Shelton council signals consensus to revert Coda Street to prior parking layout after traffic-calming complaints

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…