New Haven Independent

(Click here to read an Independent article and reader discussion about Rainoff’s death and the safety issues.)

One of the activists involved, Erica Mintzer, sent in the following write-up about the group’s latest meeting:

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On Tuesday at 5 p.m., the newly formed Traffic Safety Group met in response to the recent motor vehicle collision that killed pedestrian Mila Rainof at the intersection of York and South Frontage streets. The purpose of the meeting was to convene administrators from Yale and the City of New Haven, students, faculty and community members, to share current and future initiatives to improve traffic safety in the area around Yale-New Haven Hospital. Attendees included Holly Parker, Director, Sustainable Transportation Systems at Yale; Mike Piscitelli, Director, New Haven Department of Transportation, Traffic & Parking; Rob Klein, Deputy Director, Office of Environmental Health and Safety at Yale; Gary Mandelburg, Facilities Director, Yale School of Medicine; and Paul Cleary, Dean of the Yale School of Public Health.

Dean Cleary presented past efforts to improve pedestrian safety at the intersections of College and North/South Frontage after a Yale Public Health student was struck and injured in 2006. Mr. Piscitelli reported that the city was planning to completely replace pedestrian signals along North and South Frontage as part of the Yale Cancer Center traffic plans. Other potential solutions such as installing red light cameras to ticket drivers that run red lights were mostly impeded by politics at the state level. He suggested targeting advocacy activities to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Rob Rocke and David Streever, representatives from Elm City Cycling, presented their ongoing efforts to improve enforcement of traffic laws in New Haven. Mr. Rocke and Mr. Streever were planning to meet with the recently appointed bicycle and pedestrian liasion from the New Haven Police Department that same evening at 6 pm during the Elm City Cycling Traffic Subcommittee meeting.

Mr. Mandelburg offered to make any changes to Yale School of Medicine
facilities operations that would improve traffic safety. At the end of the meeting, participants expressed desire to continue meeting as a group to come up with short-term and long-term solutions to improve traffic safety in the area around Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine. Those who are interested in attending future meetings or engaging in advocacy activities should contact jonathan.romanyshyn@yale.edu.