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Opinion: Cemetery Street Single-Lane Conversion: A Reckless Decision in Secrecy  

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The decision to convert Cemetery Street to a single lane was unanimously approved behind closed doors, first during a special meeting, then added at the last minute through a  “suspension of the rules” during a Common Council meeting. Once again, this raises serious concerns about transparency and public access to information and comments.  

Leadership continues to deflect, insisting this was a decision by the state and a solution as a traffic calming measure. But let’s be honest, this was a developer-driven request, necessary to  support excessive residential density and a demand for more parking. Anyone who visits East Norwalk knows this will not improve safety or livability and certainly is not in the community’s best interest. For those living on or off Gregory Blvd, brace yourselves.  

Traffic congestion will increase, especially during peak summer months. With two lanes, it’s gridlocked, imagine with just one! Emergency vehicle access will be compromised. Street parking will add more chaos, not calm. And yet, our council voted unanimously with no discussion.  

If traffic was already backing up with two lanes, imagine what happens when we cut that in half.  The math doesn’t lie, but apparently, the process did.  

East Norwalk residents deserve better. Where were the appointed, not elected, District C Council Representatives in all this? We need leaders who will have honest communication, talk about real planning and solutions, and act in the public interest, not in the interest of developers and their political pals.  

Sincerely,  

Vinny Scicchitano  

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Comments

13 responses to “Opinion: Cemetery Street Single-Lane Conversion: A Reckless Decision in Secrecy  ”

  1. Tom Farrington

    One wonders how much it cost the developer.

  2. Thomas Blyth

    Sometimes I wonder if you guys have even driven the dangerous weaving motions you have to do on Cemetery St, vs a properly designed merge.

    Fine if you want to criticize how it got approved, but I really think the new design will be a lot safer and may even reduce congestion by eliminating the weaving conflicts.

  3. Bryan Meek

    Imagine trying to parallel park there.

  4. Mike Mushak

    This is yet another example of an irresponsible and reactionary response from MAGA Vinny to a sincere effort to improve public safety of a dangerous obsolete stretch of road, built in the car-oriented 1950’s with high-speed highway standards, and where pedestrians and cyclists as well as car occupants risk their lives every day (higher-speed car accidents lead to higher injury and death rates for all users of the roads, including those in cars).

    Seriously, MAGA Vinny actually wants to save the obsolete high-speed deathtrap, no surprise for an auto mechanic who loves riding around town in his supercharged vintage muscle car, but not the action of someone who understands basic public safety. It’s unbelievable, but with MAGA we’ve come to expect the completely irrational.

    The existing obsolete road design around the cemetery is so bad they even had to put in interstate highway-grade guardrails to protect pedestrians on the sidewalks from the speeding traffic. In fact, in the public hearing on the Cemetery Street project, two separate licensed traffic engineers (one hired by the city, and one hired by the developer) both stated on the record that based on the accident history and bad road design, the traffic-calming in this area was needed regardless of whether the project was approved or not. They also stated that traffic flow would not be reduced, which is a red herring invented by ENNA simply to scare people.

    Vinny is flat-out lying when he says these road improvements are for the developer. They aren’t, as they are for everyone who lives or travels through this area regardless of whether in a car, on foot, on a bike, in a wheelchair, or in a baby stroller. The current obsolete design is deadly for all of the above.

    The truth is, road “diets” are happening in every city and state around the nation, which means narrowing lanes to slow speeds and improve safety, in this case 37 feet of asphalt that encourages deadly highway speeds and dangerous abrupt “weaves” which makes crossing the street nearly impossible, and riding a bike a frightening daredevil experience.

    Road diets, on-street parking, street trees (which there will be) and no setbacks for buildings are all federal NACTO traffic-calming standards. These are all recommended here, and basically continue what already exists naturally in the neighborhood in surrounding blocks and in other parts of the city.

    If Vinny would have simply done his research instead of jumping on this opportunistic NIMBY nonsense, he would see how the improvements will actually improve traffic flow, and make the street safer for everyone including car occupants, cyclists, and pedestrians especially the many families, seniors, and children who live in this already-dense area of multi-family residences, retail, senior centers, daycare centers, and existing businesses including Sweet Ashley’s.

    What’s next for MAGA Vinny? No speed limits, no crosswalks, and no bicycles allowed on our streets? Seriously, this car-loving MAGA speed demon is not the kind of irresponsible mayor Norwalk wants or needs for the 21st century.

  5. Patrick Cooper

    Mayoral candidate Scicchitano makes several good points here.

    The idea that this decision was rendered to promote “safe streets” is pure gaslighting. This was all done for the developers – who surprise surprise are well known friends and supporters of the outgoing mayor. This is a gift, allowing them to max out the units (density), parking and of course – maximize this projects profit. Every person who travel’s this street to the beach will be harmed for generations to come.

    Vinny properly points out that this decision was widely opposed by East Norwalk residents, but the way this moved through the process – was the absolute opposite of “transparent”. Further – it is the definition of hypocrisy to think East Norwalk was represented by the council members. No – those were long gone – elected as pure place-holders, replaced by “appointed” compliant, complacent, loyalists to the mayor and DTC. East Norwalk – district C – IS NOT REPRESENTED on the council. You might consider a change.

    Look – the local DTC appears to be in a mini-feud. We just watched the mayor and state senator throw the BOE under the bus – all D’s and ALL hand-picked by the mayor / DTC. Did you think that Harry would take ANY accountability? We have two members of the CC – both D’s running for mayor – with clear sides and lines being drawn – you got trouble ahead. Will they pressure the non-Bob Duff endorsed candidate to comply and avoid a messy primary?

