Roundabouts Out In Windsor Street Redesign

WINDSOR, CT — Windsor officials are revisiting a scaled-back version of the Broad Street traffic calming and pedestrian safety project, with a Town Improvements Committee discussion set for Monday night as staff recommend moving forward with a reduced $2.9 million plan.

Scaled-Back Plan

The project, often described as a road diet or complete streets proposal, would reshape Broad Street through Windsor Center with the goal of slowing traffic, improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety, adding on-street parking on the west side and supporting downtown businesses.

According to town documents, the revised concept keeps the previously favored Option 3 layout but drops the roundabouts that were part of the larger plan rejected by voters in a February 2025 referendum. The current design would maintain the existing curb lines, add bike lanes on both sides of Broad Street and create on-street parking on the west side only, while leaving the Town Green side without parking.

Safety Focus

Town staff said concerns about speeding and pedestrian safety remain along the Route 159 corridor. The documents state Broad Street carries about 9,675 vehicle trips a day through Windsor Center, and about 3,520 vehicles — or 36 percent — travel above the posted 30 mph speed limit on a typical day.

Project Cost

The updated project cost is listed at $2.9 million, up from a January estimate of about $2.56 million but well below the $6.1 million package that previously went to referendum. Staff said the lower overall cost reflects the removal of the proposed roundabouts and a plan to modify existing traffic signals rather than fully replace all of them.

Grant Pressure

The town has already been awarded $4 million in state and federal construction grants for the work, though officials said those funds must be formally obligated through a bid solicitation process by mid-July 2026. The town would still need to authorize the full project cost locally.

Unlike the earlier funding question that went to referendum, the current authorization would require a Special Town Meeting under the town charter, according to the agenda materials.

Next Steps

If the project advances, the tentative schedule calls for local funding authorization this spring, final design and Connecticut Department of Transportation approval in April through June, bidding in July, a possible construction start in fall 2026 and substantial completion in fall 2027.

The Town Improvements Committee was scheduled to discuss the Broad Street project at its special meeting Monday evening at Town Hall.