Woman, 38, Dies In Hit-&-Run

This is so unspeakably sad and wholly preventable. A woman is dead because the state has failed to adequately invest in infrastructure at that juncture of state roads 1 and 10, and its drivers have deemed crosswalks fairly meaningless (also the case on Whalley, Nicholl, and Trumbull among others). As a reporter, I am probably out there once or twice a month and always feel like I'm going to die while crossing the street. It's not a nice feeling to have.

The NHI wrote about this very intersection (http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/city_weighs_ella_t._improvements/; look at the photo at the top of the article) earlier this year.
That article now feels horribly prophetic.

So sad. Thoughts are with her family and loved ones.

I'm also furious. Of all of the places where I cross on my daily 3 mile morning trek across the city this one is the worst. It's no surprise that it is also the only State run property on the journey. This entire stretch of boulevard and really Boulevard in its entirety is absolutely unsafe due to poorly designed infrastructure. Any incident at this intersection lies equally on the shoulders of State DOT no matter if a driver is also at fault.

How about a roundabout/traffic circle here? They are considerably less deadly than traditional intersections. After a few generations of designing roads solely so cars could go as fast as possible, CT DoT is rediscovering the benefits of roundabouts.

Please do not read what follows as any kind of an attempt to blame the victim, as I have no idea of the details in this case. It just reminded me of something that has been on my mind for years, and now the days are getting shorter, it's worth bringing up.

Far too many pedestrians, and also cyclists, are completely invisible to drivers. Yes, I know YOU can tell the driver is approaching -- lights, engine noise, road noise etc. -- but often the driver literally CAN NOT see you, if you are wearing dark clothes from head to foot and nothing reflective. This is not an exaggeration. Sometimes it is only a tiny reflector on a sneaker, or a white stripe on a hoodie, that reveals you are there. In many neighborhoods in New Haven, street lights do not help much, especially in early to mid fall when there are still leaves on the trees blocking the light.

When I was a kid my school had a safety poster, "Wear White at Night and Live!" and that advice is still true. I have occasionally stopped my car, once some invisible people came into sight, rolled down the window, and explained to them that I did not see them until I was almost on top of them. They genuinely appeared surprised, and grateful for the tip.

Wow, I feel sad for that woman. But then again, it's not unusual to often hear that somebody has been struck and killed or severely injured by a vehicle in New Haven. The town has a lot of poor infrustructure that needs to be addressed and taken care of. Same thing with a lot of the roads, signs and traffic signals.

• It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the Boulevard is likely to be the most dangerous stretch of road in all of New Haven. It's amazing that nothing has been done to make corridors like the Boulevard, Whalley or even Howard Avenue more safer for pedestrians to walk across the street without them worrying that they will get hit. It's just crazy.

Something is confusing in this article. There is no Orange Avenue in New Haven nor does Orange Street intersect Ella T. Grasso. Did the police mean Derby Avenue?

[Ed.: Orange Avenue does have a sliver in New Haven past the West Haven line. It ends at the Boulevard; it continues on as Columbus Avenue.]

My god, such a terrible story. I am so sorry to read this, particularly today, somehow. I spent much of yesterday and today discussing issues like pedestrian crosswalks and driving habits and all of that jazz -- and now this. May Ms. Woods' memory be a blessing to her loved ones. Please, drivers, please, be more careful and conservative as drivers; and pedestrians -- as my grandmother always said to me -- "Watch yourself."

Rest In Peace. I'm glad to see the comments here firmly on the side of better pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure.

I'm often on the Boulevard on my bicycle. And pass that ghost bike memorial near this accident each time....

People using the road make mistakes, always have and always will. Crashes will always be with us, but they need not result in fatalities or serious injury. Modern roundabouts are the safest form of intersection in the world - the intersection type with the lowest risk of fatal or serious injury crashes - (much more so than comparable signals). Modern roundabouts change the speed and geometry of one of the most dangerous parts of the system - intersections. The reduction in speed and sideswipe geometry mean that, more often than not, when a crash does happen at a modern roundabout, you usually need a tow truck, not an ambulance. Roundabouts are one of nine proven road safety features (FHWA).
The life saved may be your own.

The safety of a pedestrian crossing any road, regardless of the intersection control, can be enhanced in many different ways. Signing and marking the crossing is usually the first step on 2-lane roads. Shortening the crossing distance is another. The safest shortening method is a median that permits pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time (two-phase), as with a modern roundabout. This is particularly helpful for the youngest and oldest pedestrians with developing or diminished abilities to judge traffic coming from two directions. Enhanced markings include advance stop bars where any half of the crossing has more than one lane, as well as double white striping to prohibit passing leading up to the crossing. Advance stop bars and double white stripes helps reduce the double-threat collisions on multi-lane crossings (where the first vehicle stops, but the second does not and hits a pedestrian stepping out from behind the first car). Raised crossings slow traffic right were pedestrians cross. If emergency access is a concern, placement of speed cushions in advance of the crossing are a solution. Electronic warnings, like rapid flash beacons, increase motorists' awareness of pedestrian activity. Hybrid beacons (with a red indication) or full signals are usually reserved for locations with the busiest traffic or pedestrian uses (due to cost). One advantage of beacons is they usually rest in off, so auto traffic is only delayed when pedestrians need the extra help crossing. With a menu of ways to improve crossing safety, choosing the best one depends on local conditions.
However, each of these options is moot if there are not laws in place, or enforced, to clearly identify who has the right of way to begin with.