“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.” – Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch
Bridgeport, Conn. (June 1, 2015) – Today, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch thanked federal and state leaders for investing nearly $15 million in transit oriented upgrades in the state’s largest city.
These projects include: critical upgrades to Bridgeport’s downtown station, the design phase of a second train station in the state’s largest city, and a pedestrian bridge that connects the Black Rock neighborhood to the Fairfield Metro stop.
“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,” said Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. “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.”
$8 million in upgrades to Bridgeport’s downtown train station
These federal and state funds will allow for a long overdue renovation of the New Haven metro lines 3rd busiest station.
There are currently no digital information boards inside the terminal, and there is no overhang to protect commuters from the rain and snow.
“This is incredibly important, strategically, for job creators and job holders in Bridgeport,” said Mayor Finch. “It’s long overdue and we’re thankful to the federal and state government for this much needed investment.”
The $8 million will cover these and other upgrades, officials say, and will also accommodate the extra traffic expected from the Steelpointe Harbor project.
Click here for more information on the downtown train station upgrades: http://bit.ly/1dFz9Vi.
$3.8 million for Ash Creek Pedestrian Bridge from Black Rock neighborhood to Fairfield Metro stop
Governor Malloy and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that the funding comes under the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program.
The program application that the DOT approved was prepared and submitted by the city through the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council, according to the Connecticut Post.
“This is great news for Bridgeport,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “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,” Finch said.
The pedestrian bridge over Ash Creek would link Bridgeport’s Black Rock Neighborhood via Fox Street with the Fairfield Metro Center.
Click here for more information on the Pedestrian Bridge for Ash Creek in Bridgeport: http://bit.ly/1LVJIyi.
$2.75 million for new train stop, Barnum Station, in city’s East Side
Bridgeport plans to open a second train station, 1.5 miles northeast of the main station, using a mix of federal and state funding that includes $2.75 million approved by the State Bond Commission.
These funds are being used for the design phase of the new train station.
Located off of Barnum Avenue in Bridgeport East Side, the site is ideal for a station because it is a straight away that does not feature curves, which can make it difficult for trains to navigate.
“ Barnum Station, which will be the second train station in our state’s largest city, will help ensure the East Bridgeport Development Corridor becomes a place where people want to live and work, and where companies want to invest and hire people,” said Mayor Finch.
The station will bear the name of showman P.T. Barnum, whom voters elected mayor in 1875.
For more information on the second train station, click here: http://bit.ly/1SPf7aX.