This drone image captured by Derby's Jack Walsh shows Minerva Street as a one way, heading up toward the Derby Green from Route 34, which is being widened.
DERBY — The recent conversion of parts of Elizabeth and Minerva streets from two-way to one-way is permanent and was something that had been discussed for more than a decade.
The Valley Indy reached out to Rick Dunne, the Derby native and executive director of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, after people on Facebook were asking about Elizabeth and Minerva streets: specifically whether the conversion was temporary.
“It’s permanent. It’s the lower block of Elizabeth and the lower block of Minerva, along with a leg of Third Street that connects to Roosevelt Drive (Route 34),” Dunne said.
* Elizabeth Street is now one-way road heading south (toward Route 34) from Third Street.
* Minerva Street is now one-way north (heading away from Route 34) up to Third Street.
* A small portion of Third Street that connects to Route 34 behind Giordano’s Heat & AC is now one-way.
The state is currently widening Route 34 (Main Street) downtown for $18.7 million. The job is roughly 50 percent done, and, assuming the weather cooperates, on track to be finished in the fall of 2024.
The widening project is happening to improve traffic flow on Route 34, a thoroughfare that runs from Interstate 84 in Newtown to Interstate 95 in New Haven.
Dunne said making one-way streets in opposite directions was done to cut down on motorists making left-hand turns against oncoming traffic — a move that contributes to traffic jams.
The idea is to improve on-street parking on both Elizabeth and Minerva.
On Oct. 24, Mayor Rich Dziekan used the city’s Code Red notification system to alert residents about the new traffic pattern downtown.
“As part of the final design plans, Minerva St from Route 34 to 3rd Street will become one-way up from Route 34 and Elizabeth St. will become one-way down to Route 34 from 3rd Street. Signs will be posted to alert motorists to these permanent changes moving forward,” Dziekan said in a recorded message.
FYI, to sign up for Code Red announcement in Derby go to this website — https://public.coderedweb.com/… — or text DERBYALERT to 99411 to receive a direct link to the enrollment form on a mobile device.
Despite the mayor’s message, motorists are still getting used to the new pattern. On Friday, a motorist made a right-hand turn from Route 34 onto Elizabeth Street, even though a second vehicle was beeping at the driver and pointing to the new one-way sign. The sign, however, was tough to spot because it was partially obscured by the road work happening.
The Valley Indy has published stories mentioning the plans for traffic flow dating back to 2011. Facebook readers noted it’ll take time to get used to.
“These plans and discussions were subject to, I think, three public design meetings and two public hearings. Ultimately there was no objection and the business community was in favor of the plans,” Dunne said.
Dunne said the long-term goal is to make traveling through Main Street easier. He pointed to traffic back-ups on Howe Avenue (Route 110) in Shelton as something the one-way changes in Derby are supposed to avoid. Route 110’s traffic issues are caused, in part, by motorists making left-hand turns onto the Derby-Shelton bridge.
“The design rationale is that on Route 34 you want to eliminate as many left-hand turns against traffic as possible, and you especially want to eliminate unsignalized left-hand turns against traffic,” Dunne said.
