Whalley Brainstorms On $5.5M Safety Fix

More street lights. Outdoor dining. More crosswalks. Bike and bus lanes.

Those ideas are among several suggested by New Haveners and city staff so far for a safety-improvement plan in the works for Whalley Avenue.

The city’s Engineering Department and Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department are working together on a series of plans to improve commercial corridors around town. Each project will aim to improve traffic safety infrastructure in high-traffic areas for pedestrians, bikes, CTtransit buses and cars.

On Wednesday night City Engineer Giovanni Zinn hosted a public input session with Whalley Avenue neighbors to hear their concerns about the busy roadway and the emerging plan for that corridor. The project will be on the city-owned portion of Whalley Avenue (from Broadway to Ella T. Grasso Boulevard).

The project team is using an online comment tool for community members to add their personal concerns and ideas. Click here to add or like others’ feedback.

The goal is to make Whalley Avenue safer for all users of the road. Wednesday night’s meeting was the latest installment of an ongoing quest: Click here to read about a walk officials took with neighbors in 2020 to highlight safety concerns on the Avenue.

“We want a road that is intuitive to use for all the different users of the roadway,” Zinn said.

Zinn plans to gather public comments and suggestions for the project throughout March. He plans to host a follow-up public meeting in in May or June to present concept designs. A construction timeline won’t be determined until designs and approvals are finalized Zinn said.

The team hopes to secure a total of $5.5 million for the Whalley Avenue project. Three million dollars of state funds have already been granted to the Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department from the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP), Zinn said. The city plans to make an additional request of the remaining $2.5 million from the LOTCIP. The city foresees the projects continuing into 2023.

At the moment all of Whalley Avenues street lighting is on utility poles, Zinn noted.

More than 20,000 cars travel on Whalley a day, Transportation, Traffic & Parking Director Douglas Hausladen reported.

“Pedestrian safety is priority one, two, and three of the project,” said Zinn.

The team hopes to better ​“stitch the neighborhood together” by giving it more of a neighborhood look and feel.

To improve transit services, Hausladen suggested adding bus lanes to Whalley making it possible for buses to move faster and reducing the number of stops buses have to make.

Allen McCollum from Whalley Avenue Special Services District (WASSD) added that if Whalley is easier to cross and walkable, particularly at night, it will attract more local business.

At Wednesday night’s online public session, community members met in smaller breakout rooms to discuss their personal experiences and suggestions

“Whalley doesn’t really have any sit-down restaurants. Most of these restaurants are fast or takeout,” said McCollum.

Hausladen agreed and suggested giving the businesses on Whalley Avenue more sidewalk space to offer outdoor seating. The group used D’Amato’s Seafood II as an example of how more food spots can use Whalley’s wide sidewalks.

The group proposed that the wider sidewalks on Whalley be used for pedestrians and bikes.

Make Haven shop manager Lior Trestman said Whalley doesn’t feel like a neighborhood road but more like a highway. Trestman, who travels by bike often, said businesses on Whalley Avenue with limited parking would benefit from having an outdoor experience to attract bikers and pedestrians.

McCollum said many street lights are covered by trees, preventing drivers from seeing pedestrians crossing outside of crosswalks.

“If cars drive more respectfully, we would only need a little bit more reasonable lighting,” said Trestman. ​“Reducing the road speed would give drivers more time to see pedestrians at night.”

Hausladen reported that Orchard-Whalley intersection is one of the three most dangerous intersections in the state to cross. The group suggested adding a mid-block crosswalk to that spot.

Amos Smith of Community Action Agency also suggested the project team look into the areas of Whalley where senior residents live, to potentially shorten crosswalks.

Alders in the area agreed to work on gathering input from businesses on Whalley Avenue.