FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Stamford

Friday, August 12, 2022

Contact:

Lauren Meyer

203-977-5115

lmeyer@stamfordct.gov

CITY OF STAMFORD AWARDED $2.1 MILLION FEDERAL RAISE GRANT FOR WEST MAIN STREET CORRIDOR PLANNING PROJECT

STAMFORD, CT – Today, Mayor Caroline Simmons announced that the City of Stamford has been awarded $2.1 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.

This planning project will support the design and engineering of approximately 1.1 miles of the West Main Street corridor. Safety will be improved at nine dangerous intersections by adding more visible crosswalks and shorter crossing distances. The project also includes adding sidewalks, bus boarding islands, and separated bike lanes where feasible.

“I am thrilled that the City of Stamford has been awarded $2.1 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE Grant program,” said Mayor Caroline Simmons. “My top priority is to improve our City’s aging infrastructure. This funding will support the planning needed to advance the West Main Street Corridor project, which will improve the corridor with complete streets technology, with a focus on greater mobility access, pedestrian safety, and added bike lanes. I want to thank our federal delegation for their advocacy and support of this project, as well as our state delegation, and the West Side Board of Representatives members. This funding and investment in the West Side is long overdue and I look forward to continuing to work with our local, state, and federal partners to move this project forward.”

“The Transportation, Traffic & Parking Bureau is excited to receive this substantial federal grant to holistically plan and redesign West Main Street,” said Frank Petise, Bureau Chief for the City of Stamford Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department. “This is an active corridor in the heart of the West Side neighborhood and we look forward to working with the community to improve safety for all users, reduce congestion, and create a better street for Stamford and its residents.”

"This is a critically important project that is providing much needed investment to the West Side," said State Senator Patricia Billie Miller (D-27). "The RAISE grant funding will implement complete streets upgrades focused on equity, mobility, and pedestrian safety for West Main Street, which is a vital corridor in the heart of our community. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the local and federal level to support and advance this project moving forward." 

“These funds will not only help to improve the safety of the West Main Street Corridor, but it will also create a more walkable, bikeable, and connected community,” said State Representative Corey Paris (D-145). “This is exciting news for our City and I look forward to seeing how this project enhances the quality of life for residents.”

"We are excited that Stamford has been awarded President Biden's RAISE Grant to begin Phase I planning for much needed investments on the Westside Corridor that will complete street upgrades, calm traffic congestion, and a variety of streetscape amenities for the beauty and public safety of a main artery in our community,” said Melinda Baxter and Bonnie Kim Campbell, District 5 Board of Representative members.

“The West Main Street corridor in Stamford is one of the most highly-trafficked roads in the entire city,” said Congressman Jim Himes. “We need to encourage smart roadway designs that minimize safety risks for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and all other road users. This funding will enable the city to develop plans for a transportation network that improves the quality of life for Stamford residents, makes the streets safer for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers, and contributes to the economic growth of the city. I’m grateful to the Biden Administration for supporting this important project, which will help fulfill the Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy objectives.”

“This significant infrastructure investment will help jump start the transformation and revitalization of Stamford’s West Main Street corridor, replacing aging infrastructure, creating safer conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, and improving the quality of life for the neighborhood,” said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. “From my days representing Stamford’s West Side in the state legislature, I know firsthand how critical this corridor is and how small businesses and residents will be aided by this investment. I am so pleased that Stamford was awarded this funding and will keep fighting to bring federal dollars home to Connecticut for these vitally important community projects.”