I clocked Metro Taxis traveling at 52MPH in this area with a radar device. That's double the speed limit. Maybe a few calls to the company from the appropriate authorities (e.g., the Mayor) would help put a stop to this situation.

In many other places, if you go double the speed limit, you risk an enormous fine or the temporary confiscation of your vehicle.

I would like to see speed bumps on Chapel Street from the Forrest Rd to the Blvd. Electric speed limits posted. Cameras that automatically photograph and issue tickets to violators. Chapel Street is not a highway to downtown. Residents must keep their windows closed during rush hour. Poor quality of life. Children abd adults in jeopardy. Aldermen informed before but no action taken

I think even just striping white lines to separate the travel lanes from the parking lanes would do a lot to make Chapel feel less like a highway here. When there are no cars parked in the street, as is generally the case between Yale Ave and the Blvd, you basically have a wide-open, 20-ft-wide lane. That fits my definition of a highway.

I agree Todd and Brian. I heard that the City would be taking a look at Chapel Street this coming year, and possibly targeting it for traffic calming (most likely painting). It is a crucial street for New Haven and Todd is absolutely correct that the speeding has a major impact on quality of life, property values, health, educational success and a host of other things that aren't related to just the chance of an injury.

If residents wish to see major improvements in property values and quality of life, they should lobby for a top speed limit on Chapel Street of between 15 and 20MPH, like is used in many residential areas within Europe, in Fairfield County, and in other areas.

In addition to Brian's simple suggestions of looking at the road paint, perhaps just posting a lower speed limit, painting speed limits on the road in huge white numbers (as they do in many other communities), and having an occasional enforcement detail, would help matters.

In West Hartford, road paint is used very effectively (and inexpensively) to create "chicanes" on streets like this one. Adding painted neckdowns, bike lanes, more heavily striped crosswalks, and other things can also affect the psychological perception of drivers, making them less likely to speed.

Image: A creative application of road paint in London. Following the application of this paint, and other simple traffic calming improvements, this particular neighborhood experienced a massive increase in property values.

Do you live on Chapel Street?

Personally, I work right on Chapel Street, and walk, bicycle or drive just about the entire length of it, from Westville to Fair Haven, at least once a week.

I do not live ON Chapel. I live in the neighborhood and am tired of driving 25 and being made to feel afraid in my own neighborhood by people who want to blow through it at 45-55 mph.

Dear Clicker:

I feel the same way when I ride my bike, but in addition I live on Chapel in Westville and the combination of the noise of racing cars, loud music from supped up stereos that makes my walls tremble, seeping cars that are dangerous to grammar school pedestrians, myself and others is unacceptable. The local alderwoman has done nothing to improve this though she has been made aware of some of these issues myself. And has been quick to raise taxes without looking for other alternatives first.

She would have to explain why she has accomplished nothing, or responded to follow ups. The parking in front of my home and nearly all the homes on Chapel between Forrest Rd and Yale Avenue is very important to the residents and were are issued permits to allow visitors to park in front of our homes. My mother is nearly 80 and it would be very dangerous for her to come in through the back of the house.

I would like to see back paths but not at the expense of on street parking for residents and their visitors.. I believe both can be accommodated. Do you? I also believe that speed bumps, cameras that photograph license plates of traffic violators and issues tickets, and laser based speed monitors and posted speed limits will go a long way to ease these problems.

I would love to see a light rail mag-lev train provide down down service to Westville and other neighbor hoods. Taxing cars from out of the city, but provide light rail service for commuters from centralized parking lots at major entry points including the train station, Route 34, 95 at Kimberly avenue, the East side of the Q Bridge, Hamden, Woodbridge.

Portland has set a good example to follow mix use of bikes, light rail, scooters, walking for reclaimed family friendly housing stock, I can go and on here.

New Haven had and can have a wonder water front. It needs to be reclaimed. It will take time but it will increase the tax base is implemented correctly. Leveraging, human capital, Gov't revenue, venture capital New Haven can make an investment in "Green" technology that will pay for itself and return a profit to pay for some services such as garbage collection and many other cost centers. We can turn cost centers into profit centers and place New Haven at the forefront of the Green revolution by attracting and leveraging the human capital that exists in the city and will be soon graduating from our universities and from those who have been layed off and looking to give back to society.

Let New Haven lead the way!

I know how this can be accomplished. Our city government may have difficulties. They lack both the reach. grasp and the will.

I'm tired of that too -- I routinely drive within the speed limits and get passed, in the oncoming lane, by rude, honking, insane, dangerous drivers. They should have their vehicles confiscated.

