Manuscripts and Archives 12/9/10
Richard C. Lee Papers, Mayoral Files, Group Number 318, Series I
Box 3, Folder 4, Correspondence, Oak Street Connector, 1954
Letter to Commissioner Hill
October 11, 1954
“I understand that you feel that while you intend to proceed with a portion of the connector in the immediate future, completion of the full facility must wait until the new Route 5 is built from the Waterside Interchange”
“However, the immediate question is still unresolved, which is the extent to which the state will build the Oak Street Connector at the same time as the Waterside interchange is built”
[wanted connector to go as least as far as college street, agreed on Howe Street as terminus]
“I am sure you realize that the Oak Street Connector is important to us, not only for the purpose of distributing Route 1 traffic properly throughout the downtown business district, but also because it is and has been the corner stone for our redevelopment program, which holds so much promise for the future of our city.”
“In this latter connection, I think you might be interested in the attached newsletter, published by the New Haven Chamber of Commerce. It deals with our Citizens Action Commission program. The purpose of the CAC is to muster public and private support for a program of redevelopment and renewal in New Haven, which I believe will benefit not only us, but the entire State of Connecticut.”
[at a luncheon t the New haven lawn club]
“We had a fine exhibit, which you may have seen referred to in the papers On every side there was a very strong feeling that something had to be done and that New Haven had at least found a way to get things done”
“I mention all of this because every time that I talk with a group of CAC people or with the Chamber of Commerce, or with an service club group, or, for that matter, with any substantial group in the New haven community, the first question I get is ‘What’s the score on the Oak Street Connector?’ That is the first thing which we must settle if our program is to go ahead”
[handed over traffic data]
“On Thursday, October 2nd, our consultants, Messrs. Reid and Rotival met with Messrs. Perkins and Johnson and others of your staff on the Oak Street Connector matter. I am very disturbed indeed at what they reported to me.
First of all, they tell me that it’s the view of your technicians that it will take at least two months to arrive at any kind of decision on this matter. This seems to all of us to be an entirely unnecessary delay. We can understand and certainly appreciate that this is a very difficult question; but it is the unanimous view of our consultants and technicians that we have turned over everything required. Certainly the IBM cards can provide additional answers immediately. We have come to the point where we simply must have an answer within a matter of days and not weeks, let alone months.
Second, I am informed that some of your technicians have the view that the Connector need go no further than South Orange Street to distribute Route 1 traffic. WE believe that the studies prepared on the traffic volumes on Church and Meadow Streets, as any layman also knows, indicate that such a terminal point would be impossible for the city.
I wish to state, with the best will in the world, but nevertheless as emphatically as I know how, that this is a completely unacceptable solution to us if this Connector is to have any real value for the City of New Haven. In fact, it is very disturbing for me to find that such a decision is even being considered.
In my opinion, and in the opinion of my consultants, the Oak Street Connector must reach at least as far as Davenport Avenue when the Waterside interchange is being built, if it is to give proper traffic service to the City of New Haven. Anything short of that will result in complete chaos in our central business district and would make a shambles of the intersection of Church, Crown and Meadow.
In addition to the traffic problems that such a decision would create, it would paralyze redevelopment n the south central area. I certainly agree that it is not the Highway Department’s responsibility to build highways to accommodate redevelopment, but I am sure you will agree that the two programs should go hand in hand whenever possible. I wish to reiterate strongly that redevelopment is not a one shot operation in New Haven. It is a continuous and expanding program from now on. It is my very real hope that you can see your way clear to a decision which will take the Connector as far as Howe Street, or at very least, to Davenport Avenue and Broad Street, which is the first natural stopping point which will not create more problems than it solves.
[want an answer ASAP]
“You have no idea how important this Connector is in the minds of all the people concerned with rebuilding New Haven and how impatient they all are for an early and favorable decision”
