1. BROOKFIELD'S NEAR
FUTURE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS:

The are no "near future" projects currently scheduled by Conn DOT for Brookfield.

However, note that the long awaited (1977-2009) Route 7 Bypass (see map of Bypass) was opened to traffic on November 19, 2009. This major construction was in accordance with HVCEO's overall Route 7 North Policy.

Governor Jodi Rell at Route 7 Bypass
opening ceremony on November 19, 2009.
HVCEO Photo by David Hannon

In addition a major realignment and the introduction of signalization at the intersection of Silvermine Road and Route 202 was completed in the summer of 2009.

COMPLETE ROUTE 7 EXPRESSWAY
EMERGENCY TRAFFIC DIVERSION PLAN
This emergency management action plan will be completed by DEMHS 5, COGCNV and HVCEO during 2010.

Eighteen hour expressway closure requiring traffic diversion.

State Police, Conn DOT and Brookfield officials will then rely upon one coordinated set of diversion instructions for managing increased traffic due to the temporary closing of lanes and exits during a Route 7 Expressway emergency.

2. BROOKFIELD'S LONGER
RANGE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS:

EXAMINE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE
ROUTE 7 & ROUTE 133 HALF INTERCHANGE
After local and regional traffic patterns have made their adjustments to the traffic draw of the recently completed Route 7 Bypass, consider undertaking a feasibility study to determine the need for and impact of a northbound exit ramp and a southbound entrance ramp ("half interchange") from the Route 7 Expressway to Route 133.

See discussion of this concept in the Regional Transportation Plan section entitled Route 7 North Policy.

Red shows the Route 7 Expressway as recently completed thru Brookfield.
At Route 133 (yellow area and circle) the 2001 Brookfield Town Plan proposes
to add a half interchange with Route 7 ramps to and from the south.

FUTURE I-84 MAINLINE WIDENING
Cooperate with adjacent municipalities towards the completion of the on-going CT DOT I-84 Environmental Impact Statement process. Cancelled by CT DOT 4/2010.

Insure that environmental impacts from proposed widening of the 0.35 miles of I-84 in Brookfield are acceptable. Maintain awareness within the municipality that a free flowing I-84 near Brookfield is vital for local economic health and future business development.

Economic development and business
health in Brookfield is dependent upon
uncongested I-84 access nearby.

After completion of the I-84 EIS, widen I-84 from 2 to 3 lanes in each direction thru Brookfield in conformance with the Conn DOT 2000 I-84 Plan.

See map of planned I-84 Exit 8 improvements in Danbury and planned I-84 Exit 9 improvements in Newtown, both of which will serve nearby Brookfield.

ROUTE 202 IMPROVEMENTS
FROM WHITE TURKEY ROAD TO RT 133
The original concept for Conn DOT Project Number 18-124 was to include lane widening and improved lane continuity to address safety concerns along this busy commercial section of Federal Road. This is a regionally significant and primarily "big box" shopping area.

The proposed upgrade was to have four 12 foot lanes, one central turning lane and two 4 foot shoulders. The total cross sectional width overall would be 68 feet (12,12,12,12,12, 4, and 4).

A future Brookfield project is the
addition of turning lanes, wider shoulders, walkways
and bus stops along the main Route 202 commercial area.

A realigned Gray's Bridge Road on new alignment westerly 500 feet to the traffic signal at Kohl’s driveway was also considered as part of the project:

Conn DOT plan for future relocation of Gray's Bridge Road
westerly to Route 202 to improve traffic circulation in southern Brookfield.

But due to budget shortfalls late in 2009 Conn DOT removed federal funding for this project from the HVCEO 2010-2013 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). A late 2009 Conn DOT statement on the scaled down future of the project is as follows:

"The Department had developed a scope of work that included providing a fifth lane in the section that is currently four lanes as well as improvements in the area between the existing four lane section and Route 133. It also included realigning Grays Bridge Road north to a new intersection with Route 202 which would have provided significant operational improvements.

The proposals would have required taking two businesses and would have cost about $18 million. The Department brought this to the Scope Committee but the proposal was rejected due to high cost. Since then, the Department had to prioritize all projects due to significant funding shortages, and this project was felt to be non-fundable at the $18 million level.

