Bus and rail “Gateway to Connecticut” receives major upgrade

Governor Ned Lamont and Congressman Jim Himes were among the elected officials who attended the ribbon cutting for a parking garage in Stamford on the rainy morning of Feb 26. Despite being vital infrastructure in urban areas, most parking structures open with considerably less fanfare.

However, the latest structure at the Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center, commonly called the Stamford Transportation Center represents a $100 million project. In addition to an exterior adorned with gentle wave-like shapes and LEDs that glowed with the colors of the Connecticut flag to mark the occasion, the 914 parking space garage also features 92 charging stations for electric vehicles, 120 bicycle parking stations, and 50 e-bike charging stations.

“I’m excited not just because it’s good twenty-first century infrastructure,” said Congressman Himes after recalling his frequent commutes via Amtrak which allowed him to watch the new garage’s construction, “but also because it is going to be an economic hub for Stamford when the improvements to the station are done. When the old parking garage is gone that is an opportunity for retail, for commercial space, maybe even for housing that will really create a hub around here.”

State Street, long closed during construction, is now also fully open, allowing access at 57 State Street, reachable from both Washington Boulevard and Greenwich Avenue. It features an entrance directly onto Track 5 of Stamford Station, and a 320 foot long pedestrian bridge linking the fourth floor to Stamford Station, directly in front of Java Joe’s coffee shop.

“This is a long time in the making and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be standing here today,” said Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons. It’s a critical investment in this transportation center, which is at the heart of our economic and transportation ecosystem here in Stamford, and the region.”

The Mayor noted that this project represented only a portion of the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on the New Haven Line. That sum is also just a small part of $44 billion for the Northeast Corridor which she thanked Congressman Himes for including in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She also pointed out that the garage was only the latest step, and that further upgrades are planned.

“Over 28,000 commuters pass through this station every day, so investing in these world class amenities is essential for enhancing the commuter experience and getting more people to take rail,” Simmons said, noting that the garage would serve Connecticut’s busiest station, surpassed only by Grand Central for traffic in the Northeast Corridor.

“This project has been a long time coming,” said Garrett Eucalitto, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Eucalitto described researching the project’s history, which was first reported on in 2007. “It took a long time and a lot of cooperation between the DOT and the city of Stamford to get us to this point.”

Matthew McCooe, CEO of Connecticut Innovations said “The state is becoming known as an innovation hub and  agreat place for small companies to arrive, start their businesses, grow their businesses. And the reason is what we’re calling the One Call State. It’s a place where a small company like AmpUp, which is one of the providers of the 92 EV chargers that are here, with one phone call they’re able to get to [the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority]. They received a $1.7 million dollar grant, they’re able to work with Mayor Simmons and her team, Commissioner Eucalitto, the governor, and also Congressman Himes.”

State legislators were also in attendance, including State Senators Ryan Fazio and Ceci Maher, and representatives Hubert Delaney and David Michel, who all expressed excitement for the completion of the project and the advantages it would bring to area residents.

Governor Lamont thanked the construction workers with Yonkers Concrete, praising their ability to work between one of the busiest train and bus stations in the region and one of the busiest sections of Interstate 95.

“This is our front door,” Lamont said. “This is the gateway to New England. This is people’s first impressions of our amazing state.”

Expressing dissatisfaction with the current terminal, the Governor acknowledged that it had taken years of hard work to open the garage and advance development in the heart of Stamford, but placed even more emphasis on the future of the site. “This is a place that’s on the move, it’s on the go, we do it in collaboration with our community.”

Demolition of the old garage at 43 Station Place is scheduled to begin in March and last six months. Daily parking rates for cars at the new garage remain $10 per day.