M E T R O * P O O L * Questions and Answers about The Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program

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Q U E S T I O N S a n d A N S W E R S
about The Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program

1. What is the Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program?
2. What are the five projects?
3. How much will the program cost?
4. Where is the money coming from?
5. How long is it going to take?
6. Why add platforms?
7. Where will the new platforms be?
8. Are there other benefits?
9. Will the Program affect my train?
10. What about catching my train?
11. What about the streets near the station? Will they be affected?
12. How can I make sure I'm getting the latest information?

1. What is the Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program?
The Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program is an integrated construction program with five major components, each of which had been on track to be done independently. Instead, all five will be done together, minimizing public impacts and costs.

2. What are the five projects?

The addition of two center platforms, giving the station a total of four.
Reconstruction of the railroad bridge over Washington Blvd., along with widening and lowering of the road beneath to allow turning lanes and more clearance for taller vehicles.
Replacement of a section of the overhead catenary wire system that delivers electricity to power trains.
The addition of amenities such as tactile warning strips along the edges of the platforms to make the station fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Improvements to the Stamford Rail Trail of pedestrian walkways between the station and nearby areas.

3. How much will the program cost?
Approximately $95 million.

4. Where is the money coming from?
The Connecticut Department of Transportation, Amtrak, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the City of Stamford.

5. How long is it going to take?
Completion is scheduled for November 2001

6. Why add platforms?
Each of the two new center platforms will be between two tracks, so they will be able to serve two trains at a time. For passengers, that will mean most transfers between trains will be much more convenient, a simple matter of getting off one train, crossing the platform and getting on the other. No longer will stairs, elevators or escalators be needed to reach a train on another track. And that will allow Metro-North and Amtrak to operate more efficiently as well.

7. Where will the new platforms be?
The Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program logo shows the layout for tracks and platforms when the Program is done: a total of five tracks and four platforms. The two center platforms will be served by enclosed escalators and a connecting walkway that also will be accessible from the overhead concourse. With these enclosures and new canopies over all four platforms, you'll never have to stand in the rain or snow while waiting for a train.

8. Are there other benefits?
The list is long. A few examples:

The new, state-of-the-art catenary wires will be less sensitive to temperature. Ultimately, the modernized catenary system will be installed all along the New Haven Line, allowing trains that today have to be slowed down during summer heat and winter freezes to run at full speed all year round.
The program includes improved amenities like rest rooms, lighting, landscaping, and more.
Turning lanes on Washington Blvd. at South State Street and at Station Place will make using Washington Blvd. easier for motorists going straight as well as those making turns.
Amtrak's high-speed rail service, taking passengers from New York to Boston in less than three hours, is scheduled to start in 1999.

9. Will the program affect my train?
The Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program will not require any service reductions from MTA Metro-North Railroad or Amtrak. No existing trains will be eliminated because of the program, but you always should check a current timetable for information on departure and arrival times. For MTA Metro-North Railroad schedules and information, you can call 1-800-METRO-INFO or visit the railroad's web site at www.mta.nyc.ny.us. For Amtrak schedules and information, call 1-800-USA RAIL or visit Amtrak's web site at www.amtrak.com.

10. What about catching my train?
The Enhancement Program will require some changes in and around the station as construction proceeds

Work in the station will require some trains to platform in different locations than they normally would. A train may stop at different sections of platform than normal, or it may stop at a different platform.
"Bridge plates" will be used when temporary track outages prevent trains from stopping adjacent to a platform; step carefully when you use these metal footbridges.
Pedestrian routes through the station will change to keep pedestrians safely outside construction zones, protecting both the public and workers on the job. When walking through the station, for saftey's sake, please follow pedestrian routes.

A little planning and patience will go a long way toward minimizing the impacts of the Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program on your train travels. Arrive at the station a few extra minutes before your train's scheduled departure, and you'll have time to safely get to the location to catch your train, even if that location has changed.

11. What about the streets near the station? Will they be affected?
Traffic restrictions on certain city streets, particularly Washington Blvd. between South State Street and Station Place - where it passes underneath the railroad tracks � and on South State Street and Station Place, are expected to be needed from time to time to allow construction to proceed. These will be scheduled during off-peak travel times such as overnights and weekends to minimize impacts on commuters, neighbors and the general public, and they will be announced in advance in news releases. To arrange to receive these releases by fax, contact MetroPool. Our phone number and e-mail address are in Question #12.

The City of Stamford has developed an alternate traffic plan to designate the best routes to the station during construction, and to guide motorists not headed to the station away from the construction. The plan features new or upgraded traffic signals at several key intersections, and changes in traffic direction on a handful of streets. Please refer to Question #12 for ways to request a flier be sent to you.

Again, planning and patience will help minimize impacts on motorists. With a few extra minutes and some information, you'll be able to make the alternate traffic plan work for you.

12. How can I make sure I'm getting the latest information?
To get on a mailing list to receive informational materials as they become available, contact MetroPool by phone, mail or e-mail. In the coming months, you will receive a brochure on the Program, a periodic newsletter covering progress and developments, and other helpful mailings.

To receive news releases and other short-term communications by fax or contact MetroPool by phone, mail or e-mail. This is the best way to receive advance notice about traffic restrictions on city streets, and on other short-term impacts of the program.
Call MetroPool at 324-6700. Outside the Stamford local calling area, call 1-800-FIND RIDE.
Send MetroPool e-mail at [email protected].
Write MetroPool at: One Landmark Square, Stamford, CT 06901.
Visit the Connecticut Department of Transportation's on-line site for Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program information at www.state.ct.us/dot/bureau/eh/ehcn/road/stamford.htm.

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