Alder Pushes for Slow Down New Haven Campaign

A New Haven city alder wants to take a closer look at lowering speed limits on densely populated neighborhood streets as part of a campaign urging drivers in the Elm City to slow down.

“It’s throughout the whole city,” said Alder Richard Furlow of the 27th Ward. “It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

From Westville to Wooster Square, New Haven residents raised concerns about motorists driving too fast with NBC Connecticut.

“They come through here like crazy,” said Nathaniel Berry of Frederick Street.

“Sometimes very difficult to cross the street and people treat chapel street like a highway,” said Sharon Chekijian, who lives near Wooster Square.

Alder Furlow wants the city to consider dropping speed limits from 25 to 20 miles per hour on secondary streets in neighborhoods.

“We need to do this slow down New Haven campaign,” he said. “If you drive 25 miles an hour, it’s too fast. Most people don’t drive 25, they drive 30. Thirty miles if you hit a child, that’s going to be fatal.”

Signs that read, “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here”, are posted on a tree in Berry’s neighborhood.

“Almost every day, you stick around you’ll see one,” Berry said of the close class he has seen.

Chekijian lives near the scene of a fatal car accident in February 2016 at Chapel and Olive Streets.

“There are many streets that should be prioritized,” she said about lowering speed limits.

The Office of the State Traffic administration would have to approve any speed limit reduction on secondary streets in New Haven.

“Data has shown time and time again that artificially lowering speed limits does not reduce the speed at which motorists travel,” CT Department of Transportation Kevin Nursick told NBC Connecticut over the phone.

“I agree,” Furlow said. “It’s not just lowering the speed limit. We need police enforcement, and we need driver education, so these three elements together I think it’s going to slow down the city.”

The alderman is also proposing a, “slow down New Haven day.” He’s trying to enlist residents in some neighborhoods to drive 5 miles per hour below the speed limit for a day.

The public hearing on reducing speed limits is set for March 14 at 7 p.m. at city hall.

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