Public Works Director Jay Harris told the Shelton City Council at its Aug. 26 study session that the city’s temporary traffic-calming measures on Coda Street — a downtown pilot using alternating diagonal parking and reverse curves — had slowed traffic but prompted substantial neighborhood complaints and visibility concerns. “The calming measure that was chosen is reverse curves,” Harris said as he reviewed data and options for the council.
The council moved from discussion to a near-term direction for staff to prepare refined numbers and a plan to revert the street to its prior parallel-parking configuration after many members and members of the public raised safety and visibility concerns. The council did not take a formal vote; members described their preferences and staff recorded a consensus to pursue the reversion and return with a design and cost estimate.
Why it matters: Coda Street is a downtown corridor used by businesses, pedestrians and emergency vehicles. Changes to lane geometry and parking affect pedestrian sightlines, ADA parking availability and emergency access, and they can shape downtown commercial activity.
Harris said the temporary changes, installed in 2024 and based on older downtown visioning and a Creative District concept, include diagonal (60-degree) parking stalls, five on-street ADA stalls and one loading stall near Telecare. He reported that a weekday count shows about 800 westbound and 700 eastbound trips — roughly 1,500 vehicles per day — and said the 85th-percentile speed is 20 mph with an average speed of about 15 mph; the fastest recorded speed in the sign data was 36 mph.
Council members described a mix of outcomes: several said they had heard mostly complaints about the new geometry and visibility at crosswalks; others said the measures had achieved the goal of slowing traffic and increasing downtown foot traffic. “It’s my personal opinion that I do not think this design works for our city,” Council Member Lindsey said. “I will be voting for option A.” In contrast, another council member said they supported continuing toward a permanent green-street design and better striping if the city invested in a final plan.
Staff outlined two primary options: Option A — revert to the former parallel parking and striping; Option B — refine and improve the current temporary diagonal/curved configuration and move toward a permanent green-street design with stormwater planters and permanent surfacing. Harris estimated that reverting to the earlier configuration would cost about $25,000, including roughly $9,000 of city staff time, and that hydroblasting would be needed to remove the existing striping from the concrete surface. He described a lower-cost repaint/tune-up at about $2,000 and recurring contractor striping costs of about $7,000 per year if the temporary configuration is retained. He also said thermoplastic striping would cost roughly four times more than regular thermoplastic alternatives but could last about 10 years, and that the city currently has budgeted some thermoplastic materials and could borrow a county machine if compatible.
Council direction and next steps: Council asked staff to return with a refined plan and cost estimates, to check contractor availability and weather constraints (striping cannot be done in the rain), and to coordinate outreach with Creative District stakeholders and the chamber of commerce. Harris said final work timing will depend on contractor schedules and seasonality.
Discussion vs. decision: The council did not adopt a formal ordinance or motion. Members described preferences and staff recorded a consensus direction toward Option A (reversion) while leaving open future design refinements and potential alternative traffic-calming tools (speed humps, roundabouts, intersection speed tables) for future study.
Background and context: The changes stem from a 2015 downtown vision and later Creative District recommendations that sought more street trees, seating, lighting and traffic-calming features. Staff and consultants (SCJ Alliance; the final plan overlay referred to consulting work by a firm labeled FCJ in the presentation) implemented a temporary, movable planter-based pilot to test a green-street approach before investing in permanent curb, planter and stormwater work.
Traffic and parking details cited in the presentation: prior configuration had 66 parallel on-street stalls; the current temporary configuration shows 65 stalls including five on-street ADA stalls and one loading stall at Telecare. Staff noted a hatched stall near a mailbox intended for postal delivery and said small adjustments could change the final stall count by one. Harris also noted that ADA stall layout must comply with the city’s Public Right of Way Accessibility Standards Manual and that further design work is required to confirm dimensions and ramp locations if the configuration changes.
Public-safety and operational concerns raised included emergency vehicle access, visibility at crosswalks, larger pickup trucks extending into the travel lane, fading striping on concrete and the need for additional reflectors along fog lines. Supporters of keeping and improving the pilot said it reduced speeds, increased ADA stalls and could help create a unique downtown identity if finalized with better striping, artwork and green-street elements.
The council asked staff for public communication on next steps and a near-term schedule so businesses and residents understand potential construction or temporary work. Staff will return with refined numbers and a design recommendation for council consideration.