Pedestrian dangers on the Post Road

ORANGE, Conn. (WTNH) -- It's not uncommon to see cars zip along Route one in Orange and many towns along the shoreline, and it's also not uncommon to see folks walking along the busy roadway some with their backs to traffic, unable to see what dangers may be coming up behind them.

"I'm fine and I've been living out here for fifty something years," said Lorrie Reid of West Haven. But she does get worried when she's walking with her back to traffic and on her phone. "Sometimes I am yes, but I said I don't do it often."

Reid isn't all that worried, but the Tri-State Transportation Campaign says she should be. They have called Route One the state's most deadly for pedestrians, citing six deaths in three years along the 117-mile stretch of road.

The deaths happened in Greenwich, Westport (2), Milford, Groton, and Mystic.

Tyler Siclari walks and runs along the Boston Post Road everyday.

"You tell by the car speed."
"So if they're going fast and they make a turn you just stay right there and hope they see you. You just stay on the curb and don't go into their path."
"Yeah."

He makes sure to watch out for traffic since he can't always stay on a sidewalk.

"It's just basically keeping on grass and keeping away from the cars."

"For folks needing to cross this four lane road in Orange there are some crosswalks at these intersections, but some folks choose just to run across all four lanes in between the lights. What may be even more of a hazard are the entrances and exits along this road because there are hundreds of them at these businesses.

The trick is to watch out for cars which may not see you. Lorrie Reid is not too worried. She doesn't cross at the green either.

"Hey, I leave it in god's hands," Reid said. "If anything's going to happen it's going to happen."

Route One does extend the length of the state so some say it's not so surprising to see several on foot fatalities.

Read the report: tstc.org (.pdf)