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Resident urges Danbury to press state on crosswalk and traffic fixes; commission notes limits
Summary
Commission member Isabelle told colleagues the area near her home lacks sidewalks and a safe crossing and that responsibility is split among jurisdictions and the state DOT; members said the Safe Streets effort can flag problems but large fixes — including I‑84 realignments and right‑of‑way changes — require state action and funding.
Commission member Isabelle raised a local pedestrian safety concern at the April 14 meeting, asking the commission to pursue a crosswalk and other traffic fixes near her home and explaining why the request faces obstacles.
Isabelle told members she had discussed the location with a Safe Streets contact and that the site spans three jurisdictions and sits on a state road. "It's not gonna be a high priority, and it's really a jurisdictional problem," she said, adding that there are no sidewalks at the crossing and that traffic‑signal timing and roadway geometry make pedestrian crossings unsafe.
Members agreed Safe Streets can document and elevate local safety issues but noted that major fixes are controlled by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the larger I‑84 project. One member summarized the constraints: funding, right‑of‑way needs and potential eminent‑domain implications for straightening curves or changing exit alignments make such projects costly and slow.
The meeting included several anecdotes about how backups on I‑84 push traffic onto local streets, complicating pedestrian safety downtown. Members urged continued coordination with planning and zoning staff and the Safe Streets program to compile location details and push the issue to the appropriate state and regional agencies.
The commission did not adopt any formal resolution or direct staff to file a petition with DOT during this meeting; members instead discussed next steps for documentation and outreach.
