To the Honorable First Selectman of Westport, Connecticut

We, the undersigned residents and community members of Westport, Connecticut, respectfully submit this petition to urge immediate action to address dangerous speeding conditions on Clinton Avenue. We call upon you and the Town of Westport to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves.

As a fellow resident of the Coleytown neighborhood , the very community where Clinton Avenue runs through , we believe you understand firsthand the character of these streets and the families who call them home. We humbly ask you to draw upon that shared experience as you consider this petition. These are our streets, our neighbors, and our children. We are confident that with your support, meaningful change is within reach.

THE PROBLEM

Clinton Avenue currently has two existing speed humps; however, these measures have not proven sufficient in slowing traffic to a safe level. Many drivers exceed the posted speed limit, often appearing distracted, and the humps as currently built are simply not high enough to serve as an effective deterrent. Adding to this, it is a frequent and daily occurrence for motorists to fail to stop at the Stop sign further down on Clinton Avenue, compounding the safety concerns on this street. It is also worth noting that Clinton Avenue’s close proximity to Exit 21 off the Merritt Parkway makes it a convenient cut-through for commuters and through-traffic. This is not a trend that is likely to diminish on its own , and without meaningful intervention, the volume and speed of non-resident traffic will continue to put our community at risk.

What makes this especially concerning is that Clinton Avenue has no sidewalks. This means that every day, the following members of our community have no choice but to share the road with fast-moving traffic:

• Young children actively playing on and around the street
• Families with children of all ages, including young children in strollers
• Pedestrians and walkers exercising along the street
• Cyclists sharing the road with no protected lane
• Residents walking their pets

The combination of absent sidewalks, insufficient traffic calming, and routine speeding creates conditions that are genuinely dangerous. We believe the Town of Westport has both the ability and the responsibility to make this street safer.

OUR REQUEST

We respectfully request that the Town of Westport consider and act upon the following:

1. Demolish and rebuild the two existing speed humps on Clinton Avenue at a significantly greater height sufficient to meaningfully slow vehicle traffic to the posted speed limit.
2. Conduct an immediate traffic safety assessment of Clinton Avenue, including a speed study and pedestrian safety evaluation.
3. Explore additional traffic calming measures including, but not limited to, additional speed humps, speed tables, signage, and enhanced road markings.
4. Increase enforcement of the existing speed limit on Clinton Avenue through regular police patrols and/or speed monitoring technology.

We respectfully urge you to move on this with a sense of urgency. Every day that passes without action is another day our neighbors, children, and community members are navigating an unsafe street. The residents of Clinton Avenue simply want to feel safe outside their own homes, and we believe that is a reasonable thing to ask for. We also wish to be clear that we expect these safety improvements to be funded by the Town of Westport in full , as essential public infrastructure investments , with no additional financial assessment or burden placed on local taxpayers. We are grateful for your time and trust in your leadership to do right by this community.

A RECENT INCIDENT , A WAKE-UP CALL

On April 21, 2026, during the morning rush hour on Clinton Avenue, an elementary school bus stopped to pick up children. With the bus occupying the road and children actively crossing the street to board, motorists were still attempting to navigate around it rather than waiting. Our bus drivers do an exceptional job and everything within their power to keep children safe , but their ability to protect kids ends at the bus door. The responsibility to ensure those children can safely reach that door falls on all of us, and right now, our street is failing them. This is not a hypothetical danger , this happened. Children were in the road. Cars were moving. The only thing separating those children from a tragedy was luck. This cannot be acceptable. We urge you to act before that luck runs out.