5/6/24 7:30 PM – Fox Run Cafeteria
Board VP Ken D’Arinzo opened the meeting.
68 people were in attendance, including board members and representatives from NPD and TMPD, as well as city hall.
Our first matter of business covered an overview of the traffic survey conducted by the West Norwalk board.
West Norwalk resident Greg Willis introduced officers from NPD and offered his remarks regarding the severity of neighborhood traffic issues.
Lieutenant Podgorski and Sergeant Salvatore Calise provided an overview of the functionality and responsibilities of the Norwalk Police Department prior to opening the floor to questions. There are currently no updates regarding the bridge fire.
Lieutenant Podgorski spoke first:
- The NPD has 4 traffic officers total
- Officers work in shifts (7 AM – 3PM, 3PM – 11PM, 11PM – 7AM)
- Motorcycles and PD cruisers use both rader and lasers when monitoring traffic speeds
- There is a new speed trailer on Ponus Avenue (needs repair) that is collecting data (median speeds, high speeds, traffic flow at different times of day, etc)
- The NPD and the TMPD are very data-conscious when determining traffic soothing measures and where to put on duty officers
- Speed trailers and speed signs collect necessary data for aiding officers regarding troublesome or dangerous speeding areas
- The NPD receives federal grants for hiring additional personnel and adding new machinery for distracted driving and other specific events regarding traffic safety
- Commercial vehicles are a known issue across Norwalk. The NPD conducts inspections on unsafe trucks. Business owners are fined.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It takes everyone to drive safely.
- Data drives much of their actions. If community members call, those complaints are registered and allow the officers to pay attention to zones that may not have a speed trailer or digital speed sign.
- The NPD is very aware of the issues in West Norwalk and is ready to continue working on traffic safety issues.
KEY ACTION STEPS
- The NPD needs YOUR INPUT. Please call them when you see speeding issues. They will dispatch an officer to that area to monitor the issue.
- Please call the non-emergency line
Sergeant Calise spoke next:
- 4 officers in their unit. 2 officers per day for the whole day.
- There are two more speed signs (the ones that collect data) coming to Norwalk
- The hot spots are identified
Sgt. Calise provided specific numbers from 2024 about their traffic and safe driving enforcement results.
- January 2024: 596 citations, with 5 of those days spent in West Norwalk.
- February 2024: 579 citations, with 4 of those days spent in West Norwalk.
- March 2024: 441 citations, with 3 of those days spent in West Norwallk.
- April 2024: 626 citations, 5 days spent in West Norwalk.
- May 2024 (in progress): 28 citations
- The good news is that Norwalk has decreased the number of accidents year over year.
The floor opened for community audience Q&A.
Q: NYC has traffic cameras all over. Why can’t we have them?
A: CT is working on traffic cameras. This requires the state. It’s not something Norwalk can do on its own.
Q: West Norwalk road sees a lot of drivers and cars that reek of marijuana. Resident can smell it. How can we stop this from happening?
A: Police have to witness a violation in order to pull someone over. Each officer is DRE trained and effective when dealing with an unsafe driver. Speeding is a majority of citations.
Q: Do officers police rolling stops?
A: Yes, that is a violation.
Q: People fly down Geneva Road. Is the sign supposed to replace traffic control measures?
A: Signs are used for data. Data is used to determine where the enforcement should go.
Q: Little Fox Road is a nightmare for children of all ages. No sidewalk. Too dangerous to get to school bus stop. Resident saw a decrease in speeding when marking a (nonexistent) officer on Waze. People pay attention to that.
A: If that works, do it!
Q: Is posted speed the correct legal speed?
A: Posted speed limit is the law. Depending on how fast someone is going, the court may choose not to prosecute, especially if it’s a minor violation. The NPD has no control over what the courts do.
Q: What are the court fines/fees?
A: Fine amounts can be found online.
Q: Do hidden driveway signs hold any weight in terms of violations?
A: No. Nothing is thrown on top of the speeding fine for a hidden driveway sign/accident.
Q: Should residents get cameras and film people speeding etc?
A: Not an effective method. Resident would have to swear upon the truthfulness and accuracy of the video which would then require investigation. It is more efficient if you simply call the police.
ADDITIONAL KEY TAKEAWAYS AND ACTION STEPS:
- Please email specific streets with a description of issues to WNA so we can compile information for officers. That is easier for NPD than individual requests.
- Please CALL THE NPD if you witness speeding, rolling stops, dangerous driving. They want to hear from you.
