The concept began with former State Rep. Auden Grogins, now on the state bench, and has continued with her State House replacement Steve Stafstrom. The state Department of Transportation has approved the city’s application to provide $3.8 million for a pedestrian bridge over Ash Creek linking Black Rock from Fox Street with the Fairfield Metro Center.
“The announcement by the Department of Transportation is certainly welcomed news and represents an important step forward for this much anticipated project,” Stafstrom said in a news release. “Providing a more convenient link between the Black Rock business district and the Fairfield Metro train station will help commuters into and out of the neighborhood, bringing a welcome boost for property values and business traffic.”
The DOT funding comes under the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program. The application was prepared and submitted by the City of Bridgeport through the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council.
“This is great news for Bridgeport,” said Mayor Bill Finch in a statement. “Our city is making significant investments in transit oriented development, which helps us create jobs and grow businesses by ensuring transportation is readily available for folks within Connecticut and the Greater New York City area. Between investing in a second train station, improving our downtown train station, and giving pedestrians access to the Fairfield Metro station, Bridgeport is clearly getting better every day. Transit oriented development, business growth, and train station improvements are playing a key role. Thanks to Gov. Malloy and state leaders for their generosity in helping us continue to make smart investments in Bridgeport’s future.”
You’d think they would include a bathroom.
Where on the boardwalk? Are you kidding or what? Who would clean and maintain this outhouse? Hector, come on.
There are no bathrooms at the train station. I think it is a bit of a joke.
They don’t have one at the train stop and that’s going to be a little bit of a hike, pay attention Andy, this was brought up quite a while ago. They have these outhouses in San Francisco on the pier and around downtown, that would work.
This is your biggest worry? You are not worried about parking on Fox Street? You are not worried about who maintains this waste of money? A fucking bridge, really?
Hector, restrooms would be nice, but there are a lot of restrooms on the actual trains. Penfield Beach has a nice temporary bathroom set up on the beach while they are fixing their pavilion. Maybe they should put up one of those.
It’s great news. Should help the neighborhood.
Four million to put a foot bridge from Black Rock to Fairfield center and not one damned dime in 20 years to repair the Pleasure Beach bridge. Why not a foot bridge to Pleasure Beach, then the residents of the East End would have access all the time and not just when the damned boat is running. Separate and unequal!
Remember this East End when it’s time to vote, you get a water taxi and the richer and whiter Black Rock gets a bridge.
There is no train station on Pleasure Beach and a water taxi is just as good as a foot bridge.
The water taxi is a long-term cost, a footbridge is a one-time cost, with less year-over-year expense. If Pleasure Beach is the jewel this administration touts it to be, the more avenues to access, the better. Spending this amount of tax dollars on a feel-good, luxury 10-minute short cut to the train station seems to me to be a less than prudent allocation of our tax dollars.
Agree. It is an unfortunate waste of taxpayers’ money.
That ultimately will benefit the people building the new apartments on Fairfield Ave–a direct connect to the Metro North Train Station. So our tax dollars are going to help out the developer (in a round-about way) who is already a multi-millionaire. Nice going, Dems.
The train station benefits whom?
Those who wish to leave the city rapidly?
The train station benefits all who see more than the 138th district. It serves all who want to leave and visit the city. That’s all.
Well smart-ass, people can use the Bridgeport station, at least it has bathrooms. BTW why the jab at the 138th?
Not a jab to the the 138th, I am there daily. I was joking–you being in the 138th, why would you care about the East Side train station or see a need for it?
Those who need parking … only them … and they won’t be using the bridge.
Donald Day, your point is well taken. First, I always wonder why you cannot address the Black Rock bridge as a real plus and a positive for Black Rock residents as well as help improve depressed property values. Number two, let’s remember Joe Ganim and Ernie Newton have been in office and not here for Pleasure Beach and the East Side residents. Finally, Pleasure Beach must be rebuilt and most likely will as Steelpointe becomes closer to a reality and the destination includes people driving down the block to a gorgeous beach. Yes, now like never before, Pleasure Beach is ready to once again become a major destination and Seaview Avenue will thrive including property values and Dolphin’s Cove as well as Fisherman patronizing Steelpointe. So Donald, I see Pleasure Beach Bridge being built and a Grocery store. Great news, no? I do not think the success of Black Rock getting a foot bridge has any bearing on Pleasure Beach.
Like your positive post; however if Steel Point will draw more people to Pleasure Beach, and the Black Rock bridge certainly will not take people to Pleasure Beach, it would seem planning would logically want the bridge built in the developing area and not be spent to simply enhance an already accessible train station.
And will Dolphin’s Cove be paying taxes?
If they can find their missing money.
It’s all about the amazing Portuguese seafood. Theresa Pinhiero admitted guilt and will be sentenced this month. I hope her business continues as Dolphin’s Cove has always been a favorite of mine. Bob, have you ever been there???
Just out of curiosity, does anyone believe any Mayoral hopeful thinks a new Train station is a bad thing and would send out brochures stating they do not want to help an underserved area get a chance for revitalization? We need to look 20 years down the road. Bridgeport 2035–The Jewel of Fairfield county. A clean, green city run by a student who is currently in a Bridgeport Charter School. President Chelsea Clinton visits Bridgeport regularly and there is a trolly linking downtown and Steelpointe. Former Governor William Finch has a statue in front of a 50-story office tower by Bijou Square. The East End has become one of the most desirable addresses in the city with young people living by the East Side train station. Commuters from the valley and New Haven and Stamford are getting off in Bridgeport to go to work. Oh what a great future this city can have unless we choose unwisely and get sucked into the black hole of despair and misery.
Steve, self-abuse is a sin.
Stop abusing yourself!!!
