1 Month, 5 Killed; 6 Hit Since Saturday

I'm glad that Alders Roth and Winter are calling attention to the dangerous conditions that exist for people trying to navigate around the city. In fact, these Alders, in addition to Anna Festa, are the only ones on the whole Board of Alders who are working to improve the city.

All the other Alders must look out the window and think the City-wide dystopia is some kind of Shangri-La.

Let's see if any of the Unite Here Alders will find a way to "blame Yale" for the pedestrian injuries.

Looks like Fair Haven and the Hill/West River have disproportionately more accidents than other large neighborhoods. Is this a combination of sub-par infrastructure and distracted drivers?

East Rock is a super pedestrian-dense neighborhood, and the city has invested tons of money in infrastructure to make the neighborhood safe for cyclists and walkers - we may learn something from that.

I am SHOCKED no Yale students have been hit by a vehicle, unless they report to YPD not NHPD. Yale students are notoriously bad at crossing the street.

It is not popular nor politically correct to cast any dispersions on cyclists in New Haven, however EVERY DAY I observe cyclists blowing through stop signs, red lights, and when not convenient to ride in the bike lanes created for their safety, on the sidewalk. I have been hit once this year by a bicyclist, and after I got up off the ground and asked why he was riding on the sidewalk, received the middle finger and expletive answer. This was one of the "spandex set" riders, but the larger number of sidewalk riders were folks riding to work or class, backpack on and helmeted. When I asked a young woman why she wasn't riding in the road right of way for cyclists, she said it was "unsafe".
I asked a police officer if cyclists were to follow the "rules of the road", I was told that in a right of way, (the Street), they were considered a vehicle and must follow the same rules of the road as a car.
I believe most cyclists do not know this, and identify as pedestrians. Perhaps if more information was put out about this, (and some amount of crackdown to drive the point home), there might be fewer incidences of people putting themselves in harm's way.
Cars are told they have to "share the road" this is fair. But cyclists also share the road, and should be expected to follow the rules as well. BTW: a comment was made that East Rock was considered safe infrastructure. I was hit on Orange Street, and the majority of red light and stop sign runners was on Orange Street. Education, not signage is needed. I also ride a bike.

I'm convinced that this serious trend (which will only get worse) is directly related to the fact that New Haven makes almost no attempt to enforce traffic laws. If lawlessness is allowed, the streets become a very dangerous place. This includes running red lights, speeding, ignoring stop signs, and the dirt bike nonsense. At what number of deaths will the city start to take this seriously? How about red light cams to start (every excuse not to enforce via cameras is hollow)?

I have lived in a handful of major cities in the US for extended periods, but nowhere have I felt less safe walking and riding a bike than in New Haven. Too may cars, far too many reckless drivers. I have been struck, or nearly struck, by a car more times than I can count here. Many busy intersections in downtown and in the neighborhoods lack even the most basic pedestrian safety features. To the alders who are "shocked" by these numbers: Open your eyes. This has been going on FOR YEARS. Do you feel good knowing your constituents and their children are forced to cross busy intersections that don't even have crosswalks, where drivers frequently do 45 in a 25?

I have written to alderman Haci Castoboglu who is the Ward One alder and represents the town gown divide about this since before his election. I met with him about it, I implored him to do something and provided detailed notes for him to forward to Doug Hausladen. I warned there would be a pedestrian collision at Trumbull and Grove - weeks later, it happened. I gave voluminous data regarding how the one way traffic lights at Crown and College, and now College and Grove, and Crown and Temple are not automatic even though these are one ways w/ no turns on reds. The crosswalks should turn white automatically but are delayed now two cycles. Pedestrians are often flummoxed by the stupidity of the design or confused by the two cycles and thus do not use the buttons.

I pleaded w/ Haci that his most basic job was to keep his community safe from harm - and death. He replied to me that he was away on spring break and to this day nothing has been done in this regard. He was too busy self-promoting a grandiose and narcissistic redesign of the New Haven flag the very day people were dropping like flies underneath it on the green from OD's - staging photo ops of himself - and then self-promoting a meaningless legal weed campaign and more of his pictures in the Yale Daily News - an effort that failed miserably in the General Assembly. Self-aggrandizement and self promotion but no action. And warnings ignored.

A public servant's most basic duty is to ensure the physical safety of his ward, and Haci has been AWOL since day one. That he is going to learn public "service" at Columbia is ironic beyond words. He was too busy writing his own Wikipedia entry - at the expense of public safety. This self-promotion is a joke.

