DANBURY BRANCH LINE
STATIONS OVERVIEW
This
text is a summary of current conditions and recommended enhancements
to Danbury Branch Line railroad stations in the Housatonic
Valley (Greater Danbury) Planning Region. Note that the Branch
Line extends through two of Connecticut's planning regions,
from Norwalk in the South Western Region northerly to Danbury
in the Housatonic Valley Region.
There are seven Branch Line stations from south to north with
one in Norwalk, two in Wilton, then one each in Ridgefield,
Redding, Bethel and Danbury. Only detailed recommendations
for the Housatonic Region's four northern or "Upper Branch
Line" stations given here, Ridgefield, Redding, Bethel
and Danbury Stations.
The regional transportation planning authorities for both
Region's have endorsed the northern extension of the Branch
Line beyond Danbury to New Milford. Three additional stations
will be needed to serve that area. Reviews of these station
sites, proposed Danbury North, Brookfield and New Milford
Stations, are included herein.
This text draws upon recent technical studies of the Branch
Line, as well as new information completed by the planning
staff of the Housatonic Area Regional Transit District (HART).
The bulk of the research summarizes the expansion of rail
passenger service proposed by the Housatonic Valley Council
of Elected Officials (HVCEO) and the South Western Regional
Planning Agency (SWRPA)
in their joint 2000 Route 7 Corridor Travel Options Implementation
Plan.
According
to the summary of that plan, rail passenger service frequency
would first be expanded on the existing Norwalk to Danbury
Branch Line. The second part of the plan would then extend
passenger service northerly to New Milford, adding three new
stations. As projections show that the addition of train
service would attract more riders, parking capacity at existing
Branch Line stations would need to be upgraded accordingly.
The 2000 SWRPA-HVCEO Branch Line plan evaluated parking needs
with and without service expansion. It was found that even
without service expansion, the number of parkers at stations
was expected to continue to grow during the 2000-2015 projection
period. By 2015 this demand will exceed the current parking
space inventory at four of the present seven stations.
According to the 2000 Plan "876 additional riders are
expected to board the Danbury Branch between 1999 and 2015
with no improvements to service. This represents an almost
70 percent increase in ridership due to population growth
and highway congestion."
Then if Phase 1 and Phase 2 train service is added, boosting
service from 20 trains per day to 31 and then in phase 2 up
to 38 per day, parking supply would be exceeded at all seven
Branch Line stations. The following table from the 2000 plan
portrays this tightening situation:
Station |
Existing
Parking Supply |
Observed
Parking Utilization |
2015
No-Build Parking Surplus/
(Defict) |
Phase
1
Parking Surplus/
(Deficit) |
Phase
2
Parking Surplus/
(Deficit) |
1.
Merritt 7 |
87 |
81 |
-8 |
-67 |
-95 |
2.
Wilton |
194 |
185 |
-22 |
-95 |
-127 |
3. Cannondale |
146 |
133 |
-103 |
-126 |
-137 |
4.
Branchville |
170 |
173 |
-154 |
-197 |
-223 |
5. West Redding |
80 |
40 |
5 |
-13 |
-22 |
6.
Bethel |
199 |
105 |
3 |
-29 |
-44 |
7.
Danbury |
119 |
60 |
7 |
-6 |
-24 |
The following links lead to Danbury Branch Line passenger
station planning information:
Conn
DOT 2007 Rail Station Visual Inspection Reports
Danbury Branch Line Stations to south of Housatonic
Region:
1. Merritt 7 (northern Norwalk)
2. Wilton
3. Cannondale (northern Wilton)
Danbury
Branch Line Railroad Stations in southern and central
Housatonic Valley Region (Ridgefield, Redding, Bethel and
Danbury),
with number indicating station number north of Norwalk:
4. Branchville (southern
Ridgefield, CT) Station Planning Overview
5. Redding, CT
Station Planning Overview
6. Bethel,
CT Station Planning Overview
7. Danbury, CT
Station Planning Overview
Proposed
Danbury Branch Line Railroad Stations in Central and
Northern Housatonic Valley Region (Danbury, Brookfield, New
Milford):
8. Proposed
Danbury North (northern Danbury, CT) Station Planning Overview
9. Proposed
Brookfield, CT Station Planning Overview
10. Proposed
New Milford, CT Station Planning Overview
4. BRANCHVILLE, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
4A.
