TORRINGTON, Conn. -- The emergency call volume has jumped to 350 calls per year in the east end because of new development and traffic in Torrington.

Heavy traffic travels up and down East Main Street in Torrington, a small city of about 40,000, police said Monday.

Some even stop at Tom McKay’s shop, Print Master.

Recent developments brought big box stores and booming business tacking on even more travel time.

One woman said it can take up to 10 minutes to get up or down the hill because traffic is so heavy.

Firefighters said it's the same story for them.

At certain times of the day, Fire Chief John Field Jr. said, they hit every stop light on the road.

Someone recently questioned why it took eight minutes to get from Water Street Station to the Valerie Manor nursing home.

“For us, seven to eight minutes is an average time for that establishment on a good day,” Field said. “If we hit traffic, and depending on the time of day, it could be even longer.

Solutions, city officials said, include adding an extra lane, paying firefighters in that part of town and building a combined public safety dispatch center.

“Obviously, there are cost to all of that,” Field said.