Streets in New Haven closed, checkpoints set up

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- If you're trying to get into New Haven from Hamden, Woodbridge and North Haven, you will likely be told to turn around.

There's a travel advisory in effect to help officials clear the roadways faster.

Mayor DeStefano says they have doubled they amount of snow removal equipment on 22 snow routes, each with a pay loader and two snow plows.

Once one bus got stuck, another five or so were trapped for quite a while along Dixwell Ave.  Many of the passengers just wanted to get out of the house and do some errands.

“You come outside and you're still trapped. That's not good,” said Shatiqua Williams of New Haven.

“What do you think about this?  The roads?  The flooding,” asked News 8’s Erin Logan.

“It's ridiculous, it really is. How do you feel about it,” asked Williams.

“Same. No car, no nothing,” said News 8’s Logan.

It is certainly not a laughing matter for police and emergency personnel who've been working around the clock trying to clear the roads with many roadblocks. There are narrow streets, cars stuck, snow piled up and now a slushy mess. 

“We are working hard to keep the city safe. To do that, we need to keep the streets passable so we've set up traffic advisory points all over the city at the borders coming in,” said Chief Dean Esserman, New Haven Police.

Police are trying to discourage what they call " non-essential travel" in the city. The checkpoints are set up at:

• Fountain Street at the Woodbridge town line
• Dixwell Avenue at the Hamden town line
• Whitney Avenue at the Hamden town line
• Quinnipiac Avenue at the North Haven town line

New Haven's parking ban downtown has been extended through the end of the day Monday.

While many are frustrated about being re-routed in your cars, people on Townsend St. and Henry can't even get to their cars. Their street hasn't been plowed and they've been shoveling for a day and a half.

“We're trying to finish this by night time,” said Mildred Marin of New Haven.

“A lot of kids and elderly on the streets,” asked News 8’s Erin Logan.

“Yes,” said Marin.

In case of emergency, police say it again.

“We need people to stay home. There's no parking downtown and the roads are bad and everyone who can stay home will help this city clean up faster,” said Chief Esserman.

Mayor DeStefano says the main goal is to have one lane open on every city street by mid-day tomorrow.

Schools and city office will be closed and may be for a few more days so when you feel the urge to drive around just for the sake of it, you're only making the clean-up process drag on.