Letter to the Editor: Thank You for Supporting the Wheels2U Program
Letter to the Editor from Peter Gold, Westport Transit District Director. The Westport’s Wheels2U Shuttle Will Continue to Run!
Ten days ago, I urged the community to ask the RTM to support public transit in Westport by restoring funds cut from the Westport Transit District’s budget for the Wheels2U Westport shuttles. As it turns out, the response was overwhelming! Over 100 letters were sent to the RTM from individuals and organizations in favor of restoring the funding. The RTM heard your voice and voted 32-to-1 to restore the budget and keep Westport’s Wheels2U shuttle running and growing!
Wheels2U Westport was launched in October 2020 to support Westport residents and businesses. It provides a convenient and environmentally-friendly way for Westport residents and reverse commuters to travel between the train stations and their homes, employers, and downtown. Wheels2U is now an integral part of Westport.
We cannot thank you enough! A diverse group of residents, commuters and key Westport organizations came together to share your stories, explain the shuttle’s benefits, and lend your voice to restoring the budget!
There are exciting things planned for Wheels2U Westport in the next year. We look forward to keeping everyone up to date about our growth and new initiatives.
Peter Gold
Director, Westport Transit District
The Town’s 2021/2022 budget originally nixed the Wheels2U program, a $101,000 savings for the Town. However after discussion and over 100 letters urging the RTM to reconsider, the program was saved at this Monday’s RTM budget vote. Read about the meeting here.
I-95 Slowed by Southbound Car Accident involving Tractor Trailer
First Responders were dispatched to the I-95 for the car accident involving a tractor trailer just before 7:00 AM. The accident was located in the southbound lanes north of Exit 17, between the Sherwood Island Connector and Saugatuck Avenue. No word on injuries or cause of accident.
Paving of the Library Parking Lot Begins - Ending Risk of More Trips, Stumbles, and Lawsuits
A $295,000 requisition to replace the Westport Library Upper Parking Lot was approved by the RTM back in February, with stories of trips and falls riddling the discussion. This week, the old asphalt was ripped up and the paving process began. The lot is fully closed as the reconstruction continues, and is expected to be completed in the next week. This comes just weeks before the start to the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Art’s 2021 season, an exciting milestone as the non-profit performing arts center had to cancel their 2020 season.
The Westport Library’s upper parking lot was described as a “liability” for the Town of Westport at the February RTM meeting. The lot, which was decades old and developed deep divots and mounds throughout its parking deck, was the cause for lawsuits against the Town after pedestrians injured themselves while traversing its asphalt, according to RTM members. The parking lot was built on the site of a former landfill, something the Westport Library itself battled as its building slowly settled into the volatile soil system. The Library parking lot project was one of many projects approved in February, all of which totaled more than 1.2 million dollars for the Department of Public Works. Also being repaved is the Westport Senior Center’s parking lot, a $320,000 project.
Morning Weather Report [05/07/21]
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 62. East wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. East wind 6 to 9 mph.
Tomorrow
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. East wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. West wind 3 to 6 mph.