The letter argues that because some cyclists don't follow rules--and I agree, I've seen cyclists run stop signs--we should have not only no bike lanes but no safe walk to Marvin Elementary, no buffer between the sidewalk and traffic...none of the widely-supported safety improvements that have been suggested for the Beach Road. I've seen a lot of bad driving too. Should we stop building roads? View Comment

Come to SoNo! We've got a great old domed church in need of a new tenant, good transit connections throughout the region and lots of places to grab a bite before or after services. View Comment

It's hard to watch the video at http://BeachRoadSafety.org and still say that these conditions are perfectly safe or that all these kids just need to watch out better. A few drivers' desire for a passing lane in a 25mph zone is, in this case, outweighed by the broader desire of the community for safer streets and a better quality of life. View Comment

@Ken P Jr, please remember, this is a proposal to make the road safer for the kids who use the road every day to walk to school. They're important too. That said...I wanted to address a few good points you brought up. * Cove Marina access Cove Marina is supporting the plan because they understand it will improve access. As part of the plan, there will be a dedicated right turn lane into Cove Marina. * Will this cause congestion? As you pointed out, the bottle-neck is the entrance to the beach. Whether the beach road is 2 lanes or 4 lanes or 10 lanes, it won't allow people to get into the beach any faster, so why not choose the option that also makes it safe for kids, joggers and cyclists? Also, 3 out of 3 engineering consultants agree...the plan won't cause congestion. Please be sure to watch the video at http://BeachRoadSafety.org showing current conditions on the road and I think you'll agree it's best to put safety first here. View Comment

Let's keep the focus where it should be...kids are in danger walking on this road every day. Watch the video at BeachRoadSafety.org to see what the Beach Road is like for its most vulnerable users. Several independent engineering firms have studied the road and said making it safer would not cause congestion. So why put kids at risk? View Comment

Speeding policemen aren't what makes this road dangerous. It's that everybody is speeding and that there is hardly any safe space to walk, jog or bike. The police can't be monitoring the road at all times and even if they could, I'm still not sure I would let my daughter bike there. The chief says there is heavy enforcement on the road. Still, speeding is the norm. Ultimately this has to be a road that doesn't feel so fast. As lwitherspoon alluded to, a 25 mph speed limit feels low when the road is so wide open. The city has hired two different consultants who have recommended safer designs for the beach road. All involve a mix of bike lanes and other traffic calming measures. We just need to listen to what they're telling us. View Comment

rerbc, as lwithespoon also pointed out, the plan is to make the vehicle-free lanes available to traffic whenever necessary...basically after the firerworks and if need be during the boat show. Unfortunately, with kids, joggers and cyclists using the road every day, it'd be impossible to have police monitoring the road at all times. View Comment

The DOT, for legal reasons, must attribute all accidents to driver error. However, roadway design plays a huge role. It's the reason that a road like this is so much more prone to "driver error" than those with safer designs. Ultimately, fixing this road will be easier than fixing all the drivers. Kudos to the suggestions of reducing the number of driveways and considering the elimination of left turns. Perhaps a planted median would help keep traffic orderly and make the road a little easier for pedestrians to cross. View Comment

I would rather say, this is why we need smart growth. Sprawling strip mall developments like Main Ave not only create dangerous streets but they take away from the appeal of Norwalk as a whole. On the other hand, beautiful, pedestrian-oriented streets with outdoor cafes and river views would be great additions to our town. View Comment

Seriously. a $150 Dropcam would have done a better job. View Comment

The data I have shows only 2 to 3 speeding tickets are issued by the Norwalk Police Department each day. If, according to Sgt. Cotto, the police would ordinarily issue 75 citations over two days, does that mean the overwhelming number of citations are for something other than speeding? View Comment

Count me as an IMBY ("in my backyard"), please. I live in South Norwalk and I wish they would put the mosque here. View Comment

The building itself looks beautiful, but it's a shame they want to put it in one of the least-accessible corners of Norwalk. How is anybody without a car supposed to get there? There is so much underused property in South Norwalk (my neighborhood) that would make a great location for this mosque. This mosque could bring much-needed foot traffic and additional business to the restaurants and retailers in our neighborhood. Why squeeze it into the residential parcel on Fillow Street? View Comment

Good news for oil companies! Now instead of sending that money to the state to repair our roads and bridges, they can keep it for profits. View Comment

How many more pedestrians will be hit before the state DOT realizes it must build sidewalks along its dangerous roads? Request a sidewalk here: http://www.dotdata.ct.gov/contacts/contact.aspx View Comment

When the gas price goes up Europe, people start taking the train or biking to work. Thanks to our cars-only transportation planning, most of us don't have that option. The solution is not to bend-over-backwards in a futile attempt to keep gas cheap. The solution is to give people alternatives. View Comment

Wow! Way to go Westport...I never knew you were so progressive. Norwalk--let's not be too far behind. View Comment

This is also one reason why modern roundabouts reduce fatal accidents by 90%. http://www.azdot.gov/CCpartnerships/roundabouts/faq.asp View Comment

Connecticut Ave has more pedestrian collisions than any other street in Norwalk. (Here's a map I made of six years of pedestrian and bike collisions: http://g.co/maps/7rw2q) It has all the risk factors: high vehicle speeds, lots of lanes to cross, missing sidewalks and nearby neighborhoods with low car ownership. It doesn't help that the crosswalks are so far apart. In the area where she was hit, there is a 1/4 mile walk between crosswalks. That's about 10 minutes on foot. Since this is a state road, ultimately the state DOT bears responsibility for its dangerous condition. Kudos to Lisa Cotto for pointing out its poor lighting and lack of crosswalks. View Comment

Some corrections on this op-ed: The photo caption states that activists would have liked to replace this existing parking with bike lanes. This is totally wrong. We want to have both new parking spots and bike lanes along the whole of Seaview, narrowing the super-wide lanes to more reasonable widths. The only people who should be upset about this are teenagers driving sports cars...they'll hardly be able to go above 30. * the text of the article refers to a petition for Seaview bike lanes. The petition is for a different, worth project: calf pasture bike lanes. Please sign it at http://chn.ge/calfpasture The Calf Pasture project is also the one that has been endorsed by a host of civic leaders including the mayor. Hope this helps clarify! View Comment