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NEW
FAIRFIELD, CT TRAFFIC: INTRODUCTION |
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This report provides a comprehensive
assessment of the Town of New Fairfield's traffic capacity
and safety needs as of 2002. The goal of HVCEO in preparing
this specialized report is to concentrate and organize key
information on traffic issues for ease of use by all concerned.
The recommendations of all known traffic studies in New Fairfield
have been summarized into this one document.
This traffic research may be referenced as permit applications are reviewed by the New Fairfield Planning and Zoning Commissions, as an input to enforcement priorities by the New Fairfield Police, for municipal traffic related grant applications, and by citizens advising on government decisions.
The 2003 New Fairfield Plan of Conservation and Development,
effective 7/15/2003, states that "The 2002 Inventory
of Traffic Issues in New Fairfield, as amended, prepared by
HVCEO is hereby incorporated as a guide for traffic imporvements
in New Fairfield."
This inventory has much information on state roadway traffic
safety, making use of Conn DOT accident rate data. This valuable
data is contained in the Conn DOT Traffic Accident Surveillance
Report, or TASR. In that report, each state roadway in New
Fairfield is evaluated for indications of higher than statistically
expected accident rates. HVCEO selects TASR ratings approaching
90% or over as indicators of possible priority for remedial
action.
Conn
DOT itself prioritizes the TASR by designating its highest
risk locations for inclusion on the more important 'Suggested
List of Surveillance Study Sites' or SLOSSS. When there is
a documented SLOSSS problem, public funds can more easily
be attracted to resolve it.
Conn
DOT's TASR traffic hazard rating procedure first determines
an actual accident rate for a location. A 'critical rateä is then computed and compared to the actual rate. Think of
this as comparable to actuarial tables maintained by an insurance
company.
If the resulting ratio of actual to critical (or expected)
rates is 1.00 or above (written as 100% or above herein),
and as a further screening process the location has had a
minimum of 15 accidents in the three year period evaluated,
then the location is put in the priority subsection of the
TASR known as the SLOSSS.
Generally
referred to as the 'high hazard list' Conn DOT cautions that
SLOSSS statistics do not necessarily prove by themselves that
a location is high hazard. Rather, the TASR and SLOSSS statistical
systems are tools to focus traffic investigations and investments,
as is the intent of the detailed New Fairfield data that will
be presented here.
Occasionally
a high rate may be isolated in time, with the TASR showing
low rates for time periods immediately before and after. This
may be an anomaly, a temporarily high rate, not necessarily
caused by inadequate roadway characteristics. Also, Conn DOT
has cautioned that some municipalities submit less complete
accident data than others, lowering their state roadway TASR
ratings and clouding their validity.
A
ten year average of the highest TASR rates on New Fairfield's
state roadways yields these locations over or near the
TASR threshold of concern of 90%:
Route 37 from Cottontail Road north to Route 39................229%
Route 37 intersection with Sawmill Road...............................147%
Route 37 intersection with Reservoir View Drive...................99%
Route 37 intersection with Route 39...........................................92%
Route 39 intersection with Warwick Road...............................265%
Route 39 Old Route 39 east to Heritage Plaza.......................
227%
Route 39 Old Short Woods Rd east to Short Woods Rd.......199%
Route 39 Sawmill Road north to Fleetwood Drive..................188%
Route 39 intersection with Sawmill Road.................................183%
Route 39 Butternut Lane east to Route 37...............................163%
Route 39 intersection with Fairfield Drive................................136%
Route 39 intersection with Bigelow Road.................................133%
Route 39 from State Park to Whalley Road..............................124%
Route 39 from Knollcrest Road north to Old Bogus Road......93%
Route 39 intersection with Barnum Road....................................91%
Route 813 (Fairfield Dr) from NYS to New Fane Road............146%
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