Town of Newtown, CT Traffic Calming Program

The Police Commission of the Town of Newtown is hereby designated the implementing authority for the organization and operation of a traffic calming program in accordance with this section. In developing traffic calming programs for community streets and roadways, the implementing authority may utilize measures to reduce speed, enhance pedestrian safety and reduce traffic diversion in residential neighborhoods.

Traffic calming measures shall be in all cases designed to comply with recognized standards and practices of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, AASHTO, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Traffic calming designs shall conform to the latest edition of the United States Department of Transportation's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and regulations of the State Traffic Commission. All traffic calming measures shall be designed under the supervision of the Director of the Department of Public Works or his designee, who shall be a professional engineer licensed in the State of Connecticut.

The implementing authority shall develop program guidelines, during which process it will hold not less than one public hearing, that will ensure public participation and access to the program. These guidelines shall be reviewed at least every three years by the implementing authority for possible revisions or modifications. In addition to setting forth the implementing authority's protocols for determining the need for traffic calming measures, the guidelines shall state the means by which a resident shall request traffic calming services, the methods used by the authority in advising the potentially affected neighborhood and the evaluation criteria to be used in measuring the relative community consensus, public hearings and notices of construction. Said guidelines will set forth an appeals process by which affected residents may request review. The implementing authority shall provide, in the guidelines of this program, requirements for continued monitoring of traffic calming projects for a period of at least one year following placement to review safety, success and effectiveness. Upon a finding of a hazardous situation or condition created by the traffic calming measures, such situation or condition shall be immediately corrected.

The Department of Public Works shall annually present, as part of its budget, the implementing authority's plan for implementation of traffic calming improvements, which shall be considered in accordance with normal budget practices and procedures. The submitted plan shall list projects and priority evaluations indicating the order of implementation and relative cost of each. Following approval of a budget for traffic calming programs, the Department of Public Works is authorized to install such devices in accordance with priorities for each project to the limit of the approved funding each year. The foregoing shall not preclude the Department of Public Works from requesting appropriations to implement traffic calming improvements consistent with the plan at any time such improvements are deemed desirable.

The implementing authority will provide the Legislative Council within one year of the effective date of the section with a report, updating the progress it has made in creating and implementing the program guidelines referenced in the section.

Within six months of the effective date of the section, the implementing authority shall provide a report and every six months thereafter until the guidelines are in place.