Traffic flow, pedestrian and bicycle safety, transit options, parking and development opportunities are among the areas a study group seeks public input into the future of the East End, a neighborhood experiencing progress after decades of decline.
You may participate in the interactive event any time at your own pace here.
The Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG), in collaboration with the City of Bridgeport and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), is conducting the East End Streets Study to focus on solutions to address travel along the Connecticut Avenue and Stratford Avenue corridors in the East End of Bridgeport. Planning for the future of these roadways is critical to serving the growing travel needs for the East End community, including the residents, neighborhood businesses, educational institutions, emergency services, recreation centers, places of worship and community gathering places.
The Connecticut Avenue & Stratford Avenue corridors serve local traffic as well as traffic passing through adjacent towns and communities. Building upon the plans for Bridgeport’s waterfront, recreational centers, employment centers, and new housing and development projects will likely spark opportunities for economic vitality and increase travel demand in the East End.
The Study Team will engage with Community Leaders comprised of representatives from local businesses, residents, and commissions, the East End NRZ, the Bridgeport City Council, bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups and others. The Study Team will gather input from Community Leaders at periodic intervals throughout the study. Their local knowledge will provide guidance as the study develops, specifically in:
— Providing expertise on local issues and priorities
— Helping raise awareness about the study
— Offering insight on issues affecting the corridors
The study area includes Connecticut Avenue and Stratford Avenue Corridor as it extends, west to east, from the paired origin of these two roadways at Seaview Avenue to the Bridgeport-Stratford town line. The study will present opportunities to build on the existing assets in the East End Neighborhood, while enhancing opportunities for economic vitality.
The study process will include:
— An evaluation of the current transportation and land use conditions and investigation of opportunities to make improvements
— An investigation of opportunities for continued economic growth using Smart Growth planning principles
— The development of recommendations and an implementation plan for transportation and land use aimed to achieve the vision for the corridors
Upon completion of the East End Streets Corridor Study…
… it is the intent that any and all physical improvements, to the extent possible, be constructed as they have been identified through the comprehensive engineering and planning process. The recommended improvements determined through the study process, in collaboration with community participation and input, will provide for a detailed document to be used to apply for and source funding opportunities for design and construction activities. The development of recommendations within an implementation plan for the East End neighborhood can be completed through a phased or an all-inclusive approach.
Collaboratively, MetroCOG and the City of Bridgeport will work together to utilize local, state, or federal funding opportunities/programs or a combination of these programs for implementation. Funding programs that have been used for past corridor studies include the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP), Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), Community Connectivity Grant Program (CCGP), and the Local Road Accident Reduction Program (LRARP) among others. The City of Bridgeport and MetroCOG recognizes the importance of ‘Complete Streets’ elements, traffic congestion reduction, and economic development to the community and remain committed to promote these values and ideals anyway possible.
