A new light that pedestrians can use to cross Derby Avenue.
DERBY – A pair of stop signs installed on Derby Avenue after a woman was killed crossing the street 21 years ago were removed earlier this month.
The signs were replaced with ‘rectangular rapid flashing beacons,’ which state officials said will make the crosswalk safer.
The stop signs at the crosswalk of Derby Avenue and Bank Street in front of the Catholic War Veterans post were installed in 2003, one year after Claudia Woodford was struck by a driver who fled the scene.
Woodford, a 31-year-old mother of two, was helping a group of kids cross the street when she was hit. She was carrying a friend’s 1‑year-old, according to news reports at the time. The child was not seriously injured.
The driver was caught and sentenced to four years in prison for Woodford’s death.
Derby Avenue (Route 115) is a state-owned road and falls under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT).
Woodford’s death triggered outrage in Derby. Some 300 people signed a petition to get the DOT to do something to make the crosswalk safer for pedestrians.
The DOT installed stop signs – which were supposed to be temporary. However, state lawmakers representing Derby pushed to make them permanent, according to a 2003 CT Post story.
The stop signs were removed on Nov. 3, according to the DOT. Derby Town Clerk Marc Garofalo said they were removed on Election Day, Nov. 7.
The move triggered negative reactions on Facebook, especially on the Derby Community Forum and under a Nov. 8 post about the stop signs from the Derby Police Department.
Garofalo brought the concerns from the public to the Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen on Nov. 9.
Garofalo was mayor when the stop signs were installed. He asked why the pending removal wasn’t discussed at public meetings, especially given the public’s role in getting the stop signs installed in the first place.
Dziekan told Garofalo he fought to keep the stop signs in place, but the DOT wanted them gone.
“It had nothing to do with us,” the mayor said, adding later: “I’m telling you the State of Connecticut did that. I fought that.”
However, back in May, a post on the mayor’s Facebook page spun the changes as something the administration supported.
“I just want to let everyone know that after five long years working with DOT the intersection at Derby, Avenue and Bank Street will be up and running. My administration worked long and hard to make this a safe intersection. The stop signs will be removed. It will be replaced with pedestrian flashing lights,” according to the post.
Dziekan told The Valley Indy this week that the DOT did not listen to his concerns.
“The DOT came in several years ago and said ‘This is what’s going to happen’,” Dziekan said. “We have the Catholic War Veterans right there and a lot of elderly veterans and people with walkers and in wheelchairs use the crosswalk. It was sad that they did it. But this is the State of Connecticut and what are you going to do? My administration was completely against this, but, according to state engineers, this was the best solution for the intersection.”
Garofalo told The Valley Indy the Dzeikan administration should have shown better leadership skills by getting Derby citizens involved in the discussion. No such effort was made, Garofalo said.
“There was a Facebook post from May (from Dziekan) saying it was going to be done, and since then there’s been no notification to anybody and no public input on it,” Garofalo said. “We fought to get (the stop signs) there. It never came up at any BOA meetings. A CODE Red could have been sent to get the information out. There was no dialogue and no discussion to let people know about this. People should have been given the opportunity to speak about the pros and cons of it. A person was killed there, and the stop signs are taken out without any public notification and discussion. That was a mistake.”
Garofalo noted that since the stop signs were removed, it’s been “a nightmare” for motorists to get out of the parking lot on Bank Street and onto Derby Avenue. The lot serves the nearby church and additional parking for River Rock Tavern. Garofalo said the lot is especially busy on weekends when more than 100 church-goers are using the lot.
Alderwoman Barbara DeGennaro noted that although the DOT removed the stop signs – they left at least one sign warning motorists of a stop ahead.
DOT Reaction
State DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said the stop signs were replaced with a new system designed to make the crosswalk safer.
“The stop signs at the intersection of Route 115 (Derby Avenue) and Bank Street were removed on Nov. 3 as part of a larger traffic signal and pedestrian safety project,” Morgan told the Valley Indy via an email. “We reviewed this intersection and determined the all-way stop was not warranted.”
Morgan said those findings were shared with the city in July 2021, and DOT remained in regular contact with city officials as the project moved forward.
“The stop signs were replaced with new, high-visibility pedestrian crossing signage, including Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs),” Morgan said. “Marked crosswalks with RRFB technology help improve pedestrian safety and increase vehicle yield rates. Motorists are reminded to yield to pedestrians at all times, and we need drivers to slow down and pay attention when on the roadway.”
Morgan said from his understanding the city and the DOT were on the same page about the project to replace the stop signs.
“My understanding is there was good communication and collaboration with the city as we all share the same goal of ensuring our roadways are safe for everyone,” Morgan said.
Former Police Chief Weighs In
Former Derby Police Chief Jerry Narowski told the Valley Indy that the DOT wanted the stop signs removed years ago, as they were not in compliance with uniform traffic codes.
The stop signs were also causing back-ups on nearby Route 34 – another state-owned thoroughfare – during rush hour.
Narowski said the DOT was never in favor of the way the stop signs were used.
“There was public outcry, and the city and state agreed to put up flashing lights at the intersection,” Narowski said. “But the city and residents also demanded stop signs, which the state said was inappropriate, but they allowed it,” Narowski said.
“The stop signs have stayed there for 20 years, but the state said they were inappropriate under municipal uniform traffic code. The state said the stop signs were causing a hazard on Route 34, causing backups and life and property hazards.”
Narowski said the DOT informed both the mayor’s office and the police a few years ago that they were going to remove the stop signs. However, Narowski said when COVID hit, the project got delayed a couple years.
“The state said ‘We’re taking those stop signs down,’ and the city and our state reps protested that, and wanted to keep those signs. But the state said ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ They said the stop signs were causing problems with backups on Route 34 and they were changing it.”
Narowski said that overall, the change to the sidewalk is a positive. The stop signs, although popular, didn’t make sense from a design perspective.
“The replacement with the new rapid flashing beacons is absolutely an appropriate system for that intersection,” Narowski said.
The changes to the crosswalk were part of a larger DOT project.
In November 2022 the agency issued a press release announcing a $4.9 million project to replace traffic control signals to meet current standards throughout Connecticut starting April 1, 2023.
The audio below is from the Derby BOA/A meeting during which the crosswalk was discussed.
