ROUTE 39 IN DANBURY CORRIDOR OVERVIEW

For an understanding of the key traffic safety terms "TASR" and "SLOSSS" that are repeatedly referenced in the discussions below, be sure to review the "Introduction to Danbury, CT Traffic" section.

Almost all of Route 39 in Danbury is designated by Conn DOT as a minor arterial route. This designation extends for a total of 4.58 miles, from the I-84 Exit 5 eastbound on ramp northerly to the New Fairfield Town Line. The small remainder, from the I-84 Exit 5 eastbound on ramp south to the origin point of the road at its intersection with Route 37, 53 and Downs Street, is a principal arterial route.

From the Conn DOT perspective, important intersections on Route 39 will be those at other Conn DOT arterial or collector designated roadways interacting with it. There are three such intersections; 1) at the origin of Route 39 at Route 37 and Main Street (Route 53), 2) at I-84 Exit 5 ramps as principal arterials (including Downs Street) and 3) with Cowperthwaite Street as a collector route.

Route 39 has three local road names in succession. From its origin at Route 37 and Route 53 northward to Cowperthwaite Street it is a continuation of Main Street, from there northerly to Padanaram Road it is known as Clapboard Ridge Road, and beyond that point to the New Fairfield Town Line it is called Ball Pond Road.

Conn DOT’s 1999 average daily traffic volumes show 21,500 on Route 39 along the initial segment from Route 53 north to the I-84 Exit 5 eastbound on ramp. The highest volume segment in the corridor is next, 23,900 between the Exit 5 eastbound on ramp northerly under I-84 to the I-84 Exit 5 westbound on and off ramps.

Then from the vicinity of I-84 volumes fall as you proceed north; 13,000 from Cowperthwaite Street to the Danbury High School driveway, 10,300 from the High School to Chambers Road, 9,000 from there to King Street, and down to an average daily volume of 6,400 approaching the New Fairfield Town Line.

Unlike nearby Route 37, Route 39 does not have extensive strip commercial zoning along its southern reaches. Rather, except for the I-84 Exit 5 area the corridor is almost exclusively residentially zoned, with just two small commercially zoned areas in the northern section.

1. ROUTE 39 IN DANBURY FROM
ROUTE 37 NORTHERLY TO I-84 EXIT 5
Landmarks as Route 39 starts are the Mobil gas station on the east and greenery on the west associated with an historic cemetery. Conn DOT evaluated the level of service at this Route 37 and 39 intersection as part of the 2000 I-84 Study; the morning peak hour received a D rating and the evening peak hour an F, the worst grade. The Conn DOT I-84 Study of 2000 documents that revision of signal timings here for the short term are justified and will improve operations.

From milepost .01 to .09, Route 39 from Route 37 northerly to Tooley Lane, the 1995-97 Conn DOT hazard rate was a SLOSSS 167%, a TASR 54% for 1992-94 and then a TASR 108% for 1989-91. These useful Conn DOT hazard rating percentages are not to be considered as factual indicators of hazard but rather as suggestive of safety problem areas.

These TASR (Traffic Accident Surveillance Report) statistics that are determined by Conn DOT to be the highest priorities have an additional "SLOSSS" designation (Suggested List of Surveillance Study Sites), as found for 1995-97 on this segment.

A Conn DOT District 4 spokesperson indicated in October of 1999 that the sharp curve on Route 39 to the south of Tooley Lane along with narrow lanes may contribute to accident problems. Also, that the replacement of slippery pavement here by Conn DOT in 1997 was designed to reduce the documented accident rate.

On Route 39 just south of the I-84 eastbound on ramp, at the intersection with Tooley Lane, a landmark on that road is the Hertz vehicle rental agency. The 2000 I-84 Study calls for Route 39 access to Tooley Lane to be restricted to right turn in and right turn out only. Then the recommended long term alternative in the I-84 Study calls for permanent closing of the Tooley Lane intersection with Route 39.

Immediately north of Tooley Lane is the I-84 Exit 5 eastbound on ramp. In the 2000 I-84 Study, there were long range recommendations for a redesign of Exit 5. Significant change is proposed for both the Exit 5 eastbound and westbound ramps.

Rather than make use of Downs Street as it does at present, the I-84 Exit 5 eastbound off ramp will be relocated to closely parallel the I-84 eastbound main line and then meet Route 39 at a new signalized intersection across from and aligning with the current I-84 Exit 5 eastbound on ramp.

