Improving Stratford Train Station

Mass transit has to be a key part of solving transportation problems in Fairfield County. We need to make it convenient for people to use MetroNorth to get to work in Norwalk, Stamford, or New York City. Lots of people do not use mass transit because it is not as convenient as taking their car. Thus we get too many cars on the roads and resulting traffic jams on I-95 and the Merritt Parkway.

Improving train stations like the one in Stratford is a key to getting more people to use mass transit. State Representative John Harkins and I have been working to improve Stratford train station to make it more convenient for commuters—both through additional parking and improvements to the infrastructure of the train station.

Stratford’s train station needs several improvements. First, we desperately need more parking. We have proposed a new multi-story garage to handle a large part of the 1,500 person waiting list for parking. Representative Harkins led the charge in securing millions of dollars in funding for the parking garage. Second, we are looking to make waiting at the train station more convenient. We have proposed putting in a canopy to keep waiting commuters dry when it rains. The platform can also be expanded to allow for more cars to stop in Stratford. Finally, there are a large number of small items, such as dedicated drop-off spaces, that will make using the train station easier for commuters.

However, progress on Stratford Train Station has been unacceptably slow. The state Department of Transportation (DOT) has dropped the ball in implementing these ideas. Whereas Representative Harkins secured the money for the parking garage several years ago, the DOT never put the project out to bid. Even worse, everyone we talked to at the DOT said “it wasn’t my responsibility”. The lack of accountability meant that the progress languished in bureaucracy—until we started asking questions.

In response to this delay, Representative Harkins and I have taken several steps to ensure progress is made on our proposals. First, we have secured commitment from DOT officials to create a timetable for the improvements and who will be accountable. Deputy Commissioner Al Martin has been tremendous in stepping forward and saying “the buck stops with me”. We now have a leader in the DOT who is willing to take responsibility for making sure the improvements happen.

Second, we have met with the Governor’s office about our ideas for improvements. They have committed to both hold the DOT accountable for progress and to support new funding we may need for the improvements. Governor Rell has consistently shown her commitment to Stratford—whether in $2 million for more education funding last year or $26 million in bonding for our water treatment plant. Both John and I are proud to be part of her team, and are glad to get her involved with improving the train station.

Most importantly, we have set up a Train Station Citizen’s Advisory Board to hold the DOT accountable in the upcoming months and years. The volunteers on this board are personally dedicated to making sure these improvements happen—because most of them are commuters. While having elected leaders at the table is important, there is nothing more powerful than having the people who are most impacted lead the charge. Having been to their meetings, I am confident they will be effective in building on the positive momentum we have started.

Improvements are not going to happen overnight. The parking garage will not be completed until 2010, but we are hopeful the other improvements will come in the next year. The good news is we are finally heading in the right direction. Working together, we can make sure that the DOT honors its commitments to Stratford and our commuters. Improving Stratford train station will hopefully make mass transit more convenient, get more people off our roads, and start to improve the traffic problems in our area.