed at this intersection. In the interim, education of motorists and pedestrians on their roles for safe travel is needed to prevent more injuries.
Anonymous (Visitante)
Community Neighbor (Visitante)
The Downtown-Wooster Square CMT will be hosting the Yale-New Haven Hospital at their December meeting (12/15/09 @6pm at a City Hall Meeting Room).
http://groups.google.com/group/dwscmt
You will have a forum to address your concerns at this meeting to hospital administrators and city staff that are responsible for the completion of this project.
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
Jamie Duke (Utilizador Registado)
Community Neighbor (Visitante)
that's terrific! anyone close to the project have an official update?
thanks for the info jamie -
Anonymous (Visitante)
Yale staff (Visitante)
Rob Rocke (Utilizador Registado)
Community Neighbor (Visitante)
Big kudos to the Yale Traffic Safety Group and the faculty/staff for all of their follow-up, as well as the countless other volunteers and employees that have been monitoring this situation closely.
also - a big thank you to Mike Piscitelli of the Traffic, Transportation and Parking for expediting this install and to the Yale-New Haven Hospital for helping speed this along as well.
This is a much needed improvement that will aid in the walkability to downtown and help connect the medical district with the downtown business district and overall improve the quality of life for a lot of members of the new haven community.
early holiday present for our city! looking forward to the other improvements - but this was the biggest concern coming out of the November meeting:
http://newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/11/traffic_improve.php
Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking (Utilizador Registado)
Community Neighbor (Visitante)
Fechado BB (Utilizador Registado)
Hey Guys.
I'm closing the issue. You can do this next time by clicking the close button on the issue.
Anonymous (Visitante)
This issue actually applies to crosswalk signals at all intersections at College and Route 34, not just the one at North Frontage.
Until crosswalk signals are installed throughout the intersection, this issue will not be closed. Please reopen (when I try to , there is a site error)
Doug Hausladen (Utilizador Registado)
Tonight at 6pm the Downtown-Wooster Square Community Management Team is meeting for our regular monthly meeting (3rd Tuesday of every month) at 6pm in a meeting room at City Hall (165 Church Street).
Tonight, our first guest is Yale-New Haven Hospital and if you are interested in any further reports, please come. It's an open meeting, and we welcome all community members.
DWSCMT
E-Board
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Utilizador Registado)
It appears that temporary signals are in place at each corner. Thank you, TTP! This is a good (though to be fair, very much-delayed) first step.
Additional traffic improvements -- including all of those referenced in the petitions listed above -- are still urgently needed at these intersections before the area will contribute to the city's vitality.
The current situation is not acceptable and should be given the same rapid attention that went into the addition of the traffic signals.