NORWALK, Conn. — Flashing lights, raised crosswalks and speed indicators installed near West Rocks Middle School have reduced traffic speeds in the area by more than 20 percent, according to the city.
Mayor Barbara Smyth announced the speed data at a gathering marking the completion of more than two miles of sidewalks and other improvements where she was joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, who she thanked for a $1.4 million federal earmark that funded the work.
“This stretch of road is home to three of our Norwalk schools, and every day, students, families, teachers, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers use these roads,” the mayor said. “So investing in safety here was wasn’t just important, it was the right thing to do.”
Himes commended local officials for bringing the project on time and under budget.
“People are cynical about government these days, legitimately say, ‘What happens to my tax dollars that I send to Washington?’ And we say, ‘You know what it’s doing? It’s keeping your kids healthy and safe, and giving them the opportunity to walk to school,’ which of course is a wonderful opportunity,” the congressman said. “Let’s do more of this stuff.”
Smyth also thanked state Sen. Bob Duff for a $1.1 million grant that helped fund the work.
“Most people walking on West Rocks Road probably didn’t realize how much nicer it could be with sidewalks and slow traffic,” Duff said, recalling a groundbreaking last year when he said vehicles were going by much faster. “This is really going to be such a game-changer.”
Jim Travers, the city’s director of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking, said the West Rocks project was part of more than six miles of new crosswalks built in 2026.
“That is meaningful progress by connecting our neighborhoods and making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone,” he said.
Norwalk Public Schools Interim Superintendent Sandra Faioes said that middle school students who live within 1.5 miles of school aren’t able to get bus transportation, “so for these students, safe walking routes are essential.”
“These new sidewalks, crosswalks, and reduced speed zones will help them travel to and from school more safely every single day,” she said.
State Rep. Dominique Johnson recalled knocking on residents’ doors in the area in the past and having to dodge 40 mph traffic while crossing the street.
“Now we don’t have to do that anymore, thanks to these amazing sidewalks and these traffic calming measures in the most important place we can possibly put them, right next to our schools,” she said.
City Council members Richard Dellinger and Jan Degenshein, and Board of Education member Ashley Gulyas were also in attendance, along with West Rocks Middle School Principal Adam Reynolds and several students, who joined officials in the ceremonial planting of an Armstrong maple tree in front of the school afterward.
The mayor noted that no trees were removed during the sidewalk project, and 22 new street trees would be planted as part of the improvements.
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