Updated May 21 with additional charge for the driver.
NORWALK, Conn. – When speaking about the alleged danger of the design of Calf Pasture Beach Road last summer, Norwalk Traffic Commissioner Pete Torrano said records showed no accidents due to speeding there in more than a decade.
That is no longer true.
The smashed stone wall and bent street sign pole in front of Marvin Elementary School were caused by a speeding teenage driver last month, Norwalk Police Sgt. Lisa Cotto said. The accident damage was pointed out to NancyOnNorwalk by an activist who had campaigned for cheap but intense alterations of the road, which he and others said would make the road safer and life more pleasant for cyclists and pedestrians, including children who walk to school.
City officials greeted their claims of dangerous speeders on Beach Road with skepticism, and said the proposed changes would put pedestrians in more danger. Torrano said the problems on the road were overstated, and attacked the comments about the lack of safety as “inflammatory, inaccurate and a disgrace.”
Clearly, they were wrong, said the activist, who wished to remain anonymous.
We decided to ask Mayor Richard Moccia and his Democratic challengers what they think about the issue. Only two people responded. Their answers are below.
But first, a recap of the issue, and the details of the accident:
On April 21, at about 5:30 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was driving north at about 40 to 45 miles per hour on the on the inside lane of the road, which is marked as a 25 mph zone. He hit the traffic island, Cotto said, then veered across the road, to the right, over the sidewalk and into the stone wall in front of Marvin Elementary School.
The boy, who was uninjured, said his steering wheel had locked up, Cotto said. His car suffered heavy front end damage. He was charged with reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle without a license. There was a man jogging, but he was on the other side of the road.
Last summer, activists campaigned for a “road diet,” reducing the road to one lane in each direction. They said this would slow drivers and keep them farther from the sidewalk. The freed-up space would become a bike lane, which could also be used by pedestrians.
Common Councilman Nick Kydes (R-District C) said he thought it irresponsible to encourage pedestrians to be in the road, on the same level as traffic. Mayor Richard Moccia said he had never heard complaints before a special-interest group decided to try to get a combined bicycle and pedestrian lane.
Torrano said he had compiled statistics that showed no fatalities since 1979, when a driver was impaled on a fence after he struck the locked gate at the beach. There were only four accidents with injury on the road between 1999 and July 2012, he said. There were 28 accidents in total, and none of those involved speeding. (beach_road_statistics)
The Traffic Commission voted to install sharrows, a lane marked for both cyclists and automobiles. Activists said sharrows were not recommended for roads where drivers traveled at more than 25 mph.
Moccia did not respond to an email asking him to revisit the issue.
Former Norwalk Police Chief Harry Rilling and Democratic District D Chairman Vinny Mangiacopra, who would both like to face Moccia this fall as the Democratic Party challenger, did.
Their answers:
Harry Rilling
It is true there are relatively few accidents on Beach Road, but we can never lose sight of the fact there is an elementary school, many houses, lots of pedestrians, and many bicyclists. It is therefore important to make the road as safe as possible. That comes from following the “Three E’s” of education, engineering, and enforcement.
Beach Road has always received significant levels of enforcement for speeding and motorcycles without proper mufflers. The sharrows could possibly be confusing to some who do not use the road on a regular basis. For example, a bicyclist might think that particular lane is limited to bicycle traffic only, thereby giving him or her a false sense of security.
I believe the road needs to be made as safe as possible and that comes from the second “E”, proper engineering. I do not recall if speed humps were ever considered there but it might be something of which the residents might be in favor. It is worth exploring. There are several other traffic calming measures available that could be explored. Unfortunately, the design of Beach Road does not lend itself to effective implementation of many traffic calming measures. One that could have the greatest impact would be Vertical Deflection, which includes speed humps, raised intersections and raised crosswalks. Signage can also be an effective speed calming method but requires additional enforcement until the “Education E” kicks in. Multiple stop signs can be used where appropriate.
Vinny Mangiacopra
Once again, this is a clear demonstration that the Moccia Administration is out of touch with the direction our city needs to go. When the Beach Road/Bike Lane debate intensified this past year, over 500 residents signed onto a petition demanding a safer alternative. We also have transportation studies, paid for with taxpayer dollars, that urge our future planning in the direction of more accessibility for bikers.
A great opportunity was squandered and the solution of adding sharrows was a poor one at best. Everyone knows that Beach Road is notorious for speeding. Back in 2011, Mayor Moccia clearly stated that speeding was his top priority within that campaign and, when he had a chance to do something about it, he failed again. A dedicated bike lane along with narrowing the existing two lanes would have been a better way to go and a better compromise.
I would have listened to the outcry of the people and advocated for a solution that would have improved the quality of life for our Beach Road residents, those walking or biking to Calf Pasture Beach and those picking up children at Marvin School. Although Mr. Torrano touts the statistics of accidents, he neglects to share the statistics of motor vehicle infractions on the road, which we all know are a problem. A serious incident can happen at any time.
When I become Mayor I will sit down with the activists and re-evaluate the situation on Beach Road, with long-term goals in mind.
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