Trying to Manage Rush Hour
A Westport Police Department Traffic Agent frees the backup of traffic this evening at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street. Traffic was slowed to a stop from the Cribari Bridge until the intersection of Greens Farms Road and Hills Point Road, with Post Road East also feeling the brunt of today’s new normal traffic pattern. Traffic was moving soon after the agent’s placement at the heavily used intersection. No major accidents were reported in the area, with one minor accident occurring just before 4:00 PM on I-95 Southbound, according to the DoT.
Democratic Town Committee Nominates Steinberg, Savin Ticket for Board of Selectmen
State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg and Board of Ed Chair Candice Savin Nominated By DTC for Board of Selectmen. Photo provided by Steinberg Savin For Westport.
From Steinberg Savin for Westport.
July 21, 2021- Tonight, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg and his running mate, Board of Education Chair Candice Savin, were officially nominated by the Westport Democratic Town Committee for the Board of Selectmen. Jonathan, as Chair of the Public Health Committee in the state legislature, and Candice, as Board of Education Chair since 2019, both played crucial roles guiding our community through the pandemic.
Together, Steinberg, a long-time marketing executive, and Savin, an experienced attorney and former prosecutor will bring a solutions-oriented, pragmatic and disciplined approach to tackling Westport’s most persistent issues.
The Steinberg/Savin Team Priorities:
Transforming Downtown Westport into a vibrant community hub with more activities and shopping options, while embracing the river as a featured town asset.
Taking action on Traffic and Infrastructure by making essential investments in our roads, schools, and beaches so everyone can enjoy our town’s unique amenities.
Ensuring that town government is responsive, efficient, and champions Westport’s values of sustainability, taking care of our neediest, and celebrating our arts heritage.
“Westport, like all communities, faces challenges. We have certainly confronted our share in the past year. But challenge brings opportunity. And today, we have an opportunity to make Westport better than ever.” said Steinberg. “We are blessed to live in a wonderful, safe community with a world-class school system, beautiful amenities, and a strong commitment to volunteerism and taking care of others. We value sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and have a unique appreciation of the Arts.”
“Our administration will work tirelessly to improve the quality of life of all Westporters, from our kindergarten students to our senior citizens, from longtime residents to the many new arrivals. Westporters deserve real leadership that can respond to the moment, make things happen, plan for the future, and get things done.”
“I’m running with Jonathan because he’s a make it happen person,” said Savin. “Working together we will finally solve the traffic problem that dogs Westport, we will make downtown a vibrant community hub and we will update our aging school buildings.”
“Jonathan is committed to the health, safety, and prosperity of this community,” said Rebecca Martin, DTC member, “Jonathan presented an integrated vision of policies and physical improvements that will secure our future.”
“That is why the voters of Westport have re-elected Jonathan each term with ever increasing margins.”
Steinberg is a former marketing executive with consumer healthcare companies like Revlon, Bristol-Myers, and The Mount Sinai Hospital. He has a B.A. from Yale and an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at N.Y.U.
Savin, a former criminal prosecutor, has a successful real estate law practice in Westport. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Duke Law School.
Steinberg and Savin will be detailing more soon about how they’ll bring their vision to life. For more information and how to help please go to:
Selectman’s Office Releases Financial Analysis of Police Department’s Tesla Model 3
From Sara Harris, Selectman’s Office Operations DirectorThe Town has received a report generated by the EV Club of CT providing a financial analysis of the Westport Police Department’s Tesla Model 3. In December 2019, the Westport Police purchased a Tesla Model 3, fully customized it for law enforcement, and put it into service in February 2020 as a pilot program. This first-in-the-nation Tesla Model 3 squad car is being celebrated for exceeding performance, cost savings and environmental benefits estimates.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas said, “What initially attracted us to the Tesla was how it compared to our traditional fleet vehicles in terms of performance, 5-star crash ratings, and collision avoidance technology. While the Police Department has been using plug-in hybrids for parking enforcement for several years now, this was the first fully electric car to be used in active duty. We needed to confirm our estimates on things like mileage per charge and how the vehicle would stand up overall in the challenging environment of police work. And of course, we were tracking expenses. The purchase price of the Tesla was higher than the Ford Explorer, but we hypothesized that we’d recoup that expense in lower fueling and maintenance costs for the Tesla.”
According to First Selectman Jim Marpe, “Westport is leading the way with electric vehicles and charging stations. Our town government is also leading on the municipal front. The decisions to invest in electric vehicles and infrastructure are strategic, data-driven, and smart. I applaud our forward-looking police department and the partnership of the department and the EV club. This is part of how Westport will meet its commitment to being net-zero by 2050.”
Charles Sampson of the Westport Police, who managed this project stated, “Feedback from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve have been contacted by at least 50 other police departments – from all over the world – with questions about our experience. I know many of them have gone on to purchase Teslas for their fleets.”
Barry Kresch, President of the EV Club of CT said, “I offered to do this analysis for the police because it is a such a visible and tangible proof point that EVs can be cost-effective, and that the decision by the Westport Police to move forward with the Tesla Model 3 pilot was financially, as well as environmentally, sound. The presentation I built for them visually demonstrates the economic case for using EVs in public sector fleets."
Morning Weather Report
Today
Increasing clouds, with a high near 84. West wind 7 to 9 mph.
High Tide: 10:25 AM/10:42 PM
Low Tide: 4:31 AM/4:41 PM
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Northwest wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tomorrow
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Sunny, with a high near 82. Northwest wind around 6 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Calm wind.