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Middletown committee agrees to forward one-way plan for Prospect Street after amendment to extend to Wickham
Summary
The Public Works Committee agreed to forward a plan to the Common Council to convert Prospect Street to a one-way street extended from Wickham to Linden Avenue, citing safety and line-of-sight concerns; some members cautioned about traffic disruption.
The Middletown Public Works Committee agreed on Oct. 26, 2025, to forward to the Common Council a proposal to convert a section of Prospect Street to a one-way street, amending the original staff recommendation to extend the one-way portion from Wickham to Linden Avenue.
Committee members said the proposal responds to safety concerns and a limited line-of-sight near businesses on Prospect. The committee’s original recommendation from the Department of Public Works would have limited the one-way conversion to the block between North Street and Linden Avenue; members amended that recommendation to include the block from Wickham to Linden after hearing stakeholder input.
Mayor (speaking as meeting participant) described the Department of Public Works recommendation and the committee discussed alternative extents of the conversion. Alderman Green, who said she has spoken repeatedly with residents in the area, urged the committee to make a decision so residents “are sick and tired of waiting and wondering what’s gonna happen.”
Committee members and staff cited a past collision when discussing the need for the change; the transcript records a reference to a serious accident about 17 months earlier but does not specify the number of crashes or injuries. Committee members also reported that Ralph Carr, owner of Chester Printing, indicated he does not object to the extended one-way proposal.
The police chief supported the change for safety reasons, noting limited sight lines in the block and saying traffic patterns there can create congestion and hazards. Other members, including President Mackey, said the current traffic pattern has been in place for years and warned that making the street one-way could complicate routes for some drivers.
The committee directed staff to place the amended one-way proposal on the Common Council agenda for consideration; the transcript does not record a roll-call vote in committee and no formal council action has been taken yet.