BRANCHVILLE, CT STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
Branchville Railroad Station is located in Ridgefield, CT
directly off of Route 7, near the intersection of Route 7
and Route 102. It is 12.7 rail miles north of the main new
Haven Line at the South Norwalk Railroad Station and 3.8 miles
north of the Cannondale Station in Wilton, CT. Access
to the station is by bridge and across an ungated at-grade
railroad crossing.
Branchville, CT Railroad Station
A 1998
historic resource survey by Conn DOT indicates that this station
was built in 1905 to the standard design of railroad stations
at the turn of the century. It is described as a "one
story, Stick style, railroad station, constructed on a fieldstone
foundation with a wood frame structural system, asbestos shingle
siding, and side gambrel and mansard roof units." The
report recommended the building for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places.
The Town
of Ridgefield leases the station and adjacent property from
Conn DOT. The interior was sublet in 1982 to a business that
restored the historic character of the inside and has operated
the Whistle Stop Bakery since that time. There are no ticket
sales or transit information available in the interior. On
the outside public telephones and overhead lighting are provided.
A passenger siding, along with associated track work, was
installed at Branchville 1991 in order to allow for more passenger
train operations in both directions. A high level platform
was then constructed 1992 to improve passenger boarding and
deboarding and reduce station dwell times.
The Branchville
Station is served by the Danbury-Norwalk Route 7 Link
bus, operated jointly by the Norwalk Transit District
and HART. In 2000 Conn DOT estimated that the percentage of
riders boarding at Branchville and bound for Stamford was
18%.
4B.
BRANCHVILLE, CT STATION PARKING
This particular parking lot is the most heavily used of any
commuter facility in the ten town Housatonic Region. In contrast
to Danbury, Bethel and Redding stations, parking at Branchville
is provided at no cost. The 2000 Travel Options Plan recorded
170 parking spaces, with observed parking utilization at 173
vehicles, over capacity.
The 2000 Travel Options Plan projects that even without any
additional train service, due to changing journey to work
patterns, population growth and highway congestion, by 2015
the demand for parking spaces at crowded Branchville Station
will be 154 spaces beyond supply.
And further, if during that period train services increase
from the present 20 stops per day to 31(the Phase 1 expansion)
the parking demand deficit figure rises to 197. Adding the
Phase 2 Branch Line expansion, 38 trains per day, pushes the
parking demand deficit at Branchville up to 223, the highest
projected deficit on the Branch Line.
CT DOT 2010 preliminary
plan for
parking expansion at Ridgefield Station
4C.
BRANCHVILLE, CT STATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
As part of a comprehensive municipal improvement plan for
the Branchville Village section of Ridgefield, the Ridgefield
Planning and Zoning Commission developed a concept plan to
enhance the parking facilities at the station. In its unapproved
draft 2002 Branchville Village Plan, the Commission suggests
the construction of a decked parking structure, designed with
an attractive facade reminiscent of an historic mill building,
to augment parking supply at Branchville Station.
As part of this plan the two access points off of Route 7
to the current station would be relocated slightly. In addition,
the upper level of the new parking deck structure could have
access directly from West Branchville Road.
For perspective,
a three level parking structure has already been proposed
by Conn DOT for the Wilton Railroad Station to the south to
relieve parking congestion there. As noted in the 2000 Travel
Options Plan the "impediment to use of commuter rail
is insufficient parking at Branchville and Wilton stations,
where steps should be taken to increase the parking supply."
Wilton is amenable to the Conn DOT proposal.