Any chance we can get an enforcement unit stationed on Central between Chapel and Edgewood to address this? I have been very, very impressed with the police traffic unit's success on Chapel between Orchard and Yale...I see someone pulled over for traffic violations almost every day. Thank you to Chief Lewis and the officers working this detail. If we could get the unit stationed on the Westville side of the park for a few days during rush hour I think it would make a huge difference.

I too would love to see an enforcement unit in the Westville side of the park. Rush hour speeds - and middle of the night speeds - on Central are up way beyond what's acceptable. In driving around Westville, I find the same bad behavior on all the major roads.

SeeClickFix keeps sending emails asking me if this "issue" has been resolved.

No. Not at all.

Speed bumps, speed traps, traffic calming measures - something needs to be done. People treat the streets like a highway.

I went to my parents' house last weekend. My wife asked me, "How do they get everyone to drive the speed limit?"
Enforcement.
Speed humps (bigger and badder than bumps) everywhere.
And more people driving the speed limit. When it becomes a community standard, everyone drives that way, and people stop tailgating because they're used to it.

Arrggggh!
See click fix keeps asking me if this issue has been resolved (by email).
Today someone passed me on Chapel. How did this become accepted behavior? I've never been to a place like this.

"Has the issue titled "speeding and tailgating" been fixed?"

This reminder emails just make me think of how much I hate drivers around here. I got passed on the way to work yesterday and on the way home today.

There seems to be a problem on Norton st between whalley and goffe st as well. It's such open space that the drivers are flying down the street. Sometimes I stand and tell them to slow down. I'm positive that we as a neighborhood will fix these issues as well as the other issues we are facing here today.

I'm sure the issues can be fixed someday, but not sure enforcement will help all that much.

Along with my neighbors, I would like to see a breakdown of traffic enforcement activity by neighborhood so individual neighborhoods can actively measure what is happening there.

In 2008, over 2,000 neighbors plus nearly 100 elected officials, community groups, businesses and churches directly requested this through the Safe Streets Petition, but no action has been taken.

As we all know, there has been a fairly significant citywide increase in M/V ticketing since 2008 -- but since little neighborhood data has been compiled, it is difficult to see if that increase was just in downtown or if the NHPD is actually enforcing the laws in any particular section of town.

In any case, enforcement is only of limited usefulness. People will continue to speed as long as the roads are designed the way they are. If residents want a quiet neighborhood with controlled traffic and a balance between mobility and safety for road users of all ages and abilities, it should work towards simple traffic calming measures.

To cite just one of hundreds of documented examples, Cambridge, MA, a city with similar demographics and climate to New Haven, recently installed a series of raised crosswalks, which reduced incidence of speeding from about 60% of vehicles to less than 10%.

Until these basic quality of life issues are addressed I feel that a lot of people will hesitate to move to or invest in neighborhoods that are beset by speeding, noise and unruly behavior. A fraction of the $400+ million that New Haven invests in other government services might be put to better use creating neighborhoods that families wish to invest in in the long term.

This issue was recategorized from Uncategorized to Policing Issue.

Isn't it ironic that the comments posted in 2009 are still so relevant in 2014? When will our alderman demand that the city do more to calm traffic on Chapel? Like many others I am disgusted by drivers who aggressively tailgate as I attempt to turn onto my street or those who use it as a drag strip. A few years ago we were awakened by a large crash after a speeding driver slammed his car into a neighbor's home. With so many children in the area this is simply unacceptable.

I agree. Comments from 5 years ago and 1 month ago illustrate how little has been done to resolve this issue. This is clearly an ongoing problem.

A group of Chapel St neighbors have filed a Street Calming petition and it has been submitted several months ago. This has been headed up by the alderman, Adam M. The director of Traffic, Doug, came to meet with the group in August. He explained that his department no longer has funds to expend on speed bumps or raised surfaces. Doug has begun to analyze the traffic pattern to determine what actions can be taken.
PLEASE JOIN THE CHAPEL ST. GROUP/DISCUSSION. Changes require more than comments in this forum. The greater the number of constituents banding together for change the more attention we will receive from our city officials to address this issue. Begin by stopping by and meeting with Adam during his Thur. 8:00AM office hours at Deja Brue. Adam can also connect you with our group. Read up on a previous post under # 1229847.
Jordan
Doug Hausladen [mailto:DHausladen@newhavenct.net]
'adam=marchand25.org@mail66.atl91.mcsv.net'; Adam Marchand (adammarchand25@gmail.com)

We are closing this request due to its historic nature. If this concern still requires attention and you still believe SeeClickFix is a viable tool for its resolution the best way for it to be addressed is for you to create a new request including a current description of what is occurring and what solution you hope to see regarding this matter, citing/linking this request in the details. Thank you for your dedication to improving the quality of life in our community.