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Unbelievable! They need added pressure to make a decision. What a way of wasting tax payers dollars.
The cost of closing the bridge to vehicular traffic, then the cost to modify where pedestrian traffic should cross, then the cost of building the temporary pedestrian bridge (and then the cost of removing that bridge unless temporary becomes permanent) should be added to the eventual final costs of rehabilitating the bridge (or demolish it, that too isn't free.) As time continues, inflation will increase the costs of rehabilitating the bridge. When it's all done, a comparison should be made of what it would had cost to rehabilitate the bridge when it was closed vs what it ends up costing in dollars of the year it's finished. Tax payers are not going to be happy with the difference!
How much money are they estimating this will take?
Interesting to see the new pedestrian bridge taking shape over Washington Blvd from the new garage to the train station. I know I had seen renderings at some point but it seems really large in person.
Developers want to build 508 apartments on the 36 acre site of a half empty corporate park at 900 Long Ridge Road. It’s the first conversion the city is seeing under its new zoning laws that allow this. Jay
Interesting to see the new pedestrian bridge taking shape over Washington Blvd from the new garage to the train station. I know I had seen renderings at some point but it seems really large in person.
I think that pedestrian bridge is higher than the adjacent I-95. It should have nice views of the downtown and the Harbor Point skylines.
The pedestrian bridge is not visible in Google Street View with the exception of this part. At least everyone can get an idea how high it will be once open to the public.
Developers want to build 508 apartments on the 36 acre site of a half empty corporate park at 900 Long Ridge Road. It’s the first conversion the city is seeing under its new zoning laws that allow this. Jay
You could had added an ugly office park too. Not that office parks tend to be the epitome of architectural beauty, but this is probably what not caring about architecture means for office parks. lol
Hopefully, whatever they buid there it will look better. I don't think it will be visible from the street. This is all that is seen from Long Ridge Road.
I think that pedestrian bridge is higher than the adjacent I-95. It should have nice views of the downtown and the Harbor Point skylines.
The pedestrian bridge is not visible in Google Street View with the exception of this part. At least everyone can get an idea how high it will be once open to the public.
True. Maybe it will become a new tourist hotspot. And now that it looks to be about completed the "Welcome to Stamford" signs are up. Overall I think it looks decent despite being surprised about its scale and height.
That sign could be an impediment (or annoying) for pedestrians that want to take in the views of the downtown skyline without having to stop walking. While that sign was done with good intentions, it does seem rather odd given its position.
1. It looks northward when most of the people that arrive to town in the immediacy do so from east or west via I-95.
2. The exits of I-95 closest to this sign is exit 7 southbound and northbound. Both exits are not immediately next to the sign, but rather somewhat away. The exit 7 northbound is to an immediate intersection with Greenwich Avenue with allowance for drivers to turn their left (northward on Greenwich Ave) or their right (southward on Greenwich Ave.) In both instances they will be missing the sign. It also allows going straight and that would lead to the intersection with Washington Blvd after the new parking garage (in fact, vehicles caught by the red traffic light have to wait to turn to green while they are under the parking garage as part of it was built above the road.. I can't remember if turning right on red is allowed there.)
3. For the intersection with Washington Blvd from the west (meaning exiting on 7 northbound and continuing straight after the intersection with Greenwich Ave) allows drivers to either turn their left (northward on Washinton Blvd) which effectively makes them miss the sign, turn their right (southward on Washington Blvd) which would also I think cause them to miss looking at the sign too. That turn is basically from under the new garage to almost immediately under the new pedestrian bridge. Those that continue straight, I would think the sign would be visible to the driver and passenger in the front seats if they look towards the pedestrian bridge and the passenger in the right rear seat as their window is facing towards the bridge.
4. For those taking exit 7 southbound, that is a couple of blocks away from the sign and with I-95 blocking the view southward as the exit is to a street that runs parallel to the interstate, except that the interstate is at a higher artificial elevation than the road. The first intersection after that exit is with Greyrock Place (or is it still Canal St that becomes Greyrock Place further north?) allowing turns towards the left, right and straight. Everyone that turns right will miss the sign. Everyone that turn left passing under the highway will also miss the sign. Those that continue straight have a chance to see the sign, but notice they are already in the Stamford local streets for a few seconds and most likely have already seen the Welcome to Stamford sign on the intersection with Greyrock Place. Continuing straight leads to the intersection with Atlantic street and basically, the same situations as with Greyrock Place repeat here. The exception is that I think there is no Welcome to Stamford sign in that intersection.
5. For drivers that continue straight towards the on ramp of I-95 southward will see the pedestrian bridge and its sign if they see towards the left. That can be dangerous as entering an interstate requires the driver to put more attention to the road and its traffic than anything else. Also, if there is a traffic jam (which in that stretch happens almost every day at certain hours) and there are trailor trucks on the lanes towards your left, unless you have superpower eyesights that gives you the ability to see through the trucks, there is no way you will see the bridge or the sign.
6. For drivers that continue straight but not to the on ramp, it will lead to an intersection with Washington Blvd. From there everyone that continue straight will get on the on ramp to I-95 southbound and I think at that point you already miss seeing the bridge and the sign. Anyone that turns right (northward on Washington Blvd) will too miss the bridge and the sign. The only ones that will see the bridge and the sign are those that turn left toward Washington Blvd southward with the bridge and sign becoming clearly visible after passing under the interstate.