    This Cemetery Street decision – among many – should be hung around the outgoing mayors neck. He proudly owns this – 1000%. But if Norwalk wants more of the same – tone deaf leadership, ignore the electorate except during elections, with no minority party representation and an absolute lack of transparency – keep voting the same. Anyone but Barbara.

    1. Becca Stoll

      I live in East Norwalk now and am currently harmed trying to travel this street to get to the beach by bicycle.
      I look forward to the future generations I plan to raise here being able to make the same journey to Marvin School, CP Beach, etc more safely.

  6. Thomas Belmont

    It’s plain to see a future of automobile and pedestrian accidents, especially pop-open-door crashes. Throw in scooters and bike adventurers. No buffers, no space, no time to react. There’s a clear stretching of the envelope of safe zoning and traffic engineering. They say Hindsight is 20/20. Hopefully it won’t ever be said but the odds aren’t favorable. The least effect is increasing insurance costs. The worst effect….well, you know.

  7. Bryan Meek

    The political bigot can’t help himself and his quest to destroy East Norwalk. Not satisfied with the dying mall you championed yet? Or hoping for more fatal accidents on these narrow roads that defy every ounce of common sense? Any real solutions or just throwing labels at people. Recall how you cried to the last editors about being labeled and got them to censor opinions? What does it feel like to be the 2nd most toxic person involved in Norwalk politics besides Duff?

  8. Tysen Canevari

    Dear Mushak,

    Being such a democrat lover that you are please give your assessment of the Board of Ed mess. Democrats all the way around the block. Your are the definition of divisiveness. Vinny is simply making his opinion known and right away you make him a Maga lover, Trump lover. I see your business trucks around town and they are all diesel or gas. So what’s your point? I know how you operate.

  9. John O’Neill

    I think the rhetoric in some of the comments above need to be toned down. IF you’re going to allow some to use nicknames for candidates they disagree with I’m assuming you’ll allow other would-be commenters the same discretion.

  10. Jud Aley

    Thank you John O’neil, I agree with you, the rhetoric in some of the comments above need to be toned down.

    12 years ago or so, a group of Norwalk Citizens asked the city to install bike lanes on Beach road, there was much opposition , many said was a dangerous idea & predicted increased accidents and traffic jams due to the narrowing of the car lanes to accommodate the bike lanes, it took another 5 or 6 years, but now we have bike lanes on Beach road and as far as I know none of the horrible predictions have come true, the bike lanes work.

    Sometime in the past 8 years the Norwalk Bike/Walk commission asked for bike lanes be put on South Water Street, this required that the traffic lanes be reduced from 12 feet to 10 feet and again some folks predicted large truck and bus mirrors hitting each other, bicyclist being hit and possibly killed by passing trucks and buses, the bike lanes were installed and are still there and as far as I know none of the horrible predictions have happened.
    If you read current city planning theory its well documented that curb side parking slows vehicle traffic which is something I think we all want, no?
    Concerning on Street Parking, the benefits are many and I doubt it was decide just to benit the developer, I’m sure Norwalk’s TMP studied the impact of adding curb parking and reducing that section of Cemetery to one lane.
    If you read current city planning theory it’s well documented that curb side parking slows vehicle traffic which is something I think we all want, no?
    Here’s a quote from the U.S. DOT:
    “On-street parking does increase the “friction” along a street and can narrow the effective crossing width, both of which encourage slower speeds; parking can also provide a buffer between moving motor vehicle traffic and pedestrians along a sidewalk.”

    Plus, if it really proves to be problematic it’s easy enough to remove the curb parking and convert that section of road back to two lanes, but I’d be surprised to see if that really is the case.

  11. James Frayer

    Mr. Scicchitano’ recent OP-Ed piece on the captioned was passionate, but unfortunately his facts are not accurate. There were no “secret meetings”. At the DPW regular monthly Meeting on May 6, an item on the agenda called for the extension of an agreement for engineering design services to revise original drawings for submission to Ct DOT. These revisions included drainage improvements and compliance with the City’s “Complete Streets” mandate.
    Members of the committee believed more detail was needed, such as existing plans showing the specific revisions. The committee voted to table the matter to get more detail.
    Since this matter was time sensitive. The CT DOT was anxious to begin road work and they required the revised design plans in June.
    A Special DPW Committee Meeting was called for May 12, to put the item on the Council’s agenda at the next monthly meeting on May 13. The Special Meeting with its agenda was advertised as required. The public was also offered an opportunity to comment on the agenda item. Ms Valadares and Mr. Travers speaking on behalf of DPW and TMP discussed the details of the revisions to the design as well as some of the benefits. Revisions included drainage issues, traffic safety, parking, and pedestrian access. The committee voted to pass the item on to the full council. Note that the item approved at the special meeting and the council was the hiring of an Engineering consultant to revise drawings as directed by TMP, DPW, that were consistent with P&Z’s overall view.
    Furthermore, the Common Council and in particular the DPW Committee was not approving project design. These are also state roads any design changes are the per view of the CT DOT.

  12. Liz Conti

    Logic is gone in the governance we have in this city. Many concerned East Norwalk residents protested the over build on Mill River for many good reasons, flood zone, environmental destruction, density, and traffic. The traffic design is short sighted and not conducive to the amount of traffic that is currently there, much less when the building become occupied, with not enough parking for the design. The build as approved by zoning right up to the road, a busy Thorofare is non-sensical and wreaks of corruption and political for profit approval of this project from start to finish. We need change in this town and we need transparency and a monumental message to the governing bodies that “we the people” of Norwalk are not happy with what has been done to this town we love! Vinnie for Mayor!

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