State needs to take second look at highway safety in Salisbury

Sometimes a problem seems so obviously in need of a solution that one just cannot imagine getting pushback when trying to find and implement the correct approach to fixing it. One such problem is the difficult one of pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety in downtown Salisbury. 

As noted in a letter to the editor in last week’s Lakeville Journal by two town residents affected by the danger in the town center and in an article in this week’s paper by Cynthia Hochswender, there have been multiple accidents there in the past five years. Some included serious injury and death to people trying to cross the road in the middle of town, and both letter writers, Tom Shachtman of Salisbury and John Pogue of Lakeville, have been directly impacted. Shachtman was badly injured himself when hit there, and Pogue lost his wife of 57 years, Barbara, after she was struck in 2017. 

The state of Connecticut Department of Transportation defines the regulations around road and crossing safety there, as Route 44, going through the center of Salisbury, is a state highway.  It would seem the state would want to take every measure possible to improve the situation, wouldn’t it? Yet Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand said in the interview with Hochswender, and before, that he had tried to have the Connecticut DOT install the same sort of pedestrian-activated blinking lights in Salisbury as went into Lakeville during a center of town upgrade there (It was long in the making). The state refused him, indicating that such beacons are no longer allowed in state projects.

Rand also said the town had tried to have the speed limit reduced coming into Salisbury. It’s a densely populated stretch of road, and if drivers are unfamiliar with it, they could be taken off guard by the activity, both with cars pulling out of side roads and pedestrian traffic. Even with signage and bumpouts into the road, drivers and walkers can both contribute to the atmosphere of a dangerous shared space. 

A reduced speed limit would give drivers and walkers a sense of caution that is not given as much emphasis as it should have now. Because really, no driver would enter that area of Salisbury thinking that hitting someone there would not be a big deal. Every driver wants to avoid that kind of tragedy at their hands. Sometimes they just need multiple tools to help them remain alert and careful as they enter a downtown area. 

The town and the state should give them as many of those tools as are available. Please keep an eye out for the petitions being circulated by Tom Shachtman and John Pogue, and support any initiatives that will address this issue in a real way.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Latest News

GNH blanks St. Paul 34-0 in Turkey Bowl

Wes Allyn breaks away from the St. Paul defense for a reception touchdown Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Photo by Riley Klein

BRISTOL — The Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic co-op football team ended the season with a 34-0 shutout victory over St. Paul Catholic High School Wednesday, Nov. 26.

It was GNH’s fourth consecutive Turkey Bowl win against St. Paul and the final game for 19 GNH seniors.

Keep ReadingShow less
Students curate Katro Storm portraits at HVRHS

“Once Upon a Time in America” features ten portraits by artist Katro Storm.

Natalia Zukerman

The Kearcher-Monsell Gallery at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village is once again host to a wonderful student-curated exhibition. “Once Upon a Time in America,” ten portraits by New Haven artist Katro Storm, opened on Nov. 20 and will run through the end of the year.

“This is our first show of the year,” said senior student Alex Wilbur, the current head intern who oversees the student-run gallery. “I inherited the position last year from Elinor Wolgemuth. It’s been really amazing to take charge and see this through.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Mini horses, big impact: animal learning center opens in Sheffield

Le Petit Ranch offers animal-assisted therapy and learning programs for children and seniors in Sheffield.

Marjorie Borreda

Le Petit Ranch, a nonprofit offering animal-assisted therapy and learning programs, opened in April at 147 Bears Den Road in Sheffield. Founded by Marjorie Borreda, the center provides programs for children, families and seniors using miniature horses, rescued greyhounds, guinea pigs and chickens.

Borreda, who moved to Sheffield with her husband, Mitch Moulton, and their two children to be closer to his family, has transformed her longtime love of animals into her career. She completed certifications in animal-assisted therapy and coaching in 2023, along with coursework in psychiatry, psychology, literacy and veterinary skills.

Keep ReadingShow less