Town officials have already discussed a variety of uses for Westport’s $8.4 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds: the jetty at Burying Hill Beach, aid to non-profit organizations, and plans for low-density affordable housing.
Next up: traffic mitigation.
Specifically: roundabouts.
A new traffic pattern — circular, around a central island — has long been proposed for the Weston Road/Main Street/Easton Road cluster*** near Merritt Parkway Exit 42.
The very confusing — and dangerous — Main Street/Weston Road/Easton Road intersection.
Soon, the Board of Selectwomen and Public Works Department will request money to make that a reality.
As well as 5 other notoriously bad intersections in town.
Roundabouts will be proposed for:
- The notorious “worst in the state” Post Road/Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road mess
- Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street, at the foot of the Cribari Bridge
- The Compo Shopping Center (“CVS”)/Compo Acres (“Trader Joe’s”) misaligned entrances/exits on the Post Road
- The nearly-as-bad Compo Acres exit onto South Compo Road, at the west end of the plaza
- The North Avenue/Cross Highway 4-way stop, midway between 4 Westport schools.
A roundabout in the Post Road would prevent cars from entering the wrong way.
“We understand that while the Merritt Parkway project is fairly straightforward, with plans already designed, the others are more complex,” the Board of Selectwomen say in a prepared statement.
“In fact, all of the others will involve taking some land by eminent domain. The Wilton Road and Cribari Bridge projects, for example, may necessitate the removal of some already existing buildings.
“While eminent domain is not necessarily the easiest path to pursue, we believe that ultimately these improvements will benefit all Westporters. We pledge to work with any affected businesses to find new locations, and to do so in a way that lessens any adverse impact on them.”
The statement adds, “While we know some of these designs will be tight, we are confident that our professionals can make them work.”
The proposal goes next to the Planning & Zoning Commission, then the RTM. Click here to see drawings of all 6 roundabouts.
Due to space constraints, Westport’s roundabout islands would not be as large as this example.
Haha! Thanks for reminding me of the date today!!
I can’t believe I fell for Dan’s handiwork . . . AGAIN. (No, I didn’t click the link.)
You got me, Dan. Thanks for getting my blood pressure up LOL!
Starting a ‘GoFundMe’ site….Woog 4 Governor
Jack, what did I ever do to you to deserve such a fate?
Damn! I had my vitriol all packaged for a comment.
I was just nodding along…
Hmm…
Pretty sure that state would have to give approval for work on the Post Road.
Hmm…
Eminent domain seems like a good idea to finally get something important done.
Hmm…
Wait. What day is today?
Wooooooooog!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh goodness! I clicked the link because I was thinking, how can that possibly work!! Ugh!!! Way to start the day
Oh thank goodness …
you got me, you rascal !
From frown to all smiles in an instant. Dan wins April-Fools Day’s ‘”Puppeteer of Emotions”, like the iconic twin theater faces award. You got me again, too.
Love that Dan get’s me every year.
Good One Dan! I guess you have been staying up nights!!!!
Well played! Hook, line and sinker😂
Every…year!
Haha! Great Dan. And I was thinking gee maybe not so bad an idea!
Good one! Glad you survived your near miss the other day to torture us!
Although I think a couple of those would be great, I expected the April Fool’s joke, and clicked on your site looking for it. Maybe you should propose a couple of them to the Board of Selectwomen.
Well, you got me. But then again, I believe everything that you say!!
April fool aside….roundabouts are a proven globally used solution to traffic safety and flow. England adopted it half a century ago. Read the book – Traffic, you will learn a lot about how to drive, and Westporters have a lot to learn and re-learn.
🙂
April Fool’s Day to me means “I can’t wait to see what Woog posts today.” This was a good one!
When we moved to Westport in 1955, when I was in 2nd grade, I drew a map for drawing class, labeling the streets with Westport names, even though they were randomly assigned as I probably had never seen a map of Westport at that point. I drew in it a large round-about which I remembered from where we previously lived, in South Park PA. My teacher, Ruby Sperry, asked me where it was, and I sheepishly admitted it wasn’t in Westport. I will finally be redeemed 65 years later.
Good one Dan!!!! Got me going round in circles!!
😂
I’m glad roundabouts are a joke. I lived in the UK for years and they are sometimes very busy, scary things to get into and out of, especially if you are not sure where you are! Was trying to wrap my mind around a couple of them on your list….!!!
BTW Dan. New Englanders call them “rotaries” not “roundabouts”. The latter is a UK term. Otherwise, nice try on the prank.
BTW Mark, there’s a difference. A rotary consists of a set of merges and diverges with a circular road. Entry is similar to entering a freeway from a ramp. A roundabout is a pair of one-way roads that cross each other, with a circular island between the two pairs of roadways.
I always called them traffic circles.
Another hoodwinked reader. And I was so excited at the prospect, too. I remember a rotary/roundabout where the light is now at Riverside/Saugatuck and Treadwell Ave.
Good one, Dan!!
Look, kids, Big Ben, Parliament!