This plan will necessitate the creation of a dead end on nearby Water Street as it turns from north to east, and to make room for the ramp the removal of the portion of Water Street now adjacent to I-84.

The current I-84 Exit 5 eastbound on ramp will remain in place for the long term, but will have an additional traffic function. The ramp will as always lead immediately to the I-84 mainline eastbound, but a new collector off of it will hug the southern embankment of I-84 and extend easterly over to I-84 Exit 6. There it will access Route 37 by what is now the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

Thus eastbound I-84 travelers seeking either Exit 5 or Exit 6 will leave I-84 at Exit 5 and reach Route 39 at a new signalized intersection where Water Street now intersects. Some of this traffic will continue on to Exit 6 on the new connector from the Exit 5 eastbound via a new ramp as described above.

Just to the north of the I-84 mainline, at Route 39 milepost .17, is the intersection of Route 39 with Hillside Avenue. A landmark here is the large Texaco gas station on the north side of the intersection. At this intersection the 1995-97 TASR rate was 114%, the 1992-94 period was 100%, and the 1989 to 1991 period saw 135% with a SLOSSS designation.

In a manner similar to that proposed for Tooley Lane to the south, the recommended short term alternative in the Conn DOT 2000 I-84 Study included the imposition of left turn restrictions at the Hillside Avenue intersection with Route 39. Route 39 access to Hillside Avenue will be restricted to right turn in and then right turn only out of Hillside. As with nearby Tooley Lane the Conn DOT recommended long term alternative includes the permanent closing of the Hillside Avenue intersection with Route 39.

The next and a very significant area of traffic interest is Route 39 at its intersection with Golden Hill Road and the I-84 Exit 5 westbound on and off ramps. Landmarks are the BP gas station on the north side of the Golden Hill approach, the Atrium office building on the south side, and the grassed traffic island allowing for an exclusive right turn lane onto Golden Hill Road from Route 39 northbound.

At Golden Hill Road the 1995-97 accident rate was 115%, the 1992-1994 rate was 117% with a SLOSSS designation, and the rate for 1989-1991 was a SLOSSS designated 107%. In its 2000 I-84 Study, Conn DOT evaluated the level of service at this intersection. Both the morning and evening peak hours received level of service F, failure.

Fortunately, Conn DOT Project #34-0280 will assist in improving traffic management here. The improvement will include the construction of left turn lanes on Route 39 southbound into Golden Hill Road and at the Golden Hill Road southbound approach to Route 39.

The I-84 Exit 5 westbound off ramp approach to the intersection, without turning lanes now, will also be widened to allow for them. A Conn DOT summary of 10/04/1999 states that the estimated completion date is 7/27/2001 and the cost is $1,043,000.

In 1994 the City of Danbury installed a computerized signal system linking eleven intersections along the combined Main Street and South Street corridors, the central north-south traffic spine of Danbury. It should be noted that the signal here at I-84 Exit 5 and Golden Hill Road is the northern terminus of that system.

As a major recommendation of the Conn DOT 2000 I-84 Study, both of the Exit 5 westbound ramps will be removed from their current locations and relocated slightly westward. The westbound off ramp will then meet Route 39 near the current intersection of Cowperthwaite Street and Route 39, with part of Cowperthwaite Street necessarily closed.

The westbound I-84 on ramp will be a few hundred feet further north of Cowperthwaite, to be built as an extension of Starr Avenue, northeasterly to intersect Route 39 at a different point than the westbound off ramp.

At present Route 39 in the vicinity of I-84 is striped for four lanes, yet these cannot be considered four thru lanes. The reason is that Route 39 southbound approaching Route 37 uses the left lane exclusively for left turns. Similarly, northbound, the left lane at the Exit 5 on ramp is used exclusively for left turns.

It is recommended that Conn DOT’s proposed I-84 Exit 5 improvements be accompanied by the widening of Route 39 to four thru lanes, with turning lanes additional, from its origin at Route 37 northward to the new intersection with Starr Avenue as extended, a distance of about one third of a mile. All high accident rates on this segment as documented above should be addressed by that I-84 related widening.

