I-95 Southbound Shut Down for Shooting Investigation; Heavy Traffic Hits Local Streets

The State Department of Transportation has announced that I-95 southbound is shut down through Westport’s exits 18 and 17 this afternoon as the Connecticut State Police continue an ongoing investigation. Unofficial reports cite the investigation stems from possible evidence tracking along the I-95 corridor, while the Fairfield Police Department announced that I-95 will be shut down from Exit 18 until Exit 10 for the police activity. Fairfield County towns along Route 1 are reporting heavy traffic as both private cars and interstate trucks avoid the shutdown and hit the local streets on their journeys to all points south. Most of the Connecticut State traffic cameras have been turned off from Darien through Westport, though the ones remaining on show a completely deserted freeway. WestportLocal.com for more information as it becomes available.

UPDATE

Darien Police Department Press Release

At approximately 3:42 AM on Wednesday 09-14-2022, a Darien Police Sergeant observed a vehicle operating slowly S/B on Noroton Ave. in the area of Maple Street. The vehicle and operator then approached the Sergeant and reported that two subjects within the vehicle had been shot.

Darien officers provided immediate medical care to the victims; Darien EMS responded to the scene and transported two male subjects to Stamford Hospital for treatment. Darien PD officers remained on scene to secure the scene/vehicle and to assist the Connecticut State Police.

This investigation into this shooting incident is being conducted by the Connecticut State Police and the CSP Western District Major Crime Squad. There is no ongoing threat to the public at this time. Maple Street will be closed at Noroton Ave. for some period of time this morning as the investigation continues.

There are no indications that any crime occurred within the Town of Darien. All further inquiries concerning this investigation should be directed to the Connecticut State Police.

****** End of Release *****

Donald B. Anderson

Chief of Police

Traffic Woes: No Construction or Accidents to Blame

Heavy southbound traffic has again crippled the community. According to the State Department of Transportation, no major traffic accidents have been reported on I-95 or the Merritt Parkway in the past several hours- and no major accidents were reported in Westport, either. “Congestion” is the only way to label the immense back-ups. The DoT said that nearly 15 miles of both the Merritt and I-95 are both heavily congested into late tonight. “We’re trapped” a motorist yelled as they remained stopped on Greens Farms Road around 8 this evening - another victim to a traffic re-route from apps such as Waze that navigate traffic onto side streets when the interstate becomes congested. Traffic on Post Road was backed up through the length of town, with Greens Farms Road backed up from Bridge Street past Nyala Farms Road - evidence that traffic is not only escaping the highway from Exit 18, but even earlier at 19 and possibly further.

Talking Transportation with Jim Cameron: Five Worst Ideas for Solving Traffic

Have you noticed how terrible our traffic is lately?

Not just in comparison to the empty roads and blue skies during the pandemic lockdown, but even compared to pre-COVID times.

The rush hour on I-95 starts earlier and runs later, pretty much all day long.  The increased volume is due in large part to the return to the office but by car, not mass transit (where ridership is still only 50% of the good old days).

If there were easy answers to this congestion, they’d have been implemented by now.  Look… this is really a matter of supply and demand: too much demand (highway traffic) and not enough supply (space on those roads).   

But here are a few of the crazier ideas for fixing traffic I’ve heard suggested over the years:

1)    DOUBLE-DECK I-95:        Seriously, this was once proposed by the Stamford Chamber of Commerce.  Can you imagine the decades of construction and billions in cost, with “upper level” roads having to soar hundreds of feet over existing overpasses?

2)    ALLOW TRUCKS ON THE MERRITT PARKWAY:       There are two words to explain why this can’t happen:  low bridges.

3)    BAN TRUCKS FROM I-95:          Trucks are high-occupancy vehicles delivering goods to the stores that you, in your single-occupancy vehicle, drive to so you can shop.  No trucks, no goods, no shopping.

4)    DRIVE IN THE EMERGENCY BREAK-DOWN LANE: This was then-Governor Rowland’s idea and he even wasted a million dollars studying it.  But if you think of that far right-hand lane instead as the “emergency rescue lane” you’ll see why this doesn’t make sense.  This plan would also require re-striping existing traffic lanes to a narrower width, making driving more dangerous.

5)    WIDENING I-95:       Again, billions in cost and decades of construction.  And if you build it, they will come.  Traffic will expand to fill available space.  Then what, a fifth lane?

I think there are better ideas for managing traffic congestion, some of them already being implemented:

OPERATIONAL LANES:     Adding a fourth lane from on-ramps to off-ramps gives traffic a better chance of merging on and off the highway without blocking the through-lanes.

WIDENING CHOKE-POINTS:      For example, the exit 14-15 mess in Norwalk.  But this $42 million construction project, discussed since 2002, took almost five years to get built.

ADD A ZIPPER LANE:      Sure, this may require highway widening, but just one lane that’s reversible depending on demand, a system used effectively on the Tappan Zee Bridge before it was rebuilt.    

CHANGE COMMUTING HOURS:       Does everyone really need to work 9 am – 5 pm?  How about starting earlier or later and spreading out the traffic?  Your employer should understand and you’ll be happier and more productive.

As I say, there are no simple solutions to highway congestion.   It’s easy to identify the problems.  But fixing them will always be expensive.

About Jim Cameron:

Jim Cameron has been a commuter advocate for over 30 years, with a special focus on the Metro North railroad. He spent nearly two decades on the Connecticut Metro North Commuter Council, and most recently founded The Commuter Action Group. Jim Cameron’s Talking Transportation was a popular column on the former WestportNow.com prior to its cessation, and joins The Westport Local Press and several other online community organizations. A resident of Darien - he serves on its Representative Town Meeting and is Program Director of the town government TV station, DarienTV79. He can be reached at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CTRailCommuters