Route 1 Improvements Before Pemberwick Glenville Association

Planners are looking for residents' input on plans to improve traffic conditions and safety on Route 1 between Port Chester and Greenwich.

While traffic congestion and design changes are often viewed as a local problem, the regional study organized by the South Western Regional Plan Association, seeks input from residents and public officials from communities along the corridor, including Port Chester, Greenwich and Stamford.

Vin DiMarco, president of the Pemberwick Glenville Association which is hosting tonight's forum at the Glenville Volunteer Fire Department headquarters, said, any plans will require not only local input but coordination by both the Connecticut and New York State departments of transportation.

"Any improvements will involve the bridges in New York State" on the Port Chester border," DiMarco said. "The intersection (at Route 1 and Byram Road where the Port Chester and Greenwich borders converge) is dangerous ... whether you're on foot, a bicyclist or a driver." He added that he's concerned that federal involvement may be necessary as both bridges span the Byram River which is a federally designated waterway which the Army Corps of Engineers have said needs an updated flood mitigation plan.

Discussion of the study and proposed changes to Route 1 are scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. at the firehouse, which sits at the intersection of Glenville and Riversville roads. The study was begun in 2008 and, according to reports supplied by SWRPA, some traffic data used for the basis of any recommendations to be made dates to 2006 to 2010.

A summary of current conditions explains the challenges tackled by the Route One Corridor Improvement Plan:

"As the character, adjacent land uses, cross section, and function changes; so do the issues, challenges, and needs of each of these various roadway segments. Most of the road is multi-lane with frequent curb cuts, but some sections, which have less dense development and fewer curb cuts, experience less interrupted traffic flow. In the higher density village areas, there is more congestion, due to on-street parking, frequent curb cuts, and increased vehicle turning movements. These areas also experience heavier pedestrian activity.

Finally, Route 1 is a State-maintained highway, running parallel to I- 95, carrying commuter traffic not only from Greenwich and Stamford, but also from surrounding communities. Traffic congestion has continued to increase on I-95 and the Merritt Parkway, so Route 1 often functions as a diversion route when heavy traffic or accidents occur on either of these roadways."

Click here for a report on existing conditions on Route One. Click here for a report on public involvement and design concepts. Click here for a report on future conditions and an implementation plan. (All files are PDF format.)

Readers can also visit the project's index page for an overview and more information.

For more information, contact Alex Karman at 203-316-5190 or karman@swrpa.org.