As of November 30, 2024, drivers have killed 61 pedestrians and cyclists in Connecticut; that’s only the deaths that we know of.

We begin and end the month looking hard at West Hartford.

Why?

West Hartford is a suburb of the state’s capital city. Many of its residents are firmly upper middle class, despite their personal rejections of that assessment. In 2022, the median household income of West Hartford was $124,150; in neighboring Hartford, the median household income that same year was $41,841. The economic divide was and is stark, appearing everywhere from moments of culture shock that arise during social interactions, to the treatment of those using any transportation besides the private vehicle. West Hartford has a not particularly unique history of exclusionary zoning. While zoning practices may look less overtly discriminatory today, it’s clear that certain areas are intended for certain types of people: rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Blue Back Square development in West Hartford Center begins at $2,390/month. With all that said, it’s the boastfulness of West Hartford that rubs me the wrong way. The Town of West Hartford even dedicates a page of its website to accolades, which makes me ask if all these awards and rankings reflect the reality of those living and working in, and passing through, this town.

Since 2015, drivers have killed 12 pedestrians in West Hartford. Only two of those victims were under 50; four of the twelve were over age 80. All three of the pedestrians killed in West Hartford this year have been over 70.

When a town’s roads prove deadly again and again to the elderly, it seems to me that the place might hit pause on its bragging about livability until it addresses the simple matter of keeping older folks, especially, alive.

WEST HARTFORD
OAKWOOD AVENUE
8 NOVEMBER 2024

At half an hour after sunset on a Friday, a motorist struck 87-year old West Hartford resident Patricia Brulotte as she was crossing Oakwood Avenue at St. James Street.

According to her obituary, Patty “was a respected real estate agent for many years in the Greater Hartford area and currently was associated with Berkshire Hathaway in West Hartford. She will be sadly missed by many people whose lives she touched.”

Rather than address the quality of street lighting, a local decision-maker — at a vigil arranged by safe streets advocates — had the audacity to suggest pedestrians would be safer if only they would use their phone flashlights.

Still, nothing has been said by reporters about whether or not street lighting was on and/or sufficient at the time of the crash. What they did show, however, in their photos from coverage of the vigil, was how dark this area of town happens to be. It’s not until someone is about to step into the street that they are visible — regardless of wardrobe color choices. 

Oakwood Avenue is a busy street with a 30 MPH speed limit, no speed tables, no raised crosswalks, no physical structures that would aid in traffic calming.

There are plenty of signs for motorists to ignore, however. Another one — an RRFB — was slated to be added at the exact intersection where Patty was needlessly killed. I guess the town just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

Excuses were made about how winter slows construction, but winter does not begin for weeks still, and we have hardly had but a day or two at a time of what would even count as seasonal weather this year. The small addition of the RRFB had also been discussed for months before the November fatal crash. But sure, slow winter construction is the problem.

NEW HAVEN
ROUTE 5 
10 NOVEMBER 2024

At 2:18 AM the driver of a Honda Civic struck and killed 41-year old pedestrian Luis Timbila on Route 5 in New Haven. I could not find an obituary for him. 

There is, as you can see, inconsistent and insufficient space provided for pedestrians on Route 5.

The crash database says that Luis was not at an intersection, but the diagram marks him as crossing right in the area of the park road, across from an apartment building — both places where motorists should expect people to be at any hour. Why there is not better pedestrian infrastructure by an entrance to East Rock Park is a mystery.

BRISTOL
ROUTE 72
10 NOVEMBER 2024

You can see a memorial by the tree on the left side of the Google Map screenshot below. That memorial was created for a pedestrian killed in this area in 2021. This image was captured in October 2024, just weeks before another driver would kill another pedestrian in this same spot.

You can waste your time speculating about driver inattention or any other hot topic of the day, or you can look at what the street tells us about itself:

How do you cross this on foot?
How do you do that if you have any kind of disability?

A driver killed Plainville resident Anthony Fascendini, age 62, when he was trying to cross this road at 5:45 AM.

According to his obituary, Tony “was a lifelong resident of Plainville and attended local schools where he formed strong connections with many individuals and cultivated lasting friendships. Tony filled the world with his many talents and skills. As a self-employed construction worker, he showcased his mastery in various trades, from mechanics to heavy equipment operation. His reputation as a jack of all trades and a true handyman preceded him wherever he went.

Tony’s passion for maintaining his daughter’s lawn was evident to all who knew him. He took great pride in ensuring it was always perfectly manicured, a true labor of love that brought him immense joy. His commitment to this task reflected his giving nature and his unwavering dedication to his family.