2. ROUTE 39 IN DANBURY FROM I-84 EXIT 5
TO THE DANBURY HIGH SCHOOL DRIVEWAY
Route 39 is striped for four lanes northerly to Cowperthwaite Street, where a landmark is the Exit 5 Motel on the east side of Route 39. At the Route 39 intersection with Cowperthwaite Street, accident rates have been climbing, but not yet on the SLOSSS; 36% for 1989-91, 99% for 1992-94, and for 1995-97 154%. As part of Conn DOT’s Exit 5 improvement plan this intersection will be relocated to the north and entirely rebuilt.

Average daily traffic volumes on Route 39 now fall significantly as you proceed north. This roadway northbound is mostly on an upgrade through Danbury and has a low density residential character.

At the Route 39 intersection with Ventura Avenue, milepost .57 across from the Bright Clouds Christian Church, accident rate experience is 96% for 1989-91, 30% for 1992-94, and for 1995-97 105%. This location will be monitored to determine if rates over 100% continue.

Moving northward to the intersection of Route 39 with Farm Street, at milepost .95, the accident rates are 55% for 1989-91, 133% for 1992-94, and for 1995-97 90%.

Then at the Route 39 intersection with nearby Beckerle Street, at milepost 1.01 and running parallel to Farm Street, accident rate experience was 123% for 1989-91, 118% for 1992-94, and down to 75% for 1995-97.

The high rates may be due to the fact that these two local roads are used as east-west short cuts between Route 37 and Route 39, in a section of Danbury where there is no other east-west traffic route. An additional load on Beckerle Street is that fact that it serves a one way pair of access roads to parking lots at Danbury High School.

The Danbury High School driveway is at Route 39's milepost 1.13, forming a four way intersection with Field Road to the west. TASR accident rates here are well below threshold problem levels, with rates of 41% for 1989-91, 15% for 1992-94, and 60% for 1995-97. This low rate is helped by the designation of the main entrance for inbound vehicles only.

Traffic exiting Danbury High School is directed north to East Gate Road and then to the intersection of East Gate Road with Route 39. Here a traffic signal installed in 1990 primarily for school traffic facilitates safe turning movements.

At this signalized intersection TASR rates have remained well below the level of priority concern, with 5% for 1989-91, 6% for 1992-94, and 45% for 1995-97. As a point of information a Conn DOT report dated 8/15/2000 describes Danbury High School as having 373,379 square feet of gross floor area and 756 parking spaces.

3. ROUTE 39 IN DANBURY FROM THE DANBURY HIGH SCHOOL
DRIVEWAY NORTHERLY TO THE NEW FAIRFIELD TOWN LINE
There are no TASR accident rates of note on Route 39 for the little over two miles from Beckerle Street up to Old Hayrake Road. But then between Route 39 mileposts 3.11 to 3.27, from the intersection with Old Hayrake Road to that with Padanaram Road, Conn DOT recorded accident rates are rising; 71% for 1989-91, 95% for 1992-94, and for 1995-97 133%.

At the intersection with Padanaram Road landmarks are the convenience commercial stores. Accident rates at the intersection with Padanaram Road, milepost 3.28, are also rising: 79% for 1989-91, 91% for 1992-94, and 179% (but still non-SLOSSS) for 1995-97.

The Route 39 intersection with Padanaram Road is signalized and managed as a unit with the signal at the King Street intersection just to the north. There are no turning lanes on any of the approaches. Attractive features here on the west side of Route 39 are the dam and pond on Kinast Brook. A quiet cemetery sits atop the King Street approach.

As for the intersection of Route 39 with King Street, Conn DOT TASR rates here are 184% for 1989-91, 218% for 1992-94, and then down to 43% for 1995-97. A typical traffic improvement solution for this intersection, the realignment of King Street and Padanaram Road to be opposite each other, is prevented by the near proximity of Kinast Brook, its dam and pond.

Further north, at milepost 3.83, the intersection of Route 39 with Kingswood Road, accident rates have been climbing: 22% for 1989-91, 77% for 1992-94, and for 1995-97 105%.

Between Route 39's mileposts 4.29 to 4.69, from the intersection with Pond Crest Road northerly to that with Harvest Road in New Fairfield, accident rates are again rising; 16% for 1989-91, 88% for 1992-94, and for 1995-97 115% with a SLOSSS designation. There is a small area of commercial zoning on the south side of Route 39 after Pond Crest Road.