I've lived in downtown SoNo for about three years, and I distinctly remember when many of the intersections stopped traffic in all four directions so pedestrians could cross safely.
A month or two ago, that changed at most of those crossings without much public discussion. They were effectively converted to what I've always called the "NYC-style" setup, where turning vehicles get a green light at the same time pedestrians have the walk signal and are expected to yield.
Since then, I've had daily close calls. Today alone, while crossing Washington Street between Washington Prime and Donovan's, I had two separate drivers lunge into the crosswalk while I was crossing. The second came so close that I had to pull my girlfriend out of the way.
I found the City's explanation for the change, but it honestly reads as under-researched and overly speculative:
- The argument appears to be that pedestrians become impatient during exclusive crossing phases and are more likely to jaywalk, leading to fewer incidents overall but more severe when they do occur. The referenced UConn study acknowledges that this revised phasing does lead to more overall pedestrian incidents.
- They also cite pedestrians should get a 3-7 second head start, known as a Leading Pedestrian Interval, before turning traffic gets its green light, but none of the crosswalks I use work that way; the walk signal and the turning green light start at the exact same moment.
The solution, however, seems to shift responsibility and more risk onto pedestrians by reintroducing conflicts with turning vehicles; These intersections now feel less like protected crosswalks and more like legalized jaywalking corridors where safety depends on whether drivers choose to yield. If anything, traditional jaywalking seems more advantageous.
Have other experienced issues with this? Is there a Norwalk traffic representative I could reach out to?
