Middletown council asks DOT for town-hall on proposed Route 9 changes, passes resolution

The Middletown Common Council unanimously passed a resolution asking the Connecticut Department of Transportation to hold a town-hall-style public hearing within 90 days on the proposed changes to Route 9 and adjacent city streets.

Councilman Lefredo, who sponsored the resolution, said the council wants DOT to "schedule a town hall style public hearing on all the proposed changes to Route 9 adjacent to cities and adjacent to city streets within 90 days," and asked the mayor and chief traffic officer to review proposed changes with council before signing off.

The resolution was prompted by sustained public comment. Jennifer Alexander told the council she had seen shifting traffic estimates and raised safety concerns for the Route 9 southbound merge and nearby railroad bridge. "Unless we're in the room and unless we're accountable, it can look like they're giving us information—and then that information changes later," she said. Other residents added environmental and business-impact concerns, including projected traffic increases and possible effects on downtown economic activity.

Mayor Eugene Nocera reported recent meetings with the DOT commissioner and said he expects public sessions as designs reach key thresholds; council members said an explicit town-hall requirement and leveraging the city's legislative delegation were needed to secure robust engagement.

What happens next: the resolution calls for DOT to present and defend designs publicly; the council asked the mayor to press the delegation to secure DOT cooperation. No design changes were approved by the council at this meeting; the action is a formal statement of the council's demand for a public process.

Vote: motion carried (voice vote) after discussion and comments from multiple councilors and members of the public.