Other
recommendations include preservation of the current Station
building as part of the quaint neighborhood character of Branchville,
working with Conn DOT to redesign access to the Station, supporting
enhancement of the Station as a multi-modal transportation
center, and investigation of providing a shuttle bus for commuters
from the Station to Ridgefield Center and major employers
in the area.
Further, the draft Plan would "Encourage the State to
coordinate with Metro North Railroad to improve service on
and electrify the Danbury-Norwalk line."
4D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY OPTIONS
TO BRANCHVILLE, CT STATION
This station is a relatively good candidate for shuttle services.
Branchville may also be a good candidate for a station car
demonstration project as well.
As for the potential for reverse commute, major employers
with potential for reverse commute van shuttles include ASML
and Norco, both located along the Route 7 corridor north of
the station between the route 7 & 102 and 7 & 35 intersections.
5. WEST
REDDING, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
5A.
WEST REDDING, CT STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
The West Redding Railroad Station is located in Redding, CT
just west of Route 53, near the Bethel and Danbury border.
It is 17.3 rail miles north of the main line at the South
Norwalk Railroad Station and 4.6 miles north of the Branchville
Station.
This new
station includes a high level platform with disabled access
and shelter. There are waste receptacles and public telephones.
However, no transit information of any kind is available at
this facility.
West Redding, CT Railroad Station
As for
public bus service, Redding remains a semi-rural area, and
there is no regularly scheduled bus other than the limited
SweetHART service available throughout the Town.
This new
station opened in June of 1999 and is in excellent condition.
There is some history here, for in 1992 a high level platform
was constructed at the old West Redding Station near this
small hamlet's retail buildings to improve passenger boarding
and reduce station dwell times. However, the modern gleaming
design was inappropriate for the scale and charm of the core
of the small hamlet of West Redding.
After negotiations between the Town of Redding and Conn DOT,
it was agreed that the 1992 platform and canopy would be dismantled.
It was replaced in 1999 by a new platform with a modest station
building about 500 feet south of the previous location.
In 2000 Conn DOT estimated that the percentage of riders boarding
at West Redding and bound for Stamford was 25%.
5B.
WEST REDDING, CT STATION PARKING
The 2000 Travel Options Plan recorded 80 parking spaces, with
observed parking utilization at 40 vehicles. Access to the
80-space lot is by permit or with a daily parking fee of $5
as of 7/2006.
The 2000 Travel Options Plan projects that even without any
additional train service, due to changing journey to work
patterns, population growth and highway congestion, by 2015
the demand for parking spaces at West Redding Station will
fill the lot to within just 5 spaces of its 80 space capacity.
And further, if during that period train services increase
from the present 20 stops per day to 31(the Phase 1 expansion)
the parking demand here becomes a deficit situation with an
additional 13 spaces needed. Adding the Phase 2 Branch Line
expansion, 38 trains per day stopping, the parking demand
deficit at West Redding Station rises further to 22.
CT
DOT 2010 parking expansion plan for West Redding Station
5C. WEST REDDING, CT STATION DEVELOPMENT
ISSUES
Although there is some directional signage, the location is
not well marked and must be accessed by crossing an ungated,
at-grade railroad crossing. Local views towards the provision
of a station sign at the driveway entrance should be evaluated.
5D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY OPTIONS
TO WEST REDDING, CT STATION
The non-rail analysis for this station is not strongly supportive
of a scheduled fixed route shuttle service for rail passengers.
Further, with a parking lot that is currently under capacity,
there is little incentive to encourage shuttle usage until
the parking supply is exceeded. The station car option might
be an attractive one at Redding Station during the expansion
phases and may even preclude or at least delay the need to
expand the parking lot.
As for the potential for reverse commute, major employment
locations with good access to the West Redding station within
a five mile radius include Lee Farm Corporate Park, Barden
Corporation, B.F. Goodrich, and the Apple Ridge Road Office
Park, all to the north via Route 7 in Danbury.
6. BETHEL, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
6A.
