Riverside Forum: DOT to Repave in April with New “Quiet Pavement,” Vows Collaborative Process for I-95 PEL Study

A packed Riverside Association forum at St. Paul’s Church on Thursday featured representatives from the Connecticut Dept of Transportation.

Residents peppered the panel with questions and shared concerns about living along I-95 in Greenwich.

The context was the scheduled April repaving of I-95 in Greenwich using new quiet pavement technology.

Panelists said they were well aware of how Greenwich values noise reduction on I-95.

Jonathan Dean, a DOT project manager, said the new asphalt mix interacted differently with vehicle tires, and was anticipated to decrease noise by 2-3 decibels.

PEL Study

The panel also talked about their PEL study, short for Planning & Environmental Linkages.

The DOT promised a collaborative and transparent process that will involve Greenwich residents and local, state and federal agencies.

I-95 carries 135,000 vehicles per day and US Route 1 carries 17,000 vehicles per day.

The April repaving, which is expected to last two seasons, is weather dependent the DOT is hoping for some dry conditions.

The quiet paving mix is new for Connecticut.

Kimberly Lesay, from the Bureau of Policy and Planning at the DOT, said the new pavement was not an approved mitigation method from Federal Highway Regulatory Authority, but was intended to provide the Greenwich community some relief.

“We fully understand what a huge issue noise is,” Lesay said.

 

The PEL study will look at ways to improve safety and mobility along the 7-mile stretch from the New York line to Exit 7 in Stamford.

A key focus will be the Mianus River Bridge, which many residents remember for its collapse in 1983.

Other focuses of the study will be the seven interchanges and Route 1, which is an alternate route to I-95.

There is a separate PEL study for Stamford.

Despite the panel’s promise of collaboration and transparency, the presentation was long on acronyms and jargon which drew some muttering from the audience.

Residents had not forgotten the announcement and withdrawal of a major DOT project on I-95  in Greenwich in 2021.

The $205 million project was supposed to start in fall 2022.

That project would have involved resurfacing, bridge rehab and roadside safety, and alleviate congestion in the southbound direction at Exit 3 by creating a deceleration lane.

In April 2022 the project was abruptly withdrawn.

A press release from Camillo at the time said, “Governor Lamont has informed me that he has directed the DOT to withdraw the current project and revisit it to develop a more comprehensive project solution.”

PEL Study

On Thursday, the DOT representatives said the PEL study would take into account traffic data, local input and environmental considerations.

Traffic counts were collected in fall 2022. The data collection included 45 intersections including all signalized ramp locations along I95 and Rte 1.

The outcomes of the PEL study will include an action plan. In the meantime, it is possible they will tackle “breakout projects” before the study is complete.

Ms Hull said Thursday night’s presentation was the team’s 12th stakeholder meeting, and the most well attended by far.

The next step will be to establish a project advisory committee to include transportation professionals and community groups including the Riverside Association.

“We are also doing outreach to environmental justice communities,” Hull said, noting those were defined by the federal government as people with lower incomes, who might not be fluent in English, or might be disadvantaged in terms of accessing transportation and services.

With the goal of proactively seeking input, they will hold public meetings, interactive workshops and “pop-up” events with giveaways and games.

Public Comment and Questions

Joe Gross who said he lived in Cos Cob near the Mianus Bridge asked how impactful the quiet pavement would be versus erecting walls.

“I’d like to reduce how often I rehang the pictures in my house,” he said, adding that in addition to reducing vibrations, walls might increase safety.

“One of my neighbors almost got hit by a ladder that came off a truck crossing that bridge,” Gross said.

Panelists noted that depending on the materials a wall was made from – concrete, timber, or fabricated noise-absorbant material – the noise jumps over the wall and impacts residents further away.

The goal the DOT has for walls is a benefit of 7 decibels. The FHWA puts communities in the category of “impacted” when they hit the 66 decibel range.

I-95 northbound near exit 5 after tree removal by the DOT in 2019.

Tree Clearing

Residents noted that recently trees had been clear cut along I-95 in Stamford. Panelists said tree clearing questions could be directed to the customer care center, but that a variety of agencies cut trees down along the I-95 corridor, not just the DOT.

State Rep Meskers (D-150) said residents were “ready to light candles for every tree taken out – some by Dept of Transportation and some by Eversource.”

“We’re here today because of the original plan. The original plan was going to make straight the road – redo the gutters, improve signage, access the roadbed with 10 cut-throughs to get the heavy equipment onto the roadbed,” he said.

“This is the entry-way not only to Greenwich, but to New England,” Meskers said, noting Greenwich was more residential than Stamford which he described as more industrial and commercial.

“I’m hoping when you get into Connecticut there is a smile on your face, not a look of horror,” Meskers said.

“This is the first time you’ve been here in this kind of aggressive action in 50 years. If you do it right, you’re going to come back in about 30 or 40 years. We want to see it right the first time.”

A resident asked about “tricked out cars” and motorcycles designed to make extra noise.

“They are the most annoying, irritating, quality of life-effecting components of the sound,” he said, going on to ask if a noise law might make it possible to have enforcement.

Ms Lesay from the Bureau of Policy and Planning said that was not in the DOT’s purview. She asked the elected officials if there had been any successful legislation to address the problem.

Senator Ryan Fazio (R-36), who sits on the Transportation Committee along with State Rep Khanna (D-149), said two years earlier a bill before the Finance and Transportation Committees related to motorcycles would have required checking their noise levels during DMV inspections, but it failed to pass.

“I think noise pollution is pollution because it really harms quality of life,” he said.

State Rep Khanna said a bill had passed last session with provisions for a vegetation management plan, noise barrier studies and decibel level testing, specifically for the DMV to develop an implementation plan and submission of maximum decibel regulations.

“They should have a pilot program,” she said, adding that she would follow up on the status of that work.

Tammi Montier, co-president of the Riverside Association, brought up Exit 5 which she described as congested, unsafe and involved a lot of honking.

Chris Tella said Exit 5 had been studied locally, and that the most problematic area was north of the intersection in the town-controlled space between Riverside Commons and McDonald’s.

“I probably have 100 pictures of the chain of cars coming out of the shopping center and they blow right through the stop sign. We have asked, why not have a ‘Don’t block the box’ sign?'”

The question was directed to Greenwich’s deputy commissioner of the Dept Public Works, Jim Michel who replied, “We can look into it.”

Environmental Considerations

The DOT representatives said that after the PEL study, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process would consider everything from historic and cultural resources to noise.

Other factors will include wetlands, watercourses and endangered species, as well as transportation equity and environmental justice, socio-economics and traffic.

State Rep Khanna asked if it was possible to cede rights on I-95 to cyclists.

The reply was that I-95 is a limited access highway, but cycle access on Route 1 was possible and that all new projects on Rte 1 had cycling and sidewalks “frontloaded” wherever possible.

State Rep Hector Arzeno (D-151) said separating the jurisdictions of the town and the state had been an issue and he hoped for good coordination.

Senator Fazio asked about landscaping. The reply was that vegetation, ideally arbor vitae, needed to be 100 ft wide for perceptible “to your ear” difference.

“Trees don’t like salt,” one consultant said.

More than one person questioned the 2022 traffic data collection. Nancy Ramer said that time period was during the pandemic when traffic had dipped. The reply was that a recount was possible.

The Dept of Transportation encouraged residents to follow the process on www.I95Greenwich.com  or on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the handle @I95Greenwich

There is a phone number (203) 806-0804 and an email: [email protected]