Stamford Officials Look to Fix Traffic Nightmare at Rogers School

Traffic taking up entry and exit lanes trying to get around each other to pick up their kids, cars gridlocked in the parking lot trying to jockey for position. Buses traveling through the mess in an attempt to get up front to the bus lane.

"It scared us to death," said Stamford's Director of Operations Ernie Orgera Thursday about the traffic situation at during a 's meeting. "If we had to get emergency equipment in that school [during drop-off and pick-up times], we couldn't do it."

Board of Finance officials will vote Monday night on whether or not to move ahead with a $400,000 proposal to remedy traffic issues at the school on Blachley Road.

Orgera, City Engineer Louis Casolo and Al Barbarotta, Director of Facilities for the Board of Education, presented the plan to the BOR's Fiscal Committee, who voted the plan forward to the Board of Finance.

Concerns are that the traffic issues will only compound next year, when the opens up for business and NBC Sports kicks off an influx of employees at their .

Barbarotta hopes the project will be finished before the summer is over to avoid the situation entirely.

"It's a simple problem to understand, but it's not a simple problem," Barbarotta said during an interview Friday. "Not getting this project approved will lead to a worst-case scenario, traffic-wise. This solution, we're comfortable, will alleviate many of the issues."

The project should:

• widen the entry driveway from 16-feet to 24-feet,  
• move some islands and
• add a 200-foot long sidewalk at the rear gate.

On Friday, a Officer from the Traffic Division is assisting with organizing the drivers trying to come down Blachley Road to get to the school. Even with clearly visible cars sticking out from the driveway and lined down the side of Blachley on both sides, cars still try to pass everyone else and cut in line until Purcell waves them off.

"It only lasts about 20 minutes," the on-duty Purcell said. "It's not as bad as it was. People needed to get their kid right away. People more or less will wait now, but it goes all the way out to the street."

Purcell said Rogers is the only Stamford school where traffic is bad enough that an officer is needed to assist with the flow.

"It's important to note the [traffic] problem exists independant of [the other entities at the site,]" said John Leydon Jr., legal counsel representing Chelsea Piers. "But we're supportive of the proposed plan, and believe it will significantly relieve some of the issues there."

The Board of Finance meeting will take place Monday, April 30th, at 6 p.m. in the Board of Finance Conference Room on the 4th floor of the , 888 Washington Blvd., according to the city's public meetings calendar.