BETHEL, CT STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
The recently completed Bethel Railroad Station is located
just north of Downtown Bethel, CT on Durant Avenue, opposite
Bishop Curtis Homes. Bethel's station is 20.6 rail miles north
of the main line at the South Norwalk Railroad Station and
3.3 miles north of the West Redding Station. Metro North does
not currently provide a web based Bethel Station Area Map
to assist users.
Based upon a 1986 HVCEO station relocation study, a new Bethel
Railroad Station was built on Durant Avenue and opened for
service in January of 1996. This project was 100% State funded
at an approximate cost of $4.3 million. The architectural
detailing is the same as for Danbury Station. New facilities
included a new station building and high level platform. The
old station to the south on Greenwood Avenue was built near
1900 to replace an earlier passenger railroad station on the
site dating from 1852.
Bethel, CT Railroad Station
The 1996
facility remains in excellent condition, and features pedestrian
access, permit and metered parking, bicycle racks, a building
with concession, restrooms, outdoor tables, a high-level platform
with a lighted canopy, and benches and ramps for persons with
disabilities. The concession provides Metro North and
HART bus schedules. The station is served by the HART
5 Bethel Center Route.
A 1996 HVCEO report estimated commuter boardings by home town
of riders from Danbury and Bethel stations combined. The totals
were Bethel 128, Danbury 84, Newtown 48, Brookfield 18, New
Milford 9, New Fairfield 5 and Bridgewater 4. Many of the
Newtown residents use this station. In 2000 Conn DOT estimated
that the percentage of riders boarding at Bethel and bound
for Stamford was 23%.
6B. BETHEL, CT STATION PARKING
The 2000 Travel Options Plan recorded 199 parking spaces,
with observed parking utilization at 105 vehicles. The current
parking capacity was an increase of over 100% in comparison
to the historic station on Route 302 - Greenwood Avenue to
the south. The lot is signed and directional signage
is in place.
The
2000 Travel Options Plan projects that even without any additional
train service, due to changing journey to work patterns, population
growth and highway congestion, by 2015 the demand for parking
spaces at Bethel Station will be within 3 spaces of its capacity
of 199, clearly over capacity on busier days.
In addition, if during that period train service increases
from the present 20 stops per day to 31(the Phase 1 expansion)
the parking demand deficit figure rises to 29. Adding the
Phase 2 Branch Line expansion pushes the parking demand deficit
at Bethel Station up higher to 44.
CT DOT 2010 plan
for expanding
Bethel Station parking to the north
6C.
BETHEL, CT STATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
The station parking lot as designed was planned to be further
expanded in the future to accommodate another 100 spaces.
6D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY
OPTIONS TO BETHEL, CT STATION
A Bethel Station based subscription shuttle may be warranted
on implementation of the Phase Two Danbury Branch Expansion.
Projected parking deficits will support a shift from auto
use to shuttle services. Such a program could help mitigate
an anticipated parking deficit of 29 spaces.
Station cars could be initiated during the Phase One Danbury
Branch Expansion in anticipation of increased parking demands.
As for the potential for reverse commute, considering the
less than ideal train schedule connections and existing direct
HART bus service between most major employers in the vicinity
and Bethel Station, reverse commute van shuttles from this
location may not be successful.
7.
DANBURY, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
7A.
DANBURY, CT STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
Danbury Railroad Station is accessible via Patriot Drive in
Downtown Danbury, CT. It is opposite the NHL Skate at Danbury
Ice Rink and the Patriot Parking Garage, a municipal facility.
The Station is 23.6 rail miles north of the main line at the
South Norwalk Railroad Station and is currently the end of
the line in terms of passenger service. Metro North does not
currently provide a web based Danbury Station Area Map to
assist users.
As in Bethel, the Danbury Station was opened to the public
in 1996 and is in excellent condition. It replaced the 1903
vintage Union Station just to the north, that attractive building
now the headquarters of the Danbury
Railway Museum.
