Project Overview
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) in coordination with the City of Waterbury, and the CT Department of Transportation, is studying the corridor of West Main Street from the underpass of Route 8 to the Waterbury Green. The intent of the study is to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of this stretch of road to develop solutions that improve safety for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, public transit riders and drivers.
West Main Street is a short corridor in an urbanized area that sees significant use. The block-by-block street character varies significantly ranging between two and six lanes, includes a variety of land uses, an incomplete sidewalk network, some street parking, several signalized intersections and difficult pedestrian crossings. This route also serves as the trunk for the CTtransit Waterbury Division bus system, with 18 buses at peak hour, making connections to nearly all parts of the system west of the pulse point at Exchange Place. It's an important corridor that serves as a primary surface street connection across the Naugatuck River into downtown Waterbury. West Main Street also connects several regionally significant employers and destinations, including UConn Waterbury, Waterbury Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, the Basilica and several other large religious establishments, as well as the Waterbury YMCA, the Mattatuck Museum, several state offices and the seat of local government.
This study will develop a concept for the length of the corridor that will address safety and traffic flow concerns and provide for improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit-user accessibility. We will also examine the impacts of reducing lane widths in certain sections of this corridor also known as a “road diet” to accommodate increased pedestrian space, safe crossings, and appropriate transit stops and flows including the potential for a bus-only lane or a shared bus lane. The final product will be a full study of our findings along with several conceptual drawings detailing what improvements are needed to create a safer environment for all users, better traffic flow and encourage economic development.
Public Meetings
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This will be a virtual workshop with a brief presentation to kickoff the project. We will then have discussions about conditions along the corridor as well as particular areas of concern for further review.
Click here for recording of meeting