Drivers Struggle to Adjust to Pointy Bump-Out by Starbucks on Greenwich Ave

The social media site Nextdoor was buzzing this week about the new bumpout outside Starbucks on Greenwich Avenue at Havemeyer Place.

A passerby shared photos of a car stuck on the bumpout, which comes to a point where it extends into the roadway.

The person who posted the photos wrote about her conversation with the driver, saying, “He heard that he was not the first to have this happen. He was waiting for the tow truck to help him!“

 

There were 60 comments from Greenwich residents about the incident and the bump out, including, “Poor design,” and “Waste of money.”

Another Greenwich resident commented, “Horrible planning! I’ve seen it happen twice last week! Money should be spent in a more productive way!“

And this: “saw a black Mercedes hit the same exact spot Saturday afternoon.”

And this: “Its absolutely horrible!! Seen it too. And when cars are driving across the avenue towards starbucks they almost end up hitting opposing traffic bc the road has become so narrow after building the bumpouts. Should be removed promptly“

The same person went on to say, “Its a new kind of very high and super sharp/edged belgian block curb that the town is installing everywhere. And they are making many turns – in particular on the Avenue – very narrow by building these structures out into the road. Many drivers, male, female, old, young, have had tires flattened or damaged when trying to navigate these narrow spaces w high sharp new curbs“

Bump outs have been controversial since the first ones were installed at the intersection of Elm Street and Greenwich Ave where the entire intersection was elevated as part of the project.

And, of course many residents have lamented the removal of police officers assigned to directing traffic in the intersections.  After they were removed, some people suggested adding traffic signals and no walk/don’t walk signs, but that didn’t happen.

 

The argument for bump outs is that they increase pedestrian safety by shortening the distance for pedestrians to cross the street, especially important for people with disabilities. But the response to the Elm Street intersection has been mostly negative. At night car headlights go up and down, getting in the eyes of pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

Also, there is frequently so much congestion in the intersection that it becomes confusing for both the drivers and pedestrians to keep track of whose turn it is to proceed.

DPW has since vowed not to elevate the other intersections. 

In May 2022 residents and RTM members debated funding intersections and bump outs with a $2.8 million state grant. Dozens of people signed up to speak, with critics calling it everything from a vanity project to a costly mistake.

The state grant narrowly avoided being cut by the RTM: 111 members opposed eliminating the $2.8 million and 95 voted in favor of eliminating the money.

But then, at a Historic District Commission meeting in June, members voiced strong concerns about the design for the Arch/Havemeyer intersection, which one member described as the soul of Greenwich.

From there, Louisa Stone exercised her right as a Greenwich property owner to request the Municipal Improvement “MI” for new bump outs on Greenwich Avenue be referred the RTM for debate and a new vote. 

That happened at the RTM meeting in December 2022 where numerous people spoke out. Ms Stone noted that the project had gone through the P&Z process and was approved by many departments, but warned it could be a costly mistake. Several people objected to the proposed removal of a swath of lawn outside the Havemeyer building to realign Arch Street with Havemeyer Place.

Along with Deputy commission Jim Michel, First Selectman Fred Camillo advocated for that project. He later vowed that even without the grant money, DPW would proceed with improvements.

Nevertheless, the vote to reject the MI passed: 114 to 72 with 12 abstentions.

The arguing resumed last summer when, as promised by Mr. Camillo, the Dept of Public Works proposed to proceed with 8 intersection improvements on Greenwich Ave, including the intersection with Rte 1.

 In June DPW held a public hearing to share plans for improvements at 8 intersections on Greenwich Ave.  The hearing was held as a BET condition of the release of $450,000 in funds. Jim Michel said the goal was to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that the curb extensions, aka ‘bump outs,’ were necessary to meet ADA compliance.

But residents were skeptical, with numerous people expressing concerns.

Over the summer the BET twice postponed a decision on releasing the funds. Conversations were testy, with Democrats insisting the upgrades were necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

DPW said that before the town can repave Greenwich Ave, ADA compliance was mandatory.

At a July BET meeting, Lucia Jansen asked if DPW could provide more detail on what the 8 intersections would look like, noting that when they were presented at the June public hearing there was “tremendous pushback.”

The BET voted to postpone their decision.

Finally, on Sept 19, the BET agreed to release the funds.

Back to the conversation this week on Nextdoor Greenwich…

When one resident argued the bump outs improved pedestrian safety, the response was swift:

One commenter said, “If they want to ‘calm traffic’ on GA, then they should bring back the traffic cops. It was a much more effective way to regulate traffic (both vehicle and pedestrian) than these crazy curbs. Plus the policemen were such a nice, charming feature of the town – even if it’s a slightly higher cost.”

A Cos Cob resident commented, “Going in the direction of the car in pic – there simply isn’t enough space to maneuver properly, especially if there is a car going in the opposite direction. They are cutting the turn to go left down the ave and you almost have to swerve left to avoid the oversized bump outs if you’re coming from arch street. It’s ridiculous.”

A comment from a Byram resident: “Just like Delavan Avenue bump outs. They are so dangerous. 😡”

Over in Byram, where DPW installed bump outs at Veterans Way and Delavan, the town was able to implement a workaround after trucks repeatedly ran over the curb extension.

In September, the Board of Selectmen imposed a 4-ton weight limit from William St to Veterans Way at Delavan after Civil Engineer Ian Brown from DPW said his department had received numerous complaints about trucks that were unable to negotiate the turn without running over the curb.

DPW responded this week to the photo of the red car stuck on the new bump out by Starbucks.

Communications Specialist for DPW Samantha Erfe said the DPW team was aware of the incident.

“The improvements recently installed are put in place to address ADA compliance at this intersection. With every new design and installation, there is a period of time where drivers will need to get adjusted to improvements,” Ms Erfe said.

“At the current time, we do not anticipate modifications being made to the current installation. The Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works will continue to monitor this location and if changes are needed, they will be considered in the future.”

Drivers beware.

See also:

Feedback on DPW Plans for 8 Greenwich Ave Intersections: Comply with ADA, Skip the Bump Outs May 30, 2024

BET Chair’s Tie-Breaking Vote Means Decision on Funding Greenwich Ave Intersection Improvements is Postponed July 16, 2024

Rejected: Tide Turns in RTM against Intersection Project at Arch St & Greenwich Ave Dec 2022

Bump Outs on Greenwich Ave Squeeze Through in Close RTM Vote May 10, 2022