A few months ago, I was crossing Trumbull Street southbound along Whitney Ave., with a lighted WALK sign, when a driver turned on the Trumbull from Whitney, stopped at the red light for a moment, then floored it through the intersection. He missed me by a couple of feet, max. I turned to yell at him, and as he sped away he yelled "Get out of the road!" This is the most extreme example, but I have regularly been treated like garbage by drivers while walking in New Haven. I almost always feel safer and more respected on a bike than I do as a pedestrian. But it's a low bar.

Kudos to Roth and Winter.

@ WMACHQ

Bikes aren't the problem here. Pedestrians aren't being killed by cyclists. And while I agree that people shouldn't ride bikes on the sidewalk (especially busy downtown ones as students are apt to do) it's not completely illogical to be afraid of riding on the street, given this story. Finally, when you complain about cyclists "blowing through" red lights and stop signs, I assume you mean they're employing the "Idaho stop," which is more practical and actually safer than behaving exactly like a care, even if it's not legal here, yet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop#Positions

@ WMACHQ,

This is an article about pedestrians being killed by cars and motorcycles. How is this possibly the fault of cyclists? The only mention of a cyclist here is one who was hit by a car and last time I checked there were no bike lanes on Grand Ave.

You can try and blame cyclists for everything but the fact is there has been a huge increase in pedestrian deaths nationwide over the last fifteen years which is obviously a result of distracted drivers and increases in the size of cars.

Car drivers.We all better start handing over our Keys.When Elicker becomes Mayor.This is his words.

Justin Elicker popped into a downtown cycle shop Thursday night to vow to become a mayor who rides his bike to work — and makes it easier for other people to as well.Elicker advocated "education, enforcement, and infrastructure" as the three main tenets of a pro-biker agenda. Downtown New Haven is "like the Wild West," Elicker said, arguing that running red lights, speeding, and other dangerous driving practices have been on the rise.

Notice he Blame the driving practices.How about the Jay walkers The people who walk into the streets texting. Cyclists blowing through stop signs, red lights.Should not Bikers and pedestrians follow the law of the roads also?

How about this doing this.

We the Drivers, Pedestrians and Cyclists — A new Constitution for transportation safety

Section 1

Drivers shall be defined as the operators of any motorized Vehicles that utilize the main thoroughfares and side streets.

Section 2

Drivers shall continue to purchase Insurance and obtain a license under rules ordained by the several States. But henceforth, they must submit themselves for recertification at a period of 10 years to ensure that they can still safely operate their Vehicles.

Drivers must yield to Cyclists and Pedestrians in crosswalks and other times when Cyclist and Pedestrians have the right of way as defined by common Law. Drivers may not speed up to position themselves ahead of Cyclists and Pedestrians who are about to enter a crosswalk or assert their right of way.

Drivers of those silent, battery-powered Bicycles shall not sneak up on Cyclists or Pedestrians without warning.

Article II

Section 1

Cyclists shall be defined as operators of human-powered Vehicles, whether of one, two, three or more Wheels.

Part One.

Part TWO

Section 2

Cyclists shall purchase Insurance, obtain a license under rules ordained by the several States, and submit themselves for recertification at a period of 10 years to ensure that they can still safely operate their Vehicles.

No Cyclist shall listen to amplified music through one or more earpieces at any time while the Vehicle is in motion. There is no way to hear crucial road Noises whether Cyclist is listening to Brian Lehrer or Lou Reed.

Cyclists must yield to Pedestrians at all times. This does not mean a Cyclist can swerve around a fellow Cyclist who has slowed to allow a Pedestrian to walk safely. That Cyclist must also yield.

Cyclists shall not use excessive Speed.

Cyclists must stop at all red Lights between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Cyclists may proceed slowly through the Light if no other Vehicles or Pedestrians are present.

Article III

Section 1

Pedestrians are defined as people who use sidewalks and intersections on foot or in wheelchairs.

Section 2

Pedestrians shall have the right of way at all times, except if they are crossing illegally or against the Light. But even in those instances, Drivers and Cyclists must stop, though they can grumble to Themselves.

Pedestrians have the right of way in all crosswalks, but cannot expect Vehicle operators to yield in perpetuity if Pedestrian is not walking, but merely waiting on the side of the road fiddling with his Device.

No Pedestrian shall perambulate with his eyes focused on anything except the Action in the Street. This is the best Way to avoid other Pedestrians and Vehicle operators.

posted by: poho on September 25, 2019 2:46pm

You can try and blame cyclists for everything but the fact is there has been a huge increase in pedestrian deaths nationwide over the last fifteen years which is obviously a result of distracted drivers and increases in the size of cars.