The Union Station had been built on an L-shaped plan to serve
passengers on the two lines that met right at the station,
this configuration part of the difficulty in expanding parking
there, provoking the 1996 relocation.
The current
railroad station site was obtained by Conn DOT in a land exchange
with the Danbury Redevelopment Agency. It includes an 1,800
square-foot station building that cost $2.5 million, a high-level
boarding platform for easy access to and from trains, new
track and formal at-grade crossing protection with appropriate
warning devices and other various improvements.
Danbury, CT Railroad Station
The site
features a covered platform staffed by a ticket agent. There
are restrooms, newspaper vending machines, waste receptacles,
bicycle racks (in use during a HART survey), lighting and
public telephones. Timetables are available in the waiting
area, although there was no special display area for them.
There
is pedestrian access to the Danbury Railroad Station, which
is within walking distance from the Downtown Danbury's CityCenter
Dining and Entertainment District.
The facility
is also within walking distance of the HART Pulse Point. The HART 7 New Milford Bus passes within a quarter
mile of the facility on White Street, and the HART
5 Bethel Center Bus can be accessed less than a half
mile away on Main Street. The HART CityCenter Danbury
Trolley serves the train station directly Thursday
through Saturday. There is directional signage to the station,
as well as a sign on I-84.
In 2000 Conn DOT estimated that the percentage of riders boarding
at Danbury and bound for Stamford was 40%, the highest percentage
of the seven stations on the Branch Line.
7B.
DANBURY, CT STATION PARKING
The 2000 Travel Options Plan recorded 119 parking spaces,
with observed parking utilization at 60 vehicles. The 119
spaces is far more than the inventory of parking places that
existed before 1996 at the Union Station just to the north. Access
to parking at the Danbury Station is by permit from the Danbury
Parking Authority. There is also a 15 minute parking section.
A 1996
HVCEO report estimated commuter boardings by home town of
riders from Danbury and Bethel stations combined. The totals
were Bethel 128, Danbury 84, Newtown 48, Brookfield 18, New
Milford 9, New Fairfield 5 and Bridgewater 4.
The 2000
Travel Options Plan projects that even without any additional
train service, due to changing commuting patterns, population
growth and traffic by 2015 the demand for parking spaces at
presently uncrowded Danbury Station will be within 7 spaces
of capacity.
If during that period train services increase from the present
20 stops per day to 31(the Phase 1 expansion) the parking
demand becomes a deficit of 6. Adding the Phase 2 Branch Line
expansion then pushes the parking demand deficit at Danbury
up to 24.
CT DOT 2010 plan
for expanding
Danbury Station parking to the south
7C.
DANBURY, CT STATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
It will eventually need to be determined if land is available
for on site parking expansion. In terms of future parking
needs, the relationship between the Danbury Station parking
lot and the City's nearby Patriot Parking Garage will need
to be defined.
7D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY
OPTIONS TO DANBURY, CT STATION
Analysis shows that a subscription shuttle/HART Pulse Point
connecter may need to be implemented here beginning in the
Phase One expansion of the Branch Line.
A station car program might also work well just after the
Phase One branch expansion, when parking at this station will
become in short supply.
As for the potential for reverse commute, major
employment locations within a short distance of the Danbury
Railroad Station are located within Commerce Park.
8.
PROPOSED
DANBURY NORTH, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
8A.
PROPOSED DANBURY NORTH, CT
STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
This proposed stop is 27.0 miles north of the South Norwalk
Station and 3.4 miles north of the Downtown Danbury Station,
in Danbury on the Berkshire Line just south of the Brookfield
Town Line.
The site is state owned and in use as a Conn DOT commuter
parking lot. This ownership is fortunate, as there is no pressure
to develop the land for private purposes. The site fronts
upon four lane White Turkey Road Extension, also known as
State Route 840.