That’s what I am trying to tell you. I don’t want you to go blind. Chelsea Clinton, give me a break but who knows, her mother will not make it.
🙂
Steven, Dream on Steven. Some of your thoughts are more like nightmares.
🙂
The first notes I have on the bridge from Black Rock to Metro Station (before it was named such) go back to pre-2007. As the Black Rock NRZ was putting up its Strategic Plan, the bridge was nominated. The distance of the span and its substance provided a potential expense of $700,000. Since inflation has not raised expenses to that degree, it is likely this project may have expanded in concept and expense, but someone should look at the plans with engineering and contracting experience to see that the financing is appropriate. That is sometimes ignored in State-funded projects, but the money gets spent anyway even when the design or guidance is minimal.
There was another subject raised in the first days of the concept (preceding Auden Grogins’ promotion) that has not been raised subsequently and that is about parking and the existing density present already on Fox Street. Is it a subject for the Police Commission? For OPED? It needs to be addressed before building the bridge, doesn’t it? If you build the bridge “the people will come,” just like in the movie, and what will residents do? There are best practices to follow in other cities like New Haven, Hartford, Stamford, etc. Can we look at this early on? Time will tell.
$4 million for a freaking bridge, we get the parking and its related problems and what does Fairfield get? Added parking in Bridgeport. Screwed again.
All this whining. Ffld Ave has gotten nicer and busier over the past few years. This should continue the improvement.
Bridgeport Rising,
What you call whining is genuinely something else. Some call it planning, although in Bridgeport where projects seemed to be pulled from a magician’s hat with no explanation of the costs/benefits, the Office of PLANNING and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT may have caused some negativity to the word. One thing I remember from working on more than one Habitat project is you measure “twice” and cut “once” to be efficient and effective.
So B.R., if you happen to live on Fox Street or Canfield Street near where the bridge may be placed, what will you think if they start building and cars start arriving from neighborhoods other than your own, to avoid whatever fees are established at the Metro Station in order to park in front of your property all day? That is a different issue than an expensive bridge, but one which, in my opinion, ought to be anticipated and dealt with by an appropriate body in Bridgeport before folks get frustrated. How about you? Time will tell.
JML, do we really need to reinvent the wheel on this? Milford has this same issue. It is not a problem. Just put some cops out there looking for resident stickers. I don’t imagine too many Ffld residents parking there anyway. I don’t see why people would be driving en masse to park on Fox street in general. If they are already driving why don’t they just head over to the train station and park there? I don’t normally have a problem getting a spot. This is so people living in the neighborhood can walk to the train. I’ve made this walk along Brewster and looking at the plans, the walk will be substantially shorter over the bridge.
If I were a homeowner on Fox St. I would be happy with this development.
I always called the train station the Metrosopoulos after John Metsopoulos, the former first Selectman of Fairfield who actually started the Metrosopoulos train station. So let’s open this can of worms, I think this bridge is half in Bridgeport and half in Fairfield? The dividing line has always been Ash Creek, will the cost be shared by both towns for maintenance? After all, does it need Fairfield’s RTM approval as well as Zoning and Conservation from both towns? And will Fairfield let us fish on their side of this bridge for snappers and crabs?
Should we call it the Banshee Bridge?
I’m so happy Malloy and Stafstrom cut $5 Million from the BBOE budget, so we in Black Rock can enjoy a walking Bridge to the train station, keep our fingers crossed that no one noticed!
I love the fact that Bridgeport will make it easier for Bridgeport residents to spend money in Fairfield which pretty much runs contrary to Stafstrom’s deal about a portion of sales tax revenues going to the town in which the sale is made.
I am thinking Bridgeport is definitely on the minus side of that plus/minus equation.
How does this even make sense? What will people in Bridgeport be going to buy when they walk over this bridge?
Bridgeport, that’s the funny part of this, we will be walking over the bridge to buy tickets (on the train, as there is no depot there). The question is how many people will get off the train there to walk across the bridge and spend in Bridgeport?
NONE.
“This is great news for Bridgeport,” said Mayor Bill Finch in a statement. “Our city is making significant investments in transit oriented development, which helps us create jobs and grow businesses by ensuring transportation is readily available for folks within Connecticut and the Greater New York City area.”
To quote Andy Fardy: You Dumbass! I thought this was a state grant. What investment is this on the part of the city?
Jimfox, you hit the nail on the head. The children of Bridgeport are getting a substandard education because the State says no more money for education, but it wants to spend $4 million on a bridge to Fairfield.
Why is a bridge more important than educating our youth and why isn’t Mayor Finch outraged by this expenditure?
DD, because we have a Mayor who only cares about his reelection and who has put this city on the verge of bankruptcy!
When you build a park to nowhere for Eight million dollars and short the BOE three million dollars for the last three years, he’s not thinking about our kids, it’s obvious he has his head up his ass as Mayor!
Finch will say and do everything he can for the next four months. The one thing he can’t do is turn back the clock on taxes, and that will be his downfall!
People need a reason to vote you out of office and in Finch’s case, they have a good one!
Donald, it’s an oxymoron to mention Finch and education in the same sentence.
Dave, do we agree on something? Donald Day, I’m sure we agree on many things.
Hector, I’m sure we do share similar ideologies. I’ll be at the Holiday Inn Thursday at 6pm maybe I’ll see you, never mind.
Really, $3.8 million for a freaking bridge where one is not necessary? How many other projects like this were passed by the legislature this year? We have a threat of over 10,000 jobs leaving CT because of this new business tax. Malloy has not cut spending and has not reduced the number of state employees.
Do the planners of this project realize there is an existing bridge at Brewster Street, only a few hundred feet away?
Malloy was walking with a group of us to the proposed site. The current walking path to the station was pointed out to him. Short answer, yes.