The What: A Tale of Two Bridges, Budget Action, Automated Traffic Enforcement Devices, and more

Kelly Prinz -

Monday, April 14

Happy Monday! This week, we’re highlighting two bridges impacting local communities—and the region, as well as some important public meetings. Let’s get into it.

Highlights 

This section gives a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.

  • We have an update for you out of Stamford, where the Board of Representatives voted 24-12 in favor of rehabilitating the West Main Street Bridge for both cars and pedestrians. Check out our updated piece on how this bridge has both connected and divided the city. 
  • Speaking of bridges, get the latest information on the Walk Bridge construction project—an effort to replace the 120+ year old train bridge that spans the Norwalk Harbor as well as surrounding roads, train stations, and bridges—and its impacts to the Norwalk area. 
  • The Stamford Board of Finance will be voting on the mayor’s proposed operating and capital budget on Wednesday, April 16 7 p.m., while the Bridgeport Budget & Appropriations Committee is hosting a public hearing on the capital budget plan on Thursday, April 17 at 6 p.m. 

Spotlight

This section features our main reporting each week.

This week, we’re highlighting a tale of two bridges in southwest Connecticut and how they’re impacting the surrounding communities and the region as a whole.

For starters in Stamford, the Board of Representatives voted 24-12 on a resolution selecting a plan to replace the West Main Street Bridge with one open to both cars and pedestrians.

The historic bridge, which sits in the center of the city and crosses the Rippowam River, connecting the West Side neighborhood to downtown, has been at the heart of political disagreements, community disputes, and competing visions for the future of the city.

It has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2002 and to pedestrians within the past few years as its condition has deteriorated Since its closure, the area around the bridge has changed dramatically. Mill River Park was created and opened to the public. There’s been a massive amount of development in the area, leading to new residents and businesses. 

But for many the deteriorating structure is a sign of how the city has neglected both its infrastructure and some of its neighborhoods. Residents of the West Side say they’ve been ignored for years as they fought to save and revitalize the structure.  

Explore our piece highlighting the bridge at the heart of Stamford.

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Just a few miles away, the nearly 130-year-old Walk Bridge crosses the Norwalk Harbor and carries hundreds of thousands of people each day on Metro North and Amtrak trains. The massive effort to replace the bridge, which began over a decade ago, has picked up steam with more visible construction efforts underway. That’s why Norwalk officials and Common Council members thought it would be a good time to update the public on the project, its timeline, and its effects on the city.

Check out our Walk Bridge update piece or watch our video highlighting the work underway. 

This Week at a Glance

This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week.

  • In Bridgeport, the Budget & Appropriations Committee will host a public hearing on the city’s capital plan, which outlines construction, infrastructure, and other projects the administration is hoping to fund, on Thursday, April 17 at 6 p.m. 
  • In Stamford, the Board of Finance will meet on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. and take action on the mayor’s proposed budget. 
  • In Norwalk, the Ordinance Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. and discuss a new proposed ordinance that would allow the use of automated traffic enforcement safety devices in the city. See how Stamford advocated for the use of these cameras around its schools. 
  • In Fairfield, the Solid Waste and Recycling Commission will meet on Monday, April 14 and discuss a waste reduction plan for the town. 
  • In Greenwich, the FS Active Transportation Task Force will meet on Wednesday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m. and discuss the Board of Estimate and Taxation’s recommended budget and its effect on projects in town.
  • In Darien, the RTM Planning, Zoning & Housing Committee will meet on Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. and hear two presentations—one on the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development—or the town’s 10-year master plan and one on the town’s zoning and building department budgets.
  • In Westport, the Aspetuck Health District, which the town is a part of, will meet on Monday, April 14 at 7 p.m. and hold a public hearing on the district’s budget.

Plan Your Week

This section includes a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.

Bridgeport

Stamford

Norwalk

Fairfield

Greenwich

Darien

Westport

Stay in touch!

As we continue to grow and evolve, please join us! You can do that by:

Please note: All of these agendas and information here are current as of Sunday night. Meeting times and agendas may get adjusted throughout the week.

Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times