Some years ago the establishment of a Brewster North Station
near I-84 on the Harlem Line in nearby New York State was
hugely successful in complementing the existing in-town Brewster
Station. A main goal of the proposed Danbury North Station
is to duplicate that experience in Connecticut. The two stations
within the City of Danbury will serve different and complementary
travel markets.
The station
site has superb access for passenger vehicles seeking it out,
as it is within I-84's Exit 7 and Route 7 Expressway interchange
area. Importantly, the 2002 City of Danbury Plan of Conservation
and Development endorses the development of the Danbury North
Station.
Current bus service to the proposed Danbury North Station
location is limited to the Brewster Shuttle operating from the current state commuter parking lot. This
service, if continued at the Danbury North Station site as
it is converted from a park and ride lot to a rail station
lot, would allow for some connectivity between the Harlem
and Danbury Branch Lines. But this same service is judged
by HART to have limited utility as a shuttle service to patrons
of the Branch Line.
8B.
PROPOSED DANBURY NORTH, CT STATION PARKING
This station would feature a 250 space parking lot, developed
by an expansion of the current Conn DOT commuter park and
ride lot here. Vans and buses would be accommodated. However,
space is limited here and demand analysis in the 2000 Travel
Options Plan shows that all the parking spaces that could
be easily developed would be almost completely utilized early
on.
An additional
183 spaces would eventually be required to meet the needs
of the full five phases of Branch Line service expansion.
These spaces would be added as a deck structure over the surface
parking lot, as the site is bounded by wetlands to the north
and the Berkshire Corporate Park access road to the south.
8C.
PROPOSED DANBURY NORTH, CT
STATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
The infrastructure required for the new Danbury North Station
will include an 1800 square foot station building. This
site for the station is one hundred feet across four lane
White Turkey Road Extension from the platform location, the
platform immediately adjacent to the Berkshire Line tracks
owned by the Housatonic Railroad Company.
As well
as being on opposite sides of a state highway from each other,
the elevation of the Berkshire Line and accompanying 500 foot
long platform on the east side is 15 feet higher than the
proposed Danbury North Station and its adjacent parking lot
on the west side. Thus a 100 foot, enclosed and climate controlled
pedestrian overpass will need to be constructed to give access
to the platform. A stair case in the station would lead to
the overpass, with an elevator option included to meet ADA
requirements.
As a future project phase, a second elevator and stairway
at the south end of the train platform could connect up to
the roadway overpass leading to the Berkshire Corporate Park,
another significant grade change. This would provide pedestrian
access to this expanding employment center.
The cost estimate to complete this station in a 1995 preliminary
feasibility study was $3.2 million. Other required costs including
equipment, track and right of way yield an estimated total
cost of $9.1 to $9.9 million to complete the service extension.
While the Branch Line from Norwalk to Danbury is State owned,
the Berkshire Line here is privately owned, thus the need
for permission from the Housatonic Railroad Company if this
station is to become a reality.
8D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY OPTIONS TO
PROPOSED DANBURY NORTH, CT STATION
Analysis suggests that ridership will not be sufficient to
warrant a feeder shuttle into the Danbury North Station. However,
given easy access from I-84, this station may attract more
Newtown and Southbury-based passengers than anticipated. A
shuttle from park and ride lots at Exits 10 and 11 of I-84
to this station may be warranted if a sufficient ridership
base develops.
A station car program should be planned in the design phase
of this station to better use available space. This is especially
important at this location as it is somewhat constrained.
A van/shuttle to Berkshire Corporate Park would be ideal for
this location, as it directly abuts the proposed rail station
property.
9.
PROPOSED
BROOKFIELD, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
9A.
PROPOSED BROOKFIELD, CT
STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
Located 31.2 miles north of the South Norwalk Station and 4.2
miles north of the proposed Danbury North Station is the historic
Brookfield, CT Railroad Station building, on Route 25 just
east of the intersection of Route 25 and Route 7. This is
just a short distance from the HART 7 New Milford and New Milford LOOP Routes. The former station
building is owned by the nearby Brookfield Crafts Center.
