This letter was recently sent from the Cos Cob Association President, Cos Cob School PTA Executive Board, Friends of The Cos Cob Library Board of Directors, Loughlin Park Community Group and six directly impacted Cos Cob businesses to Greenwich DPW and Town Officials.
We were informed that this past November, the Greenwich PTA Council Board of Directors and all 15 Greenwich Public School PTA Boards of Directors, sent a letter to Greenwich DPW asking them to retain the exclusive pedestrian phase at signalized intersections along Putnam Avenue, particularly at key crossings used by students to go to school, when the Route 1 Corridor adaptive signal control technology (ASCT) improvements are implemented in 2025.
Pedestrian crossing at intersection of Old Post Rd #6, Putnam Ave and Indian Field Rd. Photo: Leslie Yager
Pedestrian crossing at intersection of Overlook and Putnam Ave. Photo: Leslie Yager
We, the undersigned Cos Cob neighborhood associations, community groups, organizations and businesses are also requesting the exclusive pedestrian phase be retained along US 1, with retention of the currently existing crossing time intervals, at all of the signal controlled intersections within the Cos Cob portion of the corridor (defined for this project by DPW as US 1 from approximately Old Church Road to Riverside Ave).
At the public information session, Greenwich DPW stated that an exclusive pedestrian phase is a hindrance to the movement of vehicles at closely spaced intersections, yet has chosen to retain the exclusive pedestrian phase at three to five intersections in central Greenwich, where signalized intersections are closely spaced.
The upcoming project will involve Greenwich DPW installing new adaptive signal control technology at 29 intersections along the US 1 corridor in Greenwich. Since the sensors and vehicle detectors to be installed along the Post Road will be able to respond to traffic in real time and adjust signals to better handle vehicle volume conditions, the installation and activation of adaptive signal control technology on its own will improve vehicle flow along the US 1 corridor. The few added seconds gained from eliminating the current exclusive pedestrian phase is not necessary and not worth the risk to our children, seniors, residents with disabilities, or anyone who needs the assistance of a vehicle free intersection to cross the street.
As a community we have decided, and rightfully so, to allow emergency vehicles to use emergency vehicle preemption technology to change traffic signals from red to green in order to decrease response times. This service is utilized numerous times a day on US 1, and the community safety benefits significantly outweigh the hindering of vehicle traffic during these periodic interruptions.
The same is true with the exclusive pedestrian phase. The all stop pedestrian crossing is only activated when requested and, as DPW’s own consultant stated at the June 2024 public meeting, is safer than a concurrent pedestrian phase or a concurrent pedestrian phase with a leading pedestrian interval. Other communities understand this as well.
Just this past spring, at a three-way junction a few blocks from Mamaroneck Avenue School in Westchester County, a mother and child were struck and killed crossing the intersection, where pedestrian movement at the time was controlled by a concurrent crossing phase.
After a county engineer presented a concurrent phase with a 7 second leading pedestrian interval as a solution, the community fought back and won the implementation of an exclusive pedestrian phase at the intersection. Greenwich currently has an exclusive pedestrian phase at all signal controlled intersections along US 1, we should not be quick to make a change that will jeopardize the safety of residents in favor of motor vehicles.
We believe the safety of residents of all ages who walk & bike around town, and the improved sense of community that unfolds in a pedestrian friendly streetscape, is worth the few additional seconds that may be saved by a vehicle traversing town. As such, we request DPW to retain the current exclusive pedestrian phase, with the current crossing time intervals, at all Cos Cob intersections when signal upgrades take place along the US 1 corridor in 2025. Doing so, will enable us to have a safer pedestrian experience, a more business friendly corridor, and a more connected Cos Cob.
Intersections Of Concern Around Cos Cob
Orchard St / Mead Ave / US 1 – Moving away from the current exclusive pedestrian phase to concurrent phasing would create an extremely dangerous situation for pedestrians. With a concurrent signal, pedestrians crossing US 1 in front of Cos Cob School would have the walk signal at the same time cars on Orchard are given a green light, anyone familiar with the intersection knows how dangerous this would make the crossing given angle of orchard street and that the dominant traffic movement is vehicles proceeding through the green light to turn onto U.S. 1. This change will not only impact families and students who use Cos Cob School, but anyone who walks to the businesses throughout Cos Cob or River Road
Strickland Rd / Cross Ln / Taylor Dr / US 1 – The removal of the exclusive pedestrian phase here will result in this complex intersection, three three way junctions, becoming dangerous for residents as they try to navigate across the Post Road with turning vehicles coming off Strickland, Cross or Taylor. The crossings here are heavily used by students and community members at all times of day.
Sinawoy Rd / US 1 – The proposed change will significantly impact pedestrians using the recessed crosswalk on Sinawoy, as they will be forced to contest with vehicles making a right at a high rate of speed from US 1 who may be unaware of the recessed crosswalk just around the corner.
Hillside Rd / US 1 & Overlook Dr / US 1 – With the proposed change, both of these intersections, heavily utilized by vehicles and pedestrians around school start / dismissal and school / community events at the High School’s campus, will force pedestrians crossing the Post Road into conflict with vehicles turning onto US 1.
Indian Field Rd / Post Road #6 / US 1 – This intersection not only sees a significant number of pedestrians before and after school, but also during community events at the high school, many of which get out after dark.
The above letter was recently sent from the Cos Cob Association President, Cos Cob School PTA Executive Board, Friends of The Cos Cob Library Board of Directors, Loughlin Park Community Group and six directly impacted Cos Cob businesses to Greenwich DPW and Town Officials.
File photo of crash at intersection of Indian Field Rd / Post Road #6 / US 1