Community Corner

New Stripes on Road in Cheshire are Working; Cars Slow at Crosswalk

Cheshire Police say a traffic calming project on South Brooksvale Road is causing drivers to be more cautious.

"Traffic calming" lines that were painted last month near the pedestrian crossing of the on South Brooksvale Road are working quite well.

The Cheshire Police Department reported Tuesday to the Town Council that not only are cars going more slowly on the hilly road, but three times as many are now staying within the speed limit.

Traffic Division Commander Lt. Brian Pichnarcik reported that an electronic speed monitor placed at the crossing in mid-August, before the lines were painted, showed 36 percent of the cars travelled over the speed limit. The monitor was then used again in mid-September after the project began. It showed only 13 percent of the cars exceeded the speed limit.

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In a seven-day period in August, Pichnarcik reported about 2,000 cars drove within the speed limit. By September, the number had jumped to more than 4,800 vehicles that obeyed the limit.

Town Manager Michael Milone told the council the police department would monitor the crossing again in the spring. "We'll see where else it might work in town," he said.

Find out what's happening in Cheshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The "traffic calming" lines, which are proving to be an inexpensive solution to speeding, were suggested by Police Chief Neil Dryfe who was hired in January.

The stripes on South Brooksavle Road are painted from the curb into the roadway up to 12 feet. The lines are closer together near the pedestrian crossing, making  drivers think the road is narrowing. The result is slower traffic. 


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