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Authority approves short one‑way conversion on Laura and Austin Streets to make room for sidewalks
Summary
TMP staff told the traffic authority the one‑way conversion on short segments of Laura and Austin Streets will allow construction of sidewalks in the South Norwalk Elementary neighborhood while preserving on‑street parking; commissioners approved the change after confirming emergency‑vehicle access.
The Norwalk Police Traffic Authority on Dec. 16 approved a proposal to convert short segments of Laura Street and Austin Street to one‑way operation to allow construction of sidewalks in the area around the new South Norwalk Elementary School.
Transportation, Mobility and Parking (TMP) staff said the school is under construction near Meadow and South Main Street and that many students will live within walking distance. TMP staff said the city has secured ARPA and other grant funding to build a connected sidewalk network and that the gap on Laura and Austin required a constrained design solution.
"So our solution was to convert these currently 2 way streets into 1 way streets for certain segments so that we would be able to accommodate the sidewalks and keep on street parking," TMP staff explained. Staff described curb extensions and corner bump‑outs that shorten crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety. TMP said sidewalks will be added on both sides of the affected sections.
Commissioners pressed staff on emergency access. Mayor Rilling said, "it's critically important that we notify, if you haven't already, EMS and fire department so they know about this change." TMP staff said they had begun conversations with emergency responders and that the proposed design provides a minimum 14‑foot travel lane, which they said would accommodate fire apparatus.
Staff also described signage and physical curb extensions to deter wrong‑way entries and noted that certain short sections (for example the small cul‑de‑sac area) would remain two‑way to preserve resident access. A recording correction was made on the record to clarify that the one‑way section on Austin runs to Snowden Street (not Lexington). The motion to approve the conversion carried by voice vote.
Next steps: TMP will finalize design details, continue coordination with emergency services, and implement signage before changing traffic operations.
Votes at a glance: Motion to convert short segments of Laura and Austin Streets to one‑way to enable sidewalks — mover not specified on the record; carried unanimously (4–0).
