[kidyankee764]

Why are we advocating for the widening of 95 over mass transit? Haven’t we learned from the mistakes made in CA, GA and TX? If you build it, they will come.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Why are we advocating for the widening of 95 over mass transit? Haven’t we learned from the mistakes made in CA, GA and TX? If you build it, they will come.

That's good, we want business to come to FFC. I-95 and the Parkway are outdated for the population in Fairfield County now. The Merritt Parkway is beautiful but it was outdated years ago.

I live in FFC and travel the Merritt Parkway and I-95 now. In fact I just made the trip from Trumbull to Norwalk today and got caught in traffic at 9:30 in the no exit zone. It seems to happen more and more. Something needs to be done so we don't scare business away from coming to the county that is saving the state in regards to income taxes paid. I believe you moved to Virginia. You probably don't know how bad it is getting.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by CTartist

That's good, we want business to come to FFC. I-95 and the Parkway are outdated for the population in Fairfield County now. The Merritt Parkway is beautiful but it was outdated years ago.

I generally agree that these highways need updating, but widening? I don’t know. You can make the Merritt 3-4 lanes in each direction and in a decade, they will be just as bad. As I said, see CA, GA and TX.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I generally agree that these highways need updating, but widening? I don’t know. You can make the Merritt 3-4 lanes in each direction and in a decade, they will be just as bad. As I said, see CA, GA and TX.

If the different towns don't add thousands of housing units EACH it will be OK. My town of Trumbull has had about the same amount of housing units (or just a little more) for the 20 years I have been living in town. I think most of the suburban towns have been like that.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by CTartist

If the different towns don't add thousands of housing units EACH it will be OK. My town of Trumbull has had about the same amount of housing units (or just a little more) for the 20 years I have been living in town. I think most of the suburban towns have been like that.

Its not the towns in FFC adding more housing units necessarily, its that people from farther away will able to commute to Stamford and Norwalk, thereby increasing the number of cars on the road.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

Its not the towns in FFC adding more housing units necessarily, its that people from farther away will able to commute to Stamford and Norwalk, thereby increasing the number of cars on the road.

Exactly.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I generally agree that these highways need updating, but widening? I don’t know. You can make the Merritt 3-4 lanes in each direction and in a decade, they will be just as bad. As I said, see CA, GA and TX.

The state HAS been investing a LOT in mass transit. There are many new train sets and new and improved stations and track improvements but that does not mean we should ignore our highways either which except for the Q Bridge is what has been done for the past several decades. I-95 is basically the same highway as when it opened in 1958. It was designed for a much different era.

There is no question that there is a problem but ignoring it does nothing to solve it. If you look at what was proposed, the "widening" would have given the highway wider shoulders that meet modern standards and would have added needed operational lanes to reduce congestion between interchanges. It may have also meant the closing of strategic interchanges since there are way too many in some areas. Look at how the Q Bridge project has improved I-95 from New Haven to Branford. Shouldn't the entire highway be similar?

The thing people do not realize is why the experiences in California, Georgia and Texas do not necessarily apply to Connecticut is that those states are not fully mature with development. They continue to sprawl across the countryside with virtually unchecked development. That is the key flaw in ALL of the studies that highway improvement naysayers conveniently forget. Much of the data used is over 40 years old now and does not necessarily reflect an area like Connecticut where you do not see hundreds of new homes built year after year and are unlikely ever going to see.

Boughton outright said he would cancel widening I-95. How does that help commuters? This is typical political BS that is likely to address the backlash he got from his statements last week. Not everyone can commute by train to their jobs. How does leaving I-95 in its current condition help the commuter? It does not. Jay

[nep321]

I think widening I-95 to four lanes for the entire length between NY and New Haven would be beneficial, but only if mass transit is also beefed up. I don't see a problem with an all of the above approach. But my biggest concern is...how on earth will there be any room to add an extra lane in many parts of the highway?! It seems borderline impossible in certain parts of New Haven, Stratford, Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford.

Sadly, I have to deal with I-95 every day on my commute here in Jacksonville, which is only 3 lanes as well. It's becoming a huge problem in an extremely fast growing metro.

I think I-95 should be widened to a FIVE lane highway for the entire length between Canada and Key West!

[Stepfordct]

Yes, not a lot of room to grow like in Tx, NV, CA, etc... drive into Houston from the outskirts. Flat land as far as you can see. Recall joking with friends about buying land on outskirts of Vegas 20 yrs ago...!
That said the same logic applies to widening the roads here.
Between Nimby and Bambi....good luck.

[GoHuskies]

Instead of trying to reclaim land along I-95 for widening why not add an above ground set of express lanes. The express level doesn't need as many entry/exit ramps.