Residents, business owners comment on proposed downtown Norwich roundabout at Franklin Square.
Plan to allow traffic flow in all directions
Norwich — More than 30 residents, business owners and city officials viewed and asked questions of Public Works Department officials and the consultant who designed a proposed roundabout at Franklin Square in the heart of downtown.
The plan, funded through a $400,000 state transportation grant, to be implemented this summer, will replace the current triangle between Main and Franklin with a roundabout to allow traffic to flow in all directions. Currently, Franklin is a two-way street to the Bath Street intersection, but traffic cannot continue straight to Main Street, just a few hundred feet away.
The current plan would reduce on-street parking from 29 to 18 spaces but would add about 18 angled spaces on Bath Street and City Landing off Main Street. The center of the island would have space for a flagpole and for the annual Christmas tree.
Downtown business owner Jeff Lord questioned the plan for angled parking, saying it could inhibit large trucks coming into the area to make deliveries to local businesses and the Southeast Area Transit buses turning onto Bath Street.
Project engineer Joseph Balskus said project planners would consider those issues and might need to redesign some of the proposed parking spaces. He also agreed with Lord that the proposed angled parking on City Landing would make it “tight” for cars driving down the short deadend, which accesses Lord’s paid parking lots behind Main Street buildings.
Resident Shiela Hayes questioned the plans for leaving the center island open for the Christmas tree instead of designing an attractive four-season design for the island that can be adjusted for different holidays.
Alderman Joseph DeLucia suggested returning the historic, ornate water fountain — now used as a planter at the north end of Chelsea Parade — to Franklin Square. Historical photos show horses drinking from the large trough at the bottom and people using a smaller faucet drinking fountain above.
“It would be a good way to celebrate the literal center of the city,” DeLucia said, “returning it to its original design.”
Resident Brian Kobylarz, Mayor Peter Nystrom and others expressed concern that the roundabout might flow smoothly for the Franklin-Main Street junction, but the signal light one block away at Courthouse Square could cause backups into the roundabout. That light currently causes backups along Main Street and Courthouse Square.
Kobylarz suggested one way to reduce that backup would be to reverse the traffic flow on lower Broadway — now a one-way heading toward Main Street — to bring traffic to “our beautiful City Hall,” Kobylarz said, and to the churches and arts theaters in the vicinity.
Balskus said those changes can be considered in the future. He suggested allowing time to try the Franklin roundabout before designing any other surrounding road changes.
Asked about bicycle traffic, Balskus said roundabouts in general are more conducive to bicycle traffic. No bike lanes are planned on Main or Franklin, but he said traffic in a roundabout typically goes 15 to 19 mph, and cyclists typically go 12 to 15 mph. Bikes can safely navigate through the roundabouts in line with the vehicle traffic, he said.