If you travel up and down on White Street/Newtown Road, then you've seen the new traffic signal on at the intersection on Byron Street.
This signal was was installed recently to accommodate Winters Brothers Waste Systems LLC.
For reasons unknown, the geniuses at City Hall decided to set the turn signal to flash red in all directions at late night. The problem with this scenario is that no one who travels on White Street are stopping at the intersection...because the signal on White should be set to yellow and NOT red.
To illustrate my point, recently I went down to the intersection to videotape the traffic in action...take a look.
Here's the state law on traffic signals (Connecticut Code - Sec. 14-299 (c 1-2)).
(c) When an illuminated flashing red or yellow signal is used in a traffic sign or signal, it shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows:It's fairly obvious that the simple solution to this situation is to set the signal on White Street from flashing red (which makes no sense) to flashing yellow (which makes sense). Unfortunately the genius at City Hall have allowed this snafu to go on for far too long and it's only a matter of time until someone pulls out of Byron onto White and gets involved in an accident.(1) Flashing red: When a red lens is illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection, or at a limit line when marked or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and the right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign.
(2) When a yellow lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles facing such signal may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with caution.
The question remains...will it take an accident for city officials to do the right thing on the corner of White and Byron?
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