9B. PROPOSED BROOKFIELD, CT STATION
PARKING
Parking potential at this location appears minimal. There
has been some discussion about parking to the east of the
track accessible via a pedestrian walkway down to the station,
the reverse of the Danbury North situation. Demand projections
indicate that 118 spaces would be utilized here in the Phase
Three New Milford extension and 138 spaces in the Phase Five
plan.
9C. PROPOSED BROOKFIELD, CT
STATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
In 2004 this historic building was purchased by the adjacent
Brookfield Craft Center as its woodturning workshop. Given
space limitations here and the private ownership of the building,
the feasibility of rail station development is not clear.
But as the severity of Fairfield County's transportation crisis
deepens, and the need for rail service intensifies, an access
point here cannot be ruled out.
A Conn
DOT Danbury Branch Line Study will make recommendations
for additional parking at each station including at a potential
future Brookfield Station.
Preferred
option: rehabilitate old
station area near Four Corners.
Referring
to the proposed Danbury to New Milford passenger rail extension,
the 2001 Brookfield Plan of Conservation and Development states:
'"While this service will go through Brookfield, it is
not initially scheduled to stop in Brookfield. Brookfield
should support the establishment of this rail service and
seek a rail station in Brookfield. A location in or near the
Four Corners is the most logical location although finding
an appropriate site may require additional study."
9D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY OPTIONS TO
PROPOSED BROOKFIELD, CT STATION
Analysis shows that shuttle services may not be warranted
to this station. Station cars could be implemented at this
station as part of the initial construction phase as a transit
demand management measure and to enhance parking capacity.
10.
PROPOSED
NEW MILFORD, CT
RAILROAD STATION
PLANNING OVERVIEW
10A.
PROPOSED NEW MILFORD,
CT STATION PHYSICAL SETTING
Located in downtown New Milford 37.9 miles north of the South
Norwalk Station and 6.7 miles north of the Downtown
Danbury Station is the existing New Milford, CT Railroad Station.
It is near the intersection of Route 202 and Railroad Street.
Two tracks exist through the station area. As part of HVCEO
and SWRPA transportation plans this station would become the
new end of the Branch Line, rather than Danbury Station 14.3
miles to the south.
10B.
PROPOSED NEW MILFORD,
CT STATION PARKING
A 1996 HVCEO rail report envisioned that the existing parking
lot of 230 spaces would be rehabilitated and expanded slightly
to accommodate 250 parking spaces, the additional 30 spaces
and some current spaces to service rail users.
It was presumed in 1996 that additional spaces could be created
by expanding the parking lot to the west. An issue here is
use of the current parking lot for access to nearby merchants
and services, and the extent to which all day rail station
parkers would tighten the supply for these current parking
lot users.
10C.
PROPOSED NEW MILFORD, CT
STATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
According to the draft 2010 New Milford Plan of Conservation
and Development "The Town should continue to support
the re-establishment of passenger rail service and work with
the State to determine the best location for the Station."
Continuing, "A Downtown location would be consistent
with smart growth and transit oriented development principles.
It would offer many advantages - having an active railroad
station in or within walking distance to the Downtown could
help support the desired community structure by attracting
new housing and businesses to Downtown. Issues such as traffic
and parking would need to be addressed during the station
planning process."
Conn DOT Study Site 4B, similar
to Site 4A except that parking is
located to the east, at the corner of Railroad Street and
Boardman Terrace.
10D.
NON-RAIL MOBILITY OPTIONS TO
PROPOSED NEW MILFORD, CT STATION
Projected access via a shuttle does not appear high enough
to implement such a service. There is, however, HART service
in place now that would allow for passengers to access the
station by bus. Station cars offer an opportunity for
parking enhancement.
As for the potential for reverse commute, The projected
7:00 A.M. train arrival and afternoon departure at 4:55 P.M.
in New Milford provide the best timing for workers traveling
to Kimberly Clark from points south.
