Greenwich Awarded $799,200 State Grant to Improve 3 Intersections

This week Governor Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto announced $12 million in state grants to improve transportation infrastructure in 17 towns and cities. Greenwich will receive $799,200 for Pedestrian Safety Improvements at 3 intersections in the central Greenwich area. According to Jim Michel, the deputy commissioner of DPW, the three intersections are: • Railroad Ave and Field Point Road • Railroad Ave and Prospect Street • Field Point Road and Horseneck Lane On Saturday around 10:00am, the traffic at all three intersections was constant. The intersection of Prospect St and Railroad Ave was the greatest challenge for a pedestrian to cross. [caption id="attachment_219541" align="alignnone" width="1780"] Looking south to intersection of Prospect Street and Railroad Ave. July 20, 2004 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219543" align="alignnone" width="1732"] Railroad Ave and Prospect Street looking south. July 20, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219542" align="alignnone" width="1774"] Looking south from intersection of Prospect and Railroad Ave. July 20, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219544" align="alignnone" width="1772"] Prospect St and Field Point Rd come together at railroad bridge. On the other side is Horseneck Lane where the intersection is to be improved. July 20, 2024 Photo Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219551" align="alignnone" width="1766"] Prospect St and Field Point Rd come together at railroad bridge. On the other side is Horseneck Lane where the intersection is to be improved. July 20, 2024 Photo Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219545" align="alignnone" width="1778"] Looking east at intersection of Field Point Road and Railroad Ave with view of Lobster Bin at 204 Field Point Rd. July 20, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219546" align="alignnone" width="1766"] Railroad Ave and Field Point looking south with view of Granoff Architects building at 330 Railroad Ave. July 20, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219548" align="alignnone" width="1616"] View looking north from Horseneck Lane at intersection of Field Point Rd. July 20, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] [caption id="attachment_219550" align="alignnone" width="1772"] View looking north from Horseneck Lane at intersection of Field Point Rd. July 20, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption]   During a series of six input sessions held by DPW this spring for public feedback on troublesome spots for pedestrian and traffic safety, residents said the Prospect Street intersection with Railroad Ave was fraught and that commuters accelerate to make the green light. Laura Noe said, “At the intersection at the end of Prospect Street and Old Field Point Road (and Railroad Ave), we need a (walk/don’t walk) light.” She said there was merely a five-second window to walk across before oncoming cars from the other side of Prospect Street turn left. “It is so dangerous. We have so many dogs in the neighborhood now. We have so many people walking, so many babies, and the increase in traffic,” she said. "We have people speeding to beat that light at the end of Prospect Street. They see it’s green and they gun it to get through it.” “It’s almost at the point where you should be carrying rocks with you, and throwing them at these people. And a lot of them are people after work coming from the car dealerships," she added. [caption id="attachment_216419" align="alignnone" width="1752"] Prospect Street approaching the light at Railroad Ave near entrance to I95. May 6, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager[/caption] The state grants are intended to improve transportation accessibility and safety. They are being awarded through CTDOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program. Now in its sixth round of awards, this state-funded program provides financial support for local infrastructure initiatives that make conditions safer, more accommodating, and equitable for pedestrians and bicyclists in urban, suburban, and rural centers. “Our main streets and community centers serve as vital social, economic, and transportation hubs,” Governor Lamont said in a release. “Improving local infrastructure for all users in community centers is a win for our whole state, and opens the door to further economic growth.” “From sidewalks and multi-use trails to ADA compliant ramps, these 17 projects focus on providing safety enhancements and mobility options to schools, jobs, public transit, and local economic centers,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. The grants approved under the sixth round of the Community Connectivity Grant Program include:

• Avon: Old Farms Road Connectivity Improvements, Phase II ($792,598)
• Chaplin: Chaplin Connectivity and Accessibility Project ($752,000)
• Cromwell: Willowbrook Road and Evergreen Road Sidewalk Connectivity ($229,200)
• East Haven: Messina Drive Traffic Signal and Pedestrian Walkway ($781,004)
• Fairfield: Improved Access to McKinley School ($681,900)
• Glastonbury: Manchester Road Sidewalks, Shoddy Mill to Hebron Avenue ($796,700)

• Greenwich: Pedestrian Safety Improvements at Three Intersections in Central Greenwich ($799,200)

• Guilford: Boston Post Road (Route 1) Sidewalk Extension to Madison Town Line ($739,765)
• Haddam: Higganum Center Connections, Connecting Village Center to Activity Nodes ($800,000)
• Litchfield: Sidewalk Enrichment Plan, ADA Upgrades and Sidewalk Enhancements ($800,000)
• Madison: Scotland Avenue Roadway Improvements ($800,000)
• New Canaan: Lakeview Avenue Sidewalk Project ($325,680)
• Portland: The Complete Streets, Main Street Sidewalk Improvements Phase III ($612,000)
• Southbury: Heritage Village Multi-Use Path ($800,000)
• Voluntown: Village Center Pedestrian Network Enhancement ($799,200)
• Watertown: Main Street (Route 63) Pedestrian Improvements ($800,000)
• West Hartford: Sidewalk Accessibility Improvements ($697,000)

According to the release, the funding limits for grants awarded in this solicitation can only be used for construction activities that range from $100,000 to $800,000. Now with this sixth round of funding, 138 awards totaling more than $62 million will have been invested in Connecticut’s towns and cities. Municipalities that have been selected to receive grants will be expected to complete the project within three years.