Allan Appel Photo
The McDonald’s at 225 Foxon Blvd. on Route 80 — a state road that is also the busiest in the city — has two other distinctions:
• It has become the staging area for late-night drag racing that every summer perennially plagues the Quinnipiac Meadows area of the city,
• It was the scene of an astounding 100 accidents last year alone.
That’s why changes might be in that location’s future. Changes like stationing an extra-duty late night cop stationed at the eatery and installation of a divider to prevent eastbound hamburger-hunters from from cutting off I‑91 Exit 8 mergers onto the road.
Lt. Rentkowicz with neighbors.
Those possibilities emerged Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Quinnipiac East Community Management team. The meeting drew 20 neighbors and officials to the library of the Ross/Woodward School on Barnes Avenue right across Route 80, within sight of the McDonald’s under discussion.
The issue arose during a wide-ranging discussion of universal summer problems in the area, such as loud drag racing and loud music.
“What’s the most trafficked road in the city?” Quinnipiac Avenue resident Vin Marottoli asked District Manager Lt. Jason Rentkowicz and his fellow attendees.
“Hands down,” he answered for himself, “it’s Route 80, more than double the traffic load of the next runner-up.”
Marottoli testifies, with Alder Antunes at left elbow.
Marottoli’s aim was not to play a New Haven version of the board game Trivial Pursuit, but to make a plea to Rentkowicz: “At night, it’sa drag strip, defective mufflers, talk abut noise pollution! I’d like to see some speeding and noise stops. It’s just unbelievable.”
“I understand your frustration,” Rentkowicz replied.
With a no-chase policy for drag racers, the city has been taking steps like photographing drag-racing vehicles, he said. Then, during the day, officers stop the operators for equipment violations.
“I’ve lost two tenants due to speeding and accidents,” causing them to move out, said developer Fereshteh Bekhrad.
Marottoli asked Rentkowicz if traffic-calming measures like speed bumps might be under consideration.
“That’s a city, traffic and parking” department issue, Rentkowicz replied. “There’s a lot of process to get them in.” And the process doesn’t include higher-speed state roads like Route 80.
Rentkowicz reported that he has met with the McDonald’s manager about hiring private security, in the form of an extra-duty cop, beginning at 10 p.m. “My officers tell me that’s the center hub, where the racing starts and ends.”
“We have a mutual understanding there’s a problem with drag racers,” he said of his conversations with area business owners.
Antunes Avoids Accident
Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Gerry Antunes in the red shirt at right.
Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Gerry Antunes said the problem at the location includes not just nocturnal drag racers, but lousy drivers at all hours of day and night.
“I almost got into an accident by the McDonald’s and the car wash,” he said, because of eastbound Route 80 drivers turning into the business lots and cutting across vehicles coming down the off-ramp from Exit 8
The incident was memorable enough for Antunes to be in touch with staffers at the city’s transit department, which informed him that the location had the 100 accidents last year.
“Maybe we have to put a divider, continue the divider, so people don’t make those turns” until they have a green light, Antunes suggested.
The challenge in getting that done, however, is that Route 80 is a state road. “We are surrounded by state roads,” Antunes told the neighbors. “Route 80, Quinnipiac, Route 17. Someone mentioned speed bumps [on Quinnipiac]: Nice idea, but it’s a state road. All that has to be cleared with the state,” including the absence of Route 80 sidewalks.
That struck a chord with neighbor Ian Christmann, a father of two boys. “Now there are so many people walking with kids, it’s scary [as they walk on the margin of the road.”
“Yes,” Antunes confirmed, “some walk from [as far] as Front Street.”
“We’ll be doing something,” Antunes said. “Some of the businesses might not like it, but it’s nicer to get there alive than not get there at all.”
Antunes said that he is scheduling a meeting with members State Reps. Roland Lemar and Al Paolillo to discuss next steps.
Elicker Weighs In
Elicker with William Ruiz.
Mayoral candidate Justin Elicker, who was in attendance to give a stump speech, shared some of his ideas about dirt bikers and drag racing.
“We have a no-chase policy, so why not use drones? And why not come down hard at the beginning, so they’ll know every spring” that the city does not welcome dragsters? Elicker asked. “We shouldn’t have to rally the troops each season.”
As to speeding, Elicker said that only ten dollars for each speeding ticket goes into city, as opposed to state, coffers. He suggested that removes an incentive to issue more speeding tickets. He called for changing state law to up the local percentage share.
I bet a police officer would love tracking drag racers or dirt bikes with a drone for half a shift - then delivering citations or confiscating road-unworthy vehicles. Sounds seriously fun. And yes, the clampdown needs to start right away, as soon as "noise season" begins.
As for McDonalds - seems like if you post a police officer there, the drag racers will just move to a different location. It isn't as if the food there is irreplaceable.