Dangerous intersection gets a makeover

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A dangerous 3-way intersection in the Westville section of the city is getting a makeover, one that many area residents should feel a lot safer about.

The intersection has pedestrians' and cyclists' heads spinning. Not just because there are cars coming from all directions, but because it's unclear when it's your time to cross the street.

"That intersection is very, very busy and I'm extremely concerned because my children and I we go bike riding often," explained Mia Edmonds-Duff, who lives by the intersection. "I'm always very cautious when we're crossing the street because cars are always streaming down that hill."

When pedestrians cross the street at the intersection, they see a Do Not Enter sign, but this makes crossing the street even more confusing.

"When you see an intersection that has a Do Not Enter sign across the way, what does that say to anybody? It says do not enter, but I think that's for the cars. It really is confusing to the pedestrian," said Dick Miller, Engineer for the City of New Haven, "it doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

Residents say the biggest issue is the bus stop and that there's so much traffic around it. When a bus pulls up, it congests the area and creates even more problems.

"My concern is they're speeding so fast that when buses are stopped and they're letting children off, often I see cars going around and having difficulty stopping," said Edmonds-Duff, "so I'm really concerned about that."

Many area residents and riders on the bus feel that something needs to be done.

"As someone who takes the bus often, how do you think of this intersection? I think it's a dangerous spot," voiced one bus rider, "I feel like they should put in a different direction or they should close one of the intersections here, so that it's more separated."

That's exactly what Dick and his team are doing. They're also building sidewalks, moving crosswalks and improving signals.

The whole project should be done by the end of summer.