You fix this by cracking down on everyone Cyclists Pedestrians and Vehicle operators.
.

LookOut says it correctly. Each day as I travel around this city I see more and more lawlessness and bad behavior. Here's a smattering of what I see each day. Pedestrians crossing in mid traffic flow to cross 3 lanes of traffic, pedestrians on their cell phones crossing the street without notice of traffic flow, packs of 20 to 30 quads and two stroke motorcycles with riders wearing masks trampling motor vehicle laws and creating dangerous behavior, Uber and Lyft drivers stopping in driving lanes to pick up or drop off riders without regard to other drivers or the dangers of stopping in driving lanes, Grubhub drivers dropping off meals and leaving their cars parked in a driving lane with the lights flashing while they make a delivery on foot, bicyclists getting cut off by vehicles because the only thing separating them from a 4,000 lb vehicle going 40 miles per hour is a painted line in the street, young packs of kids from the neighborhoods riding their bicycles up the middle of Chapel Street at rush hour without regard to traffic laws, drivers completely blowing off stop signs and red lights, Friday night motorcycle riders from outside the city triggering alarms as they rev their engines with impunity dragging on our streets as if every warm night were a James Dean movie, drivers blocking the box each morning at the Frontage Roads, drivers inadvertently crossing lanes each day and cutting off other drivers (on Church crossing George and So Frontage and the ETG Boulevard), delivery trucks making deliveries and parking for minutes at a time in front of brand new residential developments and clogging the streets, drivers on their cell phones looking down and sitting at green lights while traffic queues behind them oblivious to other drivers, bicycle riders on streets where there are no painted lanes driving up the middle of the street in traffic between vehicles, bicycle riders on the sidewalk in areas where it is very dangerous to be on the street even though this is

Lower the speed limit and install red light cameras - and for that matter automated speeding detectors.

The privacy argument about red light cameras is a red herring. Slow the cars down. Stop them at red lights. And save lives.

Well thank last govenor for given the so called YOUTH A PASS.....THEY LAUGH AT POLICE AND DRIVE RECKLESS BECAUSE THERE IS NO PUNISHMENT....ALSO THANK TONY HARP SANCTUORY CITY THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PLATES FROM ROAD ISLAND TEXAS CALIFORNIA ECT ALL ILLEGAL PLATES AND THE ONES. DRIVING YES I LIVE IN NEW HAVEN AND ITS A CESS POOL.....AND GETTING WORST

I'm getting a Jet Pack!

Thank you Lookout, JohnnyO, and Omerta. Distracted drivers on cell phones, cars and bikes roaring at all hours, traffic rules unenforced, a sense of lawlessness. Justin Elicker said it was like "the Wild West" out there and he's right. All the violations are on the books but there is no will to enforce from the cops and a weak administration perhaps doesn't want to irritate the voting public by enforcing law and order.

I , too, have noticed all the out of state plates--- evading taxes, motor vehicle fees, and who knows if they are valid or stolen. Why doesn't the state crack down on this?? They could make some money that we supposedly need.

Let's concentrate on making NH livable or all those luxury apts we;re building will stand empty when no one feels safe to live here.

City Yankee,

Back in the early nineties, I had a housemate who was a Deputy Chief of Police in charge of implementing Community Policing. He told me that New Haven hadn't enforced a moving violation in twenty years!

This is where we 'start'.........culture.

Very important work! Let's hope that Alder Roth and Alder Winter soon have a change of heart and also fight for those struggling with lead contaminated houses and rising rents. I'm still very disappointed that they voted against funding additional fair rent commission field officers and lead inspectors. I understand that that these issues might not directly affect the constituents that they prioritize. But I'm sure nearly everyone in New Haven wants to see action on these issues.

@LookOut, I completely agree. It's ridiculous that no traffic laws are enforced in CT. I watch people going at least 60 mph down Whitney Ave in East Rock, running red lights, going through walk lights... not to mention bicyclists also going through red lights without even pausing to see if it's safe to do so. There are rarely cops around, and even if there are, they don't do anything when people dangerously break laws right in front of them.

I know that red light traffic cameras were considered unconstitutional here, but having lived in New York where they had them at practically every light, I can say it definitely does help cut down on the number of people running red lights, which is extremely common here in New Haven. That would be a great place to start.

The headline of this story is a little bit misleading in that it suggests that the motor vehicle operators were at fault. The only incident that clearly was operator fault was the Grand and Baltchley Ave. All the incidents assume that operators are at fault. Can we get more information on who is at fault, so we can a better discussion.
The police still do traffic stops on a daily basis but they cant be on every corner, every day, every minute. If they see a violation, they will stop you and give you a ticket. I know this because I have paid a few of these.