Throughout his life, Tony cultivated a deep connection with the sea, particularly through his shared fishing expeditions with his children. He found solace and fulfillment in casting lines and reeling in a catch, instilling in his loved ones a deep appreciation for the serene beauty of the water. Among the fondest recollections were the moments spent fishing at Dock & Dine in Old Saybrook, where he and his son forged unbreakable bonds.”

Tony was also the third pedestrian to be killed on Bristol’s Route 72 this year. That’s not simply bad luck. That’s bad design.

Since the fatal crash in 2021 at this same spot, the only noticeable changes to the intersection have been the addition of cameras. Many cameras. Not street lights. In the crash report for the 2021 fatality, it was noted that the area was “dark–not lighted.” 

The speed limit on this dark–not lighted road is 40 MPH. Sidewalk is mostly absent. Marked crosswalk exists on only two of the intersection’s four legs. There are five lanes for a pedestrian to cross in those conditions.


COLCHESTER
ROUTE 2
22 OCTOBER 2024


The date is not an error. 


On October 22, 2024, the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV struck 74-year old Noel McGregor of Hartford; those injuries led to his death one month later. We typically do not learn the names of street violence victims who die weeks after a collision, but Noel was well-known in Hartford. 

From Noel’s obituary: “A proud graduate of Hartford Public High School and Manchester Community College, Noel also attended Central Connecticut State University. Throughout his career, Noel’s impact was far-reaching, holding numerous positions of leadership and community service. He served with distinction as a Detective with the Hartford Police Department (ret.), Head of the Hartford Guardians, Hartford’s Town and City Clerk, and as Head Elder at Prospect Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church (formerly Grace Seventh-day Adventist Church). Noel also contributed his expertise as the Chairman of Hartford’s Democratic Town Committee, a Hartford City Council member, a City of Hartford Justice of the Peace, and a certified Real Estate Agent.

He was committed to the betterment of Hartford through his support of nonprofit organizations such as Angel of Edgewood, Inc., and Foodshare, and as a successful entrepreneur, owning McGregor’s Jamaican Cuisine, which became known for serving the best Jerk Pork and Chicken in the city. He also founded McGregor Investigations, LLC, providing private detective services. Noel was instrumental in mentoring and supporting numerous political leaders over the years, leaving a lasting mark on the political landscape of Hartford.”

One initial report was that the collision that ended Noel’s life happened around 7 PM. Other reports from October and also on November 22 — when Noel passed — stated that the collision happened at 7:20 PM. One source said this happened before the westbound exit 16 off-ramp; others said this was by the westbound exit 17 ramp.

The consistent information between then and now has been that Noel moved his Ram 1500 Big Horn pickup truck to the right shoulder of Route 2 in Colchester, and exited the vehicle — thus, becoming a pedestrian. He was standing by the truck’s driver’s side door when the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee crossed into the shoulder, hitting him. This much being known is no doubt due to him having had a passenger who served as a witness. 


PUTNAM
ROUTE 44
23 NOVEMBER 2024

Around 6 PM the driver of a Ford Fusion collided with 68-year old Leo Blain of Putnam.  I have not yet seen an obituary for Leo. 

Reporters described this as happening near the AutoZone on Route 44. Leo lived less than one mile west on Route 44.

Another account described the crash site as being a little east of there. In either case, whether by the autoparts store or just down the road, the terrain is about the same for pedestrians: it sucks. 

Reporters described Leo as “walking along the area of Route 44 West,” yet they omit important information. 

Why might someone be walking along Route 44 West instead of using the sidewalk? Google Maps can answer that for you: 

Add to this the 35 MPH speed limit, and it is literally an auto zone.

The RRFB crosswalk with shark’s teeth that leads to a sidewalk-less space looks like a joke.

A previous crash in the area by Waltham Drive says that there was “unknown lighting,” which seems to suggest authorities could not determine if a street light was functioning properly. That was in 2017. If anyone wants to give the benefit of the doubt, they can refer to television footage of the 2024 crash scene; lighting is poor all these years later.


WEST HARTFORD
SEDGWICK ROAD
27 NOVEMBER 2024

We begin and end the month by looking hard at West Hartford.

Again, the news videos show how damningly dark this stretch of road is at night, when another elderly pedestrian was killed on West Hartford’s roadways; don’t believe me about the absent lighting? Don’t want to walk the streets at night yourself? You can watch any of the stories covering this needless loss.

At 6:44 PM on Thanksgiving Eve, town resident Anne Rapkin, age 74, was killed by a driver on Sedgwick Road at Cornell Street. There is no obituary, yet, that I could find for Anne.


Sedgwick is mostly a residential road, though this intersection is three blocks from two schools; somehow, policymakers found it acceptable to give this a 35 MPH speed limit. It’s also near the art league and ice rink. On the other end of Sedgwick, near South Main Street, are a number of small businesses — several of which cater to youth. 




