Shelton considers raised crosswalks at Coram and Hill
The intersection of Coram Avenue and Hill Street may become home to a unique safety calming measure.
Shelton Police Sgt. Mike Sig lin ger told the Board of Aldermen Public Health and Safety Committee Wednesday t hat he was informed that the intersection does not meet the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices requirements for a four-ways top, but another alternative was proposed.
Sig linger said Melissa Evans, a safety circuit rider with the University of Connecticut CT Training and Technical Ass istance Center, recommended installing raised crosswalks on Coram Avenue at Hill Street.
“I think this is a very interesting idea ,” Sig linger told the committee.
Sig lin ger told the committee the department has regularly sought advice from the University of Connecticut CT Training and Technical Assistance Center, which offers free technical assistance for agencies responsible for local road way safety.
Sig lingers aid his next step is talking to the city engineer and Department of Public Works officials to check on the feasibility of such a project.
“This takes care of two problems — slows t he vehicles down and increases pedestrian safety ,” Sig lin ger added .“If we find it works here, this could be used in other areas of the city .”
Raised cross walks are ramped speed tables spanning the entire width of the road way. The design is meant to make the pedestrian more prominent in the driver’ s field of vision and allows pedestrians to cross at grade with the side walk.
The raised cross walks are flush with the height of the side walk and typically at least 10 feet wide and designed to allow the front and rear wheel sofa passenger vehicle to be on top of the table at the same time.
The average cost, according to information on the Federal Highway Association website, is
$8,170 each.
Residents near that intersection—citing numerous speeding vehicles and accidents—had requested that two stop signs be installed, which would make that inter secti on a four-ways top.
Sig lingers aid he and Lt. Brian Y er zak met with Evans at the site, which has been under recent scrutiny due to the dev elopment of Cedar Village at Carrol l’s , which has brought housing and retail at this intersection.
“( Evans) concluded that the intersection does not meet the MUTCD warrants for all-ways top sign control ,” Sig lingers aid. At the al der men’s Public Health and Safety Committee September meeting, Sig lingers aid the state’ s crash data repo si tory recorded eight accidents in the past five years at the intersection of Coram Avenue and Hill Street. With the new development soon tobe completed at the corner, Sig lin ger had said the department would investigate adding two stop signs to create a four-way st op.