from: Hunter Smith <davidhuntersmith@...>

date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:33:10 
To: <ct-livable-streets-discussion@...>
subject: Re: [CT Livable Streets discussion] Fwd: [Elm City Cycling] Letter
	from DOT re: Tomlinson Bridge & Whalley widening


How do you think I should respond?  Short "thank you for you response.  I
encourage you to continue to explore ways to make the Tomlinson Bridge more
accessible to bikes and pedestrians."  Or something more substantive?

2009/7/1 Jonathan Romanyshyn <jonathan.romanyshyn@...>

> Doesn't change much. At least they "care."
>
> On Jul 1, 2009, at 2:10 PM, Mark Abraham wrote:
>
> FYI
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Hunter Smith <davidhuntersmith@...>
> Date: Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 1:57 PM
> Subject: [Elm City Cycling] Letter from DOT re: Tomlinson Bridge & Whalley
> widening
> To: Elm CIty Cycling <elmcitycycling@...>
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                             July 1, 2009
>
>
>
> Mr. Hunter Smith
>
> davidhuntersmith@...
>
>
> Dear Mr. Smith:
>
>
> Subject:  Tomlinson Bridge
>
>
> Governor M. Jodi Rell has forwarded your e-mail dated June 16, 2009,
> regarding recent notices of construction project work on the Tomlinson
> Bridge, the Whalley Avenue traffic operation and safety improvement project
> in Westville, and the rail crossing on Forbes Street in the approach to the
> Tomlinson Bridge, to the Department of Transportation (Department) for
> response.  Please accept the Department’s apology for the lack of a timely
> response to your earlier e-mail sent to info@....  The
> website was redesigned and overhauled this spring and your e-mail was sent
> to an inactive account.  Steps have been taken to ensure that all comments
> and questions are sent to a single account.
>
>
> Relative to the *Construction News*, the Department issued a notice on May
> 6, 2009 reporting a closure of the Tomlinson Bridge on May 19-21, 2009, due
> to a bridge inspection that was being conducted.
>
>
>             In regard to the Whalley Avenue traffic operation and safety
> improvement project, the Department respectfully disagrees that it has been
> unresponsive to the concerns of the public.  The Department has a long
> history of working with many interested parties seeking solutions that meet
> the transportation, commercial, and livability needs of the community.  The
> most recent public meeting, conducted 7/31/08, offered revised plans which
> incorporated many aesthetic and pedestrian accommodations.  Additional
> refinements were included in the final design plans, which the City of New
> Haven fully supports.
>
>
> In regard to the Providence and Worcester (P&W) rail crossing on the east
> approach to the Tomlinson Bridge, the Department recognizes the
> undesirability of the skewed rail crossing on Forbes Street.  While this
> freight rail crossing was reconstructed during the Tomlinson Bridge
> construction project completed in 2003, the crossing alignment was only
> minimally modified, as it would need to reconnect to the existing Waterfront
> rail spur line.  It was not possible to improve the rail crossing geometry
> given the constraints of the location.  The reconstruction details
> included flange fillers on the outside rail surfaces, but left an opening in
> the inside (gage) surface to accommodate projecting railroad car wheel
> flanges.  Where the use of flange fillers on the inside rail surface have
> been experimented with, they have performed poorly, according to P&W, the
> owner of the crossing.  While referenced in the literature, the devices do
> not have a proven track record in northern climates.  The failure of such
> flange fillers involve water and sand/debris getting into voids in the seal
> cavity, which risk train derailment, particularly during freezing
> conditions.  However, in consideration of a number of bicyclist complaints
> regarding this crossing, the Department has undertaken a review of traffic
> safety at this location and, as a result of the findings, will be installing
> new warning signs for bicyclists in advance of the crossing in each
> direction in the next month.
>
>
> Very truly yours,
>
>                                                                         *James
> H. Norman*
>
> James H. Norman, P.E.
>
> Acting Engineering Administrator
>
> Bureau of Engineering and Construction
>
>
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