West Hartford's Summer Safety Blitz Continues

Town of West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The town's Vision Zero initiative has practically bombarded residents with messages urging safety on pedestrian walkways and roads.

And that's the point.

The hope is that the Town of West Hartford's campaign for safety will plant seeds in folks' minds and, perhaps, that will result in their conscious efforts to travel more safely.

'Over the past ten days, West Hartford has implemented significant changes to its roadways to enhance safety for all road users," wrote the town in a recent announcement.

Those include five raised crosswalks being installed, including at the entrance of Westmoor Park on Flagg Road, Oakwood Avenue at St. James Street, Flatbush Avenue near the soccer fields, Sheep Hill at Maiden Lane, and the Boulevard at Whiting Lane.

Meanwhile, the town said three speed humps were installed on South Highland Street and bump-outs were installed on South Quaker Lane at Kingswood Road, Sedgwick Road at Wardwell Road, and Sedgwick Road at Tunxis Road.

Pedestrian refuge islands were also installed on Sedgwick Road at Westminster Drive and Sedgwick Road at Wardwell Road.

"Paint will follow, along with more improvements later this summer," wrote the town.

Slow down

In addition, the town is driving home the importance of simply abiding by the rules of the road as far as speed goes.

"Speeding isn’t just risky for you, it’s dangerous for everyone on the road," wrote the town. "The faster you go, the less you see."

Here's how the town explained it:

• At 25 mph, you’ve got a clear view of both lanes and the sidewalk. At 40 mph? You’re mostly focused on what’s right in front of you.

• Add in longer reaction times and braking distances, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Remember, more speed = worse crash severity.

"Slow down, stay safe, and look out for others," wrote the town. "The West Hartford Police Department has marked and unmarked cruisers around town monitoring speeds and stopping motorists who are exceeding the posted speed limit."

Look Out For Bicycles

The town also reminded residents about their human-powered, two-wheeled friends on the roadways.

"In Connecticut, bikes are considered vehicles," wrote the town. "That means cyclists should ride in the same direction as traffic and use the travel lane or designated bike lane whenever they are on the road."

The town urged motorists to maintain a safe distance with bicyclists, giving them at least 3 feet of space when passing.

"If that's not possible, drivers need to wait until they can," wrote the town.

"Bicyclists going slower than the speed limit should stay as far to the right as safely possible—unless making a left turn."

For more information on West Hartford's Vision Zero initiative, click on this link.

From July 13: 'Welcome To 'Pedestrian Island,' West Hartford's Safety Oasis'