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beaveristired t1_j5xg5yc wrote

Reply to comment by kalemeh8 in Pedestrian struck, killed on Whalley Avenue in New Haven by brewski

It’s a state road for much of its length. Blame the state.

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At1l t1_j5yiz5w wrote

NHPD could enforce the traffic laws but they don’t bother and only do so when they get grants. This detail was on Whalley.

https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/cops_catch_speeders

“31 speeders stopped and ticketed over three hours Thursday afternoon. They weren’t just slight speeders; they were ​“egregious speeders,” traveling as high as 57 miles per hour. The NHPD is running extra shifts like these at speedways around town through Sept. 6 thanks to a $50,000”

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beaveristired t1_j5yui95 wrote

Well yeah, they use grants because they don’t have the budget to do that consistently. We would be better off using different type of enforcement like speed or red light cameras, but that would have to go through the state. Not even sure red light cameras are legal here.

But what we really need is traffic calming measures, make Whalley less like a multi lane highway and more like a walkable boulevard, would also likely spur development. More crosswalks, fewer lanes. More funding for these measures. But again, there’s only so much that can be done at the city level. CT DOT is basically a dinosaur, stuck in the past, very car-minded, very suburban, and I hear they’re very difficult to work with.

However, I do blame the city for what they can control, consistently ignoring Whalley, always allowing fast food and auto repair shops while doing little to revitalize the area. Compared to what the city wants to do with State St., it’s frustrating to see the lack of attention on Whalley. I guarantee that if people were dying on State St., Elicker would try harder to fix the problem.

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