- Consider posting on the driving directions app “Waze” if there’s a severe traffic issue. According to a resident, a false report of a police officer spotted helps calm pass-through traffic.
Jim Travers from TMPD spoke next:
- The Traffic, Mobility, and Parking Department is a new department appointed by Mayor Rilling
- TMPD overviews city safety in terms of road networks, particularly in regard to how streets are designed and engineered.
- They are part of the “Complete Streets” legislation
- TMPD is focused on increasing mobility of all kinds in the city of Norwalk (motorists, pedestrians, traffic flow, ADA compliance, bikes)
- TMPD is focused on adding sidewalks to all of Norwalk. Emphasis on interconnectivity, and mentioned how pandemic pointed out the obvious need for safer walking/biking experiences in all neighborhoods.
- TMPD works on traffic signals and is particularly focused on Route 1
- Route 1 has traffic signals owned by the state of CT and the city of Norwalk, lots of teamwork required from both state and city as well as business owners
- TMPD is working with the State of CT on red light cameras. Working with the common council to add red light cameras to ordinance. There is a lot of red tape with cameras.
- A very exciting update is the “adaptive signal technology” which learns the ebbs and flows of traffic patterns and will provide excellent insight as well as better traffic flow
- TMPD is working with Wegmans on traffic flow.
- TMPD helped secure CT DOT “Safe Routes to School” audit.
- Safe Routes means that the sidewalk will continue down Fillow to behind the CT State College
- TMPD is focused on helping close sidewalk gaps all over Norwalk. Little Fox in WNo is receiving sidewalks in both directions
- Materials matter. Sidewalks should look different from asphalt roads to protect pedestrians from motorists. TMPD emphasized delineation of street vs. sidewalk.
- The Sidewalk Database was completed by TMPD
The floor was opened for community questions:
Q: What dictates the curb or sidewalk? On Old Rock Lane, there’s no sidewalk, and the curb is borderline industrial. Princes Pine and that intersection also has similar curbs. Nowhere for pedestrians to go, and curbs are too tall for cyclists to hop over if needed.
A: TMPD is going to follow up after investigating these trouble sites.
Q: How do we get speed bumps?
A: Speed bumps are a tricky thing. Not good for first responders. Please notify TMPD about issue via the Norwalk website so the trouble spot can be added to the Customer Citizen database. This information is the driving force behind decisions. Stop signs require federal approval. TMPD looks at other options besides speed bumps.
Q: Is there an update on the roundabout and the West Cedar bridge projects?
A: The bridge is a DPW project. TMPD meets with DPW on a daily basis. No timeline for roundabout. The roundabout will help reduce speed, accidents, and flow. No power is needed for roundabouts meaning that power outages will not negatively affect traffic flow. TMPD emphasizes their focus on “stewardship” of Norwalk’s tax dollars.
Q: Nobody is talking about West Norwalk Road. Nothing has been done. New Canaan drivers use it as a pass through. Can’t turn left on Ravenwood Road. Wegmans will make this issue worse. The stop sign is impossible to see at the corner of West Norwalk Rd. and Fillow. There’s no sidewalk.
A: Speed signs will be installed. If greenery is obscuring the sign, the DPW takes care of that.
Q: We need consistent partnership from the city about traffic calming measures. This is a larger issue that residents should be and need to be involved in at every possible level. We wish to propose a larger plan.
A: Please email any comments or complaints via the Norwalk city website. LINK HERE. Having a written record helps TMPD.
Q: Is TMPD responsible for bike lanes? What are the safety measures for these lanes?
A: TMPD is fully committed to creating and supporting a cycling network. Need more bike racks. They are applying for the “Community Connectivity Grant” which will offer a budget for more bike safety “treatments” and “strategies.”
Q: Do residents know about Wheels 2 U? It’s a great transportation service provided by the city of Norwalk. Call them and they will pick you up for $2. It’s a cheaper Uber.
A: TMPD agreed and stated how excellent it is that Norwalk has its own transit district.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- TMPD is open for community comments and wants to hear from citizens via the Norwalk city government website. THIS CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE.
- Norwalk is directing a lot of time, energy, and budget to creating an interconnected city that is safer for pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists via more sidewalks, roads that consider design and engineering based on data collected from different departments as well as concerned citizens. TMPD is a big part of this effort.
- Consider alternative methods of transportation, such as Wheels 2 U, to help traffic flow.
- Please remember, it takes all of us to drive safely.
Please join us for our next meeting on June 3rd at 7:30 PM in the Fox Run School cafeteria.