7. Anyone driving on I-95 in both directions will be able to see the bridge and the sign, except those who have their view blocked by a truck unless you are in the right lane of the northbound where the view is never blocked. Few people on I-95 in that stretch will get off any exits in Stamford and those that entered I-95 southward either on the ramp on East Main Street or the first on ramp on North State Street with Atlantic Ave most likely are on their way beyond Stamford either to Greenwich, any of the towns in Westchester County, NY or to NYC or beyond. For them the Welcome to Stamford sign is oxymoron.
8. The people in the highrises in downtown, especially those in the WWE world headquarters or in the RBS building, will see the bridge and the sign from their office windows if it's facing southward. Do they have a need to see a Welcome to Stamford sign at that point? Not to mention the view of the bridge and the sign is always there throughout the day and the night, whether they are arriving to their office or leaving on their way home.
9. Pedestrians going southward on Washington Blvd will see the bridge only if they continue to cross under I-95, but most likely they are either leaving Stamford via the train station or have been in Stamford for a while or live in the city. The Welcome to Stamford sign doesn't have much meaning to them. Most pedestrians heading to the train station will cross from the WWE headquarters property towards and into the Stamford Transportation Center that leads directly to the train station. Anyone that enter the transportation center at North State Street will not see the bridge or the sign.
While done with good intentions, I don't see much need for their Welcome to Stamford sign.
Welcome to Stamford Sign on High Ridge Road
It kind of reminds me of the Welcome to Stamford sign on High Ridge Road southward just south of the Merritt Parkway. That sign drives me nuts. lol Anyone driving southward on High Ridge Road are in Stamford since the entire time they have been in North Stamford. A sign saying Welcome to Turn of River is more appropriate than the Welcome to Stamford sign. Last I checked, North Stamford isn't its own municipality (yet.)
In fact, the entire Stamford Public School system is within the municipality of Stamford and that includes Northeast Elementary School which is in North Stamford. Do the students, teachers and the rest of the faculty there don't know they are in Stamford? Most of the students are bussed there in school buses that service the Stamford Public Schools system (might be owned by SPS) and those buses never leave Stamford while they are transporting students from the various school bus stops in the city to their schools and vice versa.
Anyone getting off the Merritt Parkway southbound on exit 35 they go through these possibilities. First, there is a Welcome to Stamford sign (though not the same as the other sign with the white background) immediately at the end of the exit ramp. It's very hard not to see it. Second, anyone that turns their left will go northward on High Ridge Road and while they are in Stamford they miss completely the Welcome to Stamford sign with the white background. Third, anyone that turns their right passing under the Merritt Parkway will see the Welcome to Stamford sign with the white background, but it's very likely they have seen the Welcome to Stamford sign which is visible and is facing the exit.
The same repeats itself on Long Ridge Road. Don't get me started on that one. lol
The only thing I can think of why those signs are there is someone in the Government Center was getting commissions on every Welcome to Stamford sign that was ordered and buying extra ones was a way to pat their commission. It makes no sense to me whatsoever.
The kicker is that on High Ridge Road (I think there is one on Long Ridge Road too) where it meets the border with New York state there is another Welcome to Stamford sign of the same in Turn of River. That sign is in the correct place as you're effectively entering Stamford if heading southbound. Now imagine someone that goes on High Ridge Road from the NY border to the Bulls Head area where if you continue straight High Ridge Road ends and channel you to the one way Summer St. You enter Stamford crossing the NY border and see the Welcome to Stamford sign. Great! Then it feels like deja vu again when you cross under the Merritt Parkway and see the same Welcome to Stamford sign again! If you are not well versed on maps and know what is Stamford and what isn't, you might be confused in knowing where exactly does Stamford begins, at the NY border or south of the Merritt Parkway?
Do you know what is further salt to injury? Each of those signs have the name of the mayor. Guess what happens when a new mayor starts his/her term? Take a wild guess... I think I don't need to say that every time a sign is changed, it takes money. Nothing is done for free. Where does every cent that the government uses comes from? Even when urs borrowed money, the payments on the principal and the interest comes from whom?
Welcome to Stamford Signs dont bother me as much as not having a Sign on I-95 that features Stamford. Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven all have prominent highway signage, Stamford is lacking that
Welcome to Stamford Signs dont bother me as much as not having a Sign on I-95 that features Stamford. Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven all have prominent highway signage, Stamford is lacking that
If you're referring to these signs, I don't think it's suppose to reflect prominence per say, just a major city as a reference point. At least I think Bridgeport has been more populous than New Haven since those signs went up on I-95 (I think when the turnpike was built.) If population size was the definition, then the signage to mark the entrance of I-95 northbound should had said Bridgeport from Greenwich to Fairfield instead of New Haven. From a historic point of view, I think New Haven is older than Bridgeport, in fact if I remember correctly New Haven is the first planned city in the United States.)
Other than that, Stamford does appears in signages demostrating the length in miles it's from that point in the parkway. This one is on I-95 southbound in Westport, but there is another on I-95 northbound in Greenwich but I can't remember where exactly is on the road. That one has Stamford and Bridgeport.
I can't remember if there are similar signs on the Merritt Parkway.
Stamford is in line to add more than 1,000 new housing units next year. Among the major developments opening are: The Asher, Downtown, 228 units; The Lafayette, East Side, 130 units; The One Atlantic, Downtown, 77 units; The Signet at 18 Dock Street, South End, 395 units; 777 Summer Street, Downtown, 355 units; Charter Oak Housing Conversions, East and West Sides, 72 units. That’s incredible.
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And now that it looks to be about completed the "Welcome to Stamford" signs are up. Overall I think it looks decent despite being surprised about its scale and height.
