Tackling road safety in West Hartford. Town officials addressed concerns during a meeting Monday night after two people were struck and killed in town last month.
“My friend was killed on the corner of Cornell and Sedgwick,” Arleen Kline, of Farmington, said.
Kline is still mourning the death of 74-year-old Anne Rapkin, who died after being struck by a car on Nov. 27 near Sedgwick and Cornell roads.
She is now pushing for more crosswalks and better lighting in the area. She brought those concerns to the town's Pedestrian and Bicycle Commission Monday night.
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“They’re extremely high and they don’t illuminate very much,” she said.
Rapkin’s death is one of three pedestrian deaths that have happened so far this year in West Hartford.
Town Manager Rick Ledwith said it's unacceptable this is happening. It’s something they’re working to address with their “Vision Zero Action Plan,” which aims to eliminate all roadway deaths and serious injuries by 2033.
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Ledwith said there are already plans to brighten lights across town, but the area of Sedgwick and Cornell will get done this month.
“Even I hadn’t noticed before, but I looked at it and the wattage could be increased there,” he said.
Ledwith said driver behavior is also a concern they’re looking at and is why they’ve beefed up traffic enforcement by police this year. The town is also considering installing red light and speed enforcement cameras next year - potentially freeing officers to cover other areas.
“That will allow our police department to not have to focus on those areas where the cameras because the technology will take care of the enforcement,” he said.
Drivers in town are open to the idea.
“It might help. It might help,” Howard Hahn, of West Hartford, said.
“If I knew I was going to get a ticket, I would be a little bit more aware,” Deb Boucher, of West Hartford, said.
Kline said she hopes there’s urgency when it comes to making these plans become reality.
“I think we need to step things up now,” she said.
There are plans to invite the police chief to a future Pedestrian and Bicycle Commission meeting to talk more about enforcement.
