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Committee backs police request to ban left turns from Park Circle onto North Street
Summary
The committee supported a police-recommended restriction to prohibit left turns from Park Circle (near 205 North Street) onto North Street, citing congestion and safety; staff will place the item on the Common Council agenda.
The Middletown Public Works Committee supported a police department recommendation to prohibit left turns from Park Circle onto North Street at the driveway serving 205 North Street and agreed to forward the restriction to the Common Council.
Police and staff reported that left turns from the Park Circle convenience-store parking lot onto North Street create congestion and can block traffic when a signal stops vehicles, leading to occasional obstructions in the travel lane. Committee members said the property owner and other stakeholders they consulted support the restriction.
Alderman Kleiner asked whether the restriction covers both the front and rear parking lots; staff clarified the measure covers only the convenience-store front lot. The committee also discussed new curbing and sidewalk layout that make a left turn from Wickham into the rear parking area impracticable without driving over curbing.
The police chief described the pattern at the site as prone to congestion and said the prohibition is intended to improve traffic flow and safety: “It just becomes chaos. We’re just trying to control it a little bit better and make it a little bit smoother,” he said.
Staff will place the no-left-turn restriction on the Common Council agenda; no formal roll-call vote was recorded in committee.