The Department is currently evaluating options to scale the project back and improve one or two of the worst intersections at a reasonable cost. There will still be a challenge identifying funding for any level of scope but staff is investigating the options."

Regarding Route 202 in Brookfield, CT DOT staff reported 9/2010 that the two locations currently under study are Route 202 at Old New Milford Road (south junction) and Route 202 at the signalized drive to Costco and Sandy Lane.

The Old New Milford Road location is the highest priority safety statistics location within the project limits, although almost all the accidents are rear end on the Old New Milford Road approach and most are only property damage accidents. However it has the highest number of accidents of any intersection other than Route 202 at Candlewood Lake Road.

The Department is looking to realign Old New Milford Road to intersect Route 202 closer to a right angle, to eliminate the shallow angle that currently exists.

As for the Costco intersection, it has the most head-on accidents and therefore would seem to benefit the most from the inclusion of a left-turn lane on Route 202.

The Old New Milford Road intersection would require significant right of way cost. The Costco intersection would likely be less expensive but there are only about half as many accidents there as compared to Old New Milford Road.

The Department is attempting to select one or two spots where it can obtain good accident reduction at a reasonable cost and with minimal design time.

The Candlewood Lake Road intersection is not being examined at this time because it would be very expensive to improve and would take a long time to obtain the permit approvals needed. However, the Department remains open to input from the municipality.

In relation to Route 202 issues, note that in 2009 HVCEO prepared a Brookfield Route 202 Complete Streets Bus Stop and Pedestrian Plan. The goal is to merge it into the Conn DOT Route 202 redesign process described above and then to be state and federally funded. An excerpt is shown below:

Excerpt from 2009 Brookfield Route 202 Complete Streets Plan.
Red identifies proposed walkways, crosswalks are in black
and white, and proposed bus stops are yellow stars.

Whatever intersections are selected for improvement by Conn DOT on Route 202, Conn DOT should be requested to include pedestrian and transit elements from the HVCEO Route 202 Complete Streets plan above.

Note that in recent years both the nation and Connecticut have been gripped by the pedestrian and Smart Growth oriented “Complete Streets Movement.” From this new perspective, roadway corridors can be improved by retrofitting with full provision for pedestrians and transit passengers. Curbs and access points can be rethought to maximize safety and reduce travel.

And Brookfield Town officials should be aware that in July of 2009 Governor Rell signed Senate Bill 735, Connecticut’s Complete Streets law. The new law mandates that “accommodations for all users shall be a routine part of the planning, design, construction and operating activities” of all state highways.

Overall, a course of action for the Town can be to advocate for improvements to the high accident rate Route 202 intersections that are priorities within this project. As noted above the contact at Conn DOT is Project Manager William Britnell at 860-594-3283, william.britnell@ct.gov.

ROUTE 202 IMPROVEMENT
AT INTERSECTION WITH ROUTE 25
Make changes to Route 202 in coordination with the construction of mixed use village development. See the related file "Brookfield Village Center Planning Materials."

Excerpt from Brookfield Village Center Plan showing redesign
of Route 202 in the Routes 25 and 202 "Four Corners" area.

UPDATE ROUTE 202 DRIVEWAY
AND CURB CUT MANAGEMENT PLAN
These curb cut plans consist of a series of adjacent maps showing all properties, all driveways, and the recommended reorganization of driveways as properties develop or redevelop.

Implementation comes thru use of the maps by local planning and zoning commissions and by Conn DOT administrators for state roads when conditions of approval are set.

A text supplements the maps, providing traffic engineering advice for each property where there is a recommendation for a change of driveway. These mapped driveway standards appear in the zoning regulations of Bethel, Brookfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding and Ridgefield, all prepared by HVCEO.

See regional map of completed curb cut plans.

Excerpt from the 1994 Brookfield Route 202 Curb Cut
Management Plan. Black indicates future driveway
closures, letters are keyed to related recommendations.

The Brookfield Zoning Commission was one of the pioneers in the Region in the use of this regulatory technique, adopting as a standard within its regulations a Route 202 curb cut plan in 1984.