I see no mention to the multiple accidents on Edgewood/Ella T Grasso Blvd, Edgewood/Ellsworth, Edgewood/Norton which occur consistently. At times more than 2 in a week as it happened 2 weeks ago. Alder is well aware, reports to SCF and demands for statistics for over 1 year. What has changed? Nothing, they placed a speed sensor- nothing else. No statistic report, no speed bumps no monitoring by PD- nothing.

Same issue at Spring/ Hurlburt- there is no visibility from oncoming Hurlburt- no stop or light. Multiple accidents consistently. Also Alder Rodriguiez, PD chief, SCF complaints- nothing happens.

But our kids are expected to cross these streets when adults behind projectile weapons are not held accountable!!!

In the past five years drivers of all vehicles have been making their own rules of the road. I'll list just a couple of the more flagrant rules they have created.

Pogo:
Sorry you are offended. Yes I believe you think cyclists are sacrosanct and have nothing to do with cars hitting pedestrians. I witnessed a motorist who was slowed down by a cyclist who was riding in the center of the road, (yes, there WAS a designated bike lane on the street), and that motorist eventually passed the cyclist, then tried to make a changing light before turning red, (no defense here), he almost hit a pedestrian trying to cross the street. I could only think that HIS (yes, it was a male), poor decision to speed up, was excacerbated by the arrogant behavior of the cyclist who deliberately slowed him down. I believe BOTH motorist and cyclist were party to a close encounter that could have been tragic.
We need to ENFORCE the rules of the road, by motorists AND cyclists (and also pedestrians), equally to ensure compliance.
I said education is the answer, (you seemed to have missed that). I believe "threefith's) comments were very good in promulgating a solution . You may also have missed that I too am a cyclist. We are all responsible.

Oh, forgot, also to Poho, I stand by "blow through" ..... no slow down, no "Idaho stop" or whatever rationalization you were referring to.
No slow down, just pedaled through at high speed.

Sorry PHo part of my rejoinder goes to "Cunningham" another bicycle apologist.

I think the bigger issue here is the relatively new sense of anomie new to New Haven.

I moved to New Haven in 2006 from Fairfield County, and even though this pre-dated the Great Recession, the city had a different vibe. The biggest change has been the policy change to send firetrucks, sirens, and AMR vehicles which have essentially become a de facto paramilitary occupation of the city conducting "welfare checks" and hauling people in for simply looking "unusual." I still wonder about the constitutionality of some quasi-government contractor (AMR) seizing you off the street without a warrant.

The constant sirens, air horns, dirt bikes, motor cycles, and ATV vehicles have given the city a MadMax Beyond the Thunderdome Anything Goes vibe. The great concern extended to dirt bike rider's criminal records at the expense of law abiding citizens also leads to a sense of lawlessness & havoc.

I have the pleasure of teaching every summer at Brown in Providence, Rhode Island, a city very much like ours in many respects except one: pedestrian safety. I would encourage all New Haven officials to look at what Providence is doing differently.

Finally, the intersection of Trumbull and Whitney at rush hour is especially perilous and I have written to Doug Hauseldon, the Mayor, Alder Castoboglu repeatedly.

Cars get caught in the intersection or jump it, and pedestrians are forced to squeeze either behind or in front of vehicles blocking the crosswalk. A driver seeing this then attempts to either back up or move forward, not realizing that there are pedestrians also behind or in front of him. Then, seeing the mayhem, drivers awaiting the next red light to turn green adopt a "beat it" mentality and gas their car to avoid the next cycle of this. I have suggested a speed bump, better signage, flashing lights, cameras, a DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION sign for several years to no avail. That the Ward One alder repeatedly jay walks himself in headphones speaks volumes.

@THREEFIFTHS
Your manifesto seems to be want to make the streets "less dangerous" and would require much more effort from low income households to obtain proper registration, effectively pushing them out of the streets or into jails for breaking the law.

Sounds like the mission of a gentrification vampire to me.

Some sidewalks are too narrow to walk a bike. Some road lanes are too narrow to ride with cars. Some drive way to fast for the available conditions. Why the hell are there so many narrow lanes and two lane roads running through this city? Discourage cars from driving through the middle of the city and make the core pedestrian and bike centered. Then we'll have less fatalities and less people biking on sidewalks.

