Letter to the Editor: Lessons for the Future About Route 9 Traffic Lights

 A letter to the Editors of the Insider brings to light an old but once again relevant issue. With decommissioning of the Middletown's Sewage Treatment plant  and the subsequent joining of the Mattabassett Sewage District scheduled for referendum this fall, new opportunities open up Middletown's river front for development. One reader cautions citizens and begs the question: Is an increase in patronage to businesses downtown worth the tragedies that have resulted from traffic lights put in place to direct people to Main Street? With new developments on the horizon, what will the new traffic patterns needed to be to satisfy developers look like? What have we learned and what can we do to make this stretch of road safer now that there may be new opportunities?

The Hartford Courant published an article about the  CT Department of Transportation's conclusion that this stretch in Middletown is the most dangerous stretch of roadway in the state. Read the article  here. In the Courant's article, manager of Amato's on Main Street Diane Gervais describes the delicate relationship between Route 9 Traffic and Main Street patronage, she is said: "Our customers need access to Route 9, and we need access to our customers from Route 9."
 

Below is one readers opinion, in his own words. All letters to the editor do no necessarily  reflect views of the Insider and are posted for information purposes only.
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When Route 9 was proposed to pass along the river front in Middletown, the leaders of another generation agreed to it on one condition. That being there be traffic lights on a four lane highway to stop passing motorists for the sole purpose of patronizing Middletown businesses.

The lives lost at that dangerous bottleneck will be forever on their heads. Take the traffic lights off RT 9 and end the bottleneck to the flow of traffic. There are plenty of on- and off-ramps and the traffic lights are not needed and are deadly.

Tom Salafia,  Resident  of Middletown, CT