Carl Swanson and Jo Ann Miller live off North Avenue, not far from Bedford Middle School.
Though it’s a school zone — and there’s another one, Staples High, just over the hill — drivers often treat it as a race way. Carl writes:
After several of us tried to get something implemented to slow drivers on North Avenue for years, several solar radar speed monitors were installed in late fall of 2022.
I first suggested blinking “5 mph” signals near all 4 schools on North Avenue. You posted my concerns on “06880,” and it gained some traction.
I even got a bid from a California outfit. It would have cost a total of $38,000 for all 4 schools.
Instead, the town installed solar monitors. A 2015 national study showed that these devices slow vehicles only by 1% to 11% mph, hardly adequate for the North Avenue speedway.
Solar-powered speed monitor on North Avenue. (Photo/Carl Addison Swanson)
In fact, the monitors did little to slow down anything for many residents waiting for school buses.
In December 2022, one monitor stopped working. An engineer looked at it, and said because it was situated under a forest of trees it was not getting enough sun to fuel its purpose. The police said they could not get parts to fix the monitor.
Then the officer in charge had health issues, and the issue went to the back burner. Upon his return, he emailed me that he was aware of the situation and had assigned police officers to patrol North Avenue on a regular basis.
That has not been done, or it has not worked.
There is a growing sentiment among long time Westport residents that the present administration is more concerned about showing off our downtown and schools than taking care of the safety of its residents.
One obstacle, told to me by a police officer, is that all the revenue from speeding tickets goes to the State of Connecticut. That would suggest there is no incentive to stop and give tickets.
I run down North Avenue every day, and have never seen a car pulled over by a cop.
We are forming a coalition to deal with some of these issues. for I can’t get any feedback or game plan from the selectperson’s office or my RTM representative. Yet, they just authorized $200,000 for a “study” of the intersections of North Avenue at Cross Highway and Bayberry Lane.
Some remember 2 children killed at Reimer at North Avenue decades ago by a speeding out of control driver.
Will it take another tragedy to wake up an administration? I hope it isn’t your child.
I asked Police Chief Foti Koskinas for a comment. He said he is aware of the problem, and is waiting for replacement parts. Even under warranty, they are not readily available.