Downtown improvements in Ivoryton Village have led to a hoped-for increase in walking and vehicle traffic, and now the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Ivoryton Alliance are addressing increasing concerns about speeding in the area.

To address the situation and create a friendlier, safer downtown Ivoryton area, the Essex Traffic Authority/BOS put in a request to the State of Connecticut’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to reduce the speed limit in the area. Originally the request was to bring the speed down to 20 miles per hour. However, after further investigation of the area the DOT determined that 25 miles per hour is an appropriate speed limit for the conditions of that segment of road, which stretches 0.39 miles from Walnut Street to the intersection of North Main Street. The 30 mile per hour speed limit will remain from Pond Meadow Road to Walnut Street.

According to the DOT, the special conditions that exist on the reduced speed portion of roadway that warrant consideration of a lower speed limit include blind curves, numerous crosswalks, dense population, and periodic excess pedestrian traffic due to events held at The Ivoryton Playhouse, the Ivoryton Library, and at the Ivoryton Park.

The DOT suggests that the town consider installing “your speed” radar signs along with larger speed limit signs to effectively help residents to remember to slow down in this area of town.

“We have received a number of complaints from residents in regard to how fast people drive in this area of Ivoryton,” said First Selectman Norm Needleman. “The town fully plans to police this area and enforce the new lowered speed limit. This is a public safety issue and we are doing all we can to keep our town a safe place.”

In addition to the lowered speed limit, the board is looking into the possibility of installing a stop sign at the intersection of Summit Street and Main Street. The purpose for this sign would be to address the recessed sightline issue in this area.

“This stop sign would also collaterally help with the speed issue in the area,” said Needleman, who said that per DOT regulations, stop signs cannot be installed solely as a means for speed control.