Yeah, Shadowboxer--- Mad Max or The Purge are pretty apt but I really like your use of the anomie (From Thought Co--. Anomie is a social condition in which there is a disintegration or disappearance of the norms and values that were previously common to the society. The concept, thought of as "normlessness," was developed by the founding sociologist, Émile Durkheim.) It is frustrating, confusing , and makes us feel powerless to have agency in our own hometown. Just the sheer noise all night and all day rattles your brain and your spirit. More and more; I don't feel welcome in my own city and moving elsewhere feels like the right thing to do.

BTW--- What did they do in Providence??

posted by: NewHaven18 on September 26, 2019 3:50pm

@THREEFIFTHS
Your manifesto seems to be want to make the streets "less dangerous" and would require much more effort from low income households to obtain proper registration, effectively pushing them out of the streets or into jails for breaking the law.

Sounds like the mission of a gentrification vampire to me.

Where does the manifesto say it would require much more effort from low income households to obtain proper registration, effectively pushing them out of the streets or into jails for breaking the law?As I also said. You fix this by cracking down on everyone Cyclists Pedestrians and Vehicle operators.In fact in the research I did .I found Countries that enforce motor vehicle laws have less accidents.Look at Distracted Walking which is on the rise.

Distracted driving is a well established problem, so much so that many states currently have bans in place when it comes to using technology while driving. But the problem of distracted walking is a relatively new one. Each year, more and more people are injured as a result of texting, talking or listening to music while on their cell phones. And while we might laugh at the woman who falls into the fountain while texting, or the man who walks into a wall while texting, the problem of distracted walking is a very real and serious one.

Also how about contributory negligence by Jay walkers and Cyclists?

@THREEFIFTHS

Your rhetoric is the same used by politicians in the 90s to clean up the streets of NYC. By "cracking down," as you put it, we put an unnecessary burden on communities that cannot afford an untimely fine or another mark on their records. Gentrification happens in stages. Criminalizing who gets to be on the streets is stage one.

I am not arguing for or against red light cameras. This comment is only to inform. Red light cameras are illegal on the state level. If you feel strongly about them you'll have to start there and work your way down to the city level.

This is simple: Traffic rules are not sufficiently enforced in the City of New Haven. Until they are, this kind of carnage and near-misses will not abate.

Pedestrian safety is one of my favorite topics. If traffic violations were included in "crime" statistics, suburbs would be no safer then cities per capita. But I must say that New Haven streets are better patrolled then when I moved here in 2001. We need state approval for red light camera's (and no state elected official without a red light in his or her town should be allowed to vote against our request.)

I love Three Fifths' contract. Nothing wrong with ticketing jaywalkers and non law abiding cyclists.

A city with lawless streets feels very unsafe and makes other crimes likely too. I wanted the statistics these alders are asking for when I first moved here and they were not available. Must measure if we are too fix.

Let's all work together to make our streets safe. Let's get fair support from the state government to make it economically feasible for New Haven Police to give out motor vehicle and other tickets. Let set up a plan and work to remove all barriers to safe streets. I am in and might even start cycling again if I felt safe.

Don't start me on litter.

posted by: NewHaven18 on September 27, 2019 8:30am
@THREEFIFTHS

Your rhetoric is the same used by politicians in the 90s to clean up the streets of NYC. By "cracking down," as you put it, we put an unnecessary burden on communities that cannot afford an untimely fine or another mark on their records. Gentrification happens in stages. Criminalizing who gets to be on the streets is stage one.

Rhetoric? How is equal enforcement of motor vehicle laws rhetoric? In fact does not cyclists come under the motor vehicle laws?

Dear 3/5's: I think you're wrong on this one. People don't want criminals on the loose and don't care what their color/religion is. If folks can't afford a criminal charge(who can??) They should not commit criminal acts. NH can't afford to be seen as a lawless place if we wish to survive economically and socially. Race is not part of the equation. Crime and quality of life is #1. You can't racialize everything. ( I made up that word).
If gentrifying means keeping crime out of our town and off our streets; then I am all for it.

posted by: CityYankee on September 28, 2019 10:02am

Dear 3/5's: I think you're wrong on this one. People don't want criminals on the loose and don't care what their color/religion is

I am lost.I did not say anything about gentrifying or criminals.I said You fix this by cracking down on everyone Cyclists Pedestrians and Vehicle operators.

@CityYankee

Yes, I think you may have misunderstood. 3/5ths would be on your side on this one and would agree to a type of pro-gentrification/"broken window" policy. I, personally, think that this agenda smells very pro-Yale and would be another move by them to put unbalanced pressure on vulnerable communities of New Haven to promote safer streets.