No crosswalk is striped across Sedgwick at Cornell or nearby Castlewood. The only leg of this intersection with a painted crosswalk is for people to cross Castlewood. Although paint alone does not protect, it could potentially alert motorists to expect pedestrians; there are few marked crosswalks on Sedgwick – again, strange considering the abundance of homes, two schools, and the presence of bus stops that would suggest ample foot traffic. The bus that uses Sedgwick Road links riders from downtown Hartford to Park Road and ultimately with Westfarms Shopping Mall and Corbins Corner. Unmarked/unpainted crosswalks are still legal crosswalks — even if nobody seems to recognize that fact. 

Most of Sedgwick was marked by the Town of West Hartford as being within the High Injury Network, which means that it should have been prioritized for traffic calming. The section where Anne was killed last week received no changes. 


These three maps show where pedestrians (including a skateboarder and someone standing on the town green) have been killed in West Hartford since 2015. With the exception of the death on I-84, where it seems the pedestrian was attempting to cross the width of the highway on foot, each of these examples of street violence could have likely been prevented through more loving and reasonable design. Of the six fatal pedestrian crashes statewide described in this post, only one of those occurred where the posted speed limit was under 30 MPH. Both of the women who died crossing West Hartford’s roads in November were struck on streets where the speed limits were 30 MPH or more. We know that drivers frequently misinterpret a speed limit as referring to the minimum, not maximum speed. We also know that lowering the limit on a sign is only a start when no other physical changes are made. If there is no effort to physically discourage people from traveling at speeds we know kill, on roads that have a history of posing problems, at what point do we hold politicians responsible?

The Town of West Hartford needs to do more than send thoughts and prayers. Instead of decision-makers showing up at vigils and defending what they have done or plan to do, they can do the doing.

Chances are good that if you are reading this, you are someone who regularly uses West Hartford’s roads whether as a town resident, as someone who works there, as someone who runs errands there, as someone who frequently visits friends there. A town with this level of wealth should be held to a higher standard when it comes to providing safe, walkable streets; they have the resources required for finding the resources needed to get this done.

Tell West Hartford’s decision-makers to do more to protect people who are simply trying to move around in town. The 74-year old and 87-year women who were killed in November should have been protected. The way to do this is not by telling motorists to be careful or pedestrians to use their phone lights. The way is through policy change and implementation.

Contact the town manager ( TownManager@WestHartfordCT.gov ) and members of the West Hartford town council, including mayor, ( comment@WestHartfordCT.gov  ) to let them know that a 74-year old woman being killed on Sedgwick Road and 87-year old woman killed on Oakwood Avenue is unacceptable. They need to do more to prevent future deaths and injuries. Suggest lowering the speed limit, installing speed tables and/or speed humps, and raised crosswalks. Ask them to assess the quality of street lighting on Sedgwick and Oakwood, including by checking what time the street lights turn on at night. Don’t settle for paint-only or sign-only “solutions” that depend on drivers paying attention or caring.

Not a regular user of roads in West Hartford? Reach out instead to one of the other locations where a pedestrian was killed in November:

  • BRISTOL
    Letting Route 72 claim so many lives is a choice.
    Contact Bristol’s decision-makers including the mayor — mayorsoffice@bristolct.gov and 860.584.6250
    and the Department of Public Works — publicworks@bristolct.gov and 860.584.6125
    Additionally, contact the Connecticut DOT: (860) 594-3000
  • NEW HAVEN
    You would think that the area by a park entrance would be more pedestrian friendly. Ask New Haven’s decision-makers to assess what is going on and contact the Connecticut DOT about this section of Route 5:(860) 594-3000 
  • PUTNAM
    It’s not too much to ask that there be sidewalks in areas where pedestrians are going to be, like Route 44 near all the strip malls. Contact Putnam’s decision-makers about this, and also contact the Connecticut DOT about Route 44’s lack of sidewalks and street lighting: (860) 594-3000
  • STATE OF CONNECTICUT DOT
    Did you notice how many times the CT DOT came up just now? That’s because most pedestrian fatalities are happening on roads that are ultimately managed by the State of Connecticut. Of the six pedestrians who died in November, four of them were struck on State of Connecticut DOT managed roadways. This also includes Noel, who was hit while in the right shoulder of Route 2 in Colchester. Contact the CT DOT and ask them to follow their own Complete Streets directive: (860) 594-3000. 

    When safe streets advocates turn to those who can legally make changes to our roads, one step forward is the use of walk audits. If you are thinking of asking for or planning a walk audit, please make it an honest one by having it at night. This will give those decision-makers an opportunity to see how poorly lit an area is, and let them feel it in their bodies how deficient the mere addition of a warning sign is when it comes to keeping road users safe from serious injury and death.