HVCEO then updated the 1984 curb plan for the Commission in 1994. A second update should soon be requested of HVCEO.

3. BROOKFIELD'S OTHER
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS:

COMPLETE PEDESTRIAN FEATURES
IN BROOKFIELD'S 2001 TOWN PLAN:
The Brookfield Plan of Conservation and Development proposes the development of “a walkable village type development pattern in the Four Corners area,” including the establishment of “a network of pedestrian sidewalks” there, and also “pedestrian friendly streetscape” and “interconnected parking areas and pedestrian walkways.”

The Brookfield Plan is admirable in that it contains a definitive townwide Sidewalk Plan for the municipality, using color to denote primary and secondary sidewalk areas and recommended future connections.

The main Federal Road commercial area is identified as a primary sidewalk area, and as noted above a detailed sidewalk plan for this area has recently been provided by HVCEO.

Excerpt from the Sidewalk Plan within Brookfield's 2001 Town Plan.
Orange denotes a Primary Sidewalk Area and yellow a Secondary
Sidewalk Area, while red lines and arrows identify Future Connections.

MULTI-USE TRAIL FROM
TOWN HALL TO FOUR CORNERS
Construct Still River Multi-Use Trail from Town Hall north to the Four Corners. This project received the top regional priority for federal Enhancement program funding.

A Conn DOT grant has been awarded to Brookfield for the construction of this combined transportation and recreation project. This project is part of a regionally coordinated Still River Trail Plan.

TOWN OF BROOKFIELD BRIDGES WITH SPANS GREATER
THAN 20 FEET PERIODICALLY INSPECTED BY CONN DOT
Cooperate with Conn DOT on proper maintenance of the Town's only such bridge which is on Grays Bridge Road.

4. BROOKFIELD'S SHORT RANGE
BUS SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS:

The HVCEO 2010-2013 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) indicates federal funds are reserved for modernizing the fleet of HART vehicles serving Brookfield.

5. BROOKFIELD'S LONGER RANGE
BUS SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS:

(Excerpts from 2010 Bus Service Improvement Plan)

BROOKFIELD FIXED ROUTE HART BUS
Goals include extending the weekday service span on the 7 New Milford Route (which serves Brookfield via Route 7) from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the provision of service with 30 minute headways between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Excerpt from HART regional bus route map
showing service along Brookfield's Lower Route 202.

On weekends, extending the Saturday service span from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and implementation of new Sunday service hourly between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the route are planned.

Modify the 4 Brookfield route to operate between Danbury and Brookfield hourly via Danbury Hospital. This route currently operates weekdays 9 am and 3 pm, and on Sunday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., leaving Danbury via Osborne Street, Germantown, and Federal Road, and terminating at the Regional YMCA. Hours on this route should be extended to match the rest of the urban fixed route as described above.

BROOKFIELD SWEETHART BUS
Provide Brookfield's seniors and disabled with additional weekday SweetHART dial-a-ride service by extending the service day from the current 5 pm to 6 pm. Add a second bus during peak travel times Between 8 and 10 a.m. to better serve the needs of riders.

For the long term, reduce costs by establishing a new regional SweetHART service that would serve Brookfield and nearby towns in a more efficient manner than the present town by town approach.

7. BROOKFIELD'S LONGER TERM
RAIL SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS:

POTENTIAL BROOKFIELD RAIL STATION
A Conn DOT Danbury Branch Line Study will make recommendations for additional parking at each station including at a potential future Brookfield Station.

Preferred station option: rehabilitate
historic station area just west of Four Corners.

BROOKFIELD COMMUTER RAIL
The current ConnDOT study of the Danbury Branch Line is developing recommendations for reestablishment of passenger rail between Danbury and New Milford. Long term, a new Rail Station may be located in Brookfield to allow for service north to New Milford and south to Danbury and Norwalk. The existing historic station stop on Route 25 near the intersection with Route 7 is the preferred option for the new Brookfield station.

And any new station should be integrated with HART services and if appropriate, pedestrian access plans within the Brookfield Village. A station stop at 92 Pocono Road, opposite the Brookfield Fire Station was also considered.

To the extent feasible facilitate Brookfield's commuter travel patterns by HART bus and passenger rail.