TV crews out in force at Stamford station for the train ride east. So far the story is how smooth it’s been.
Traffic update; 6:30 a.m.
No major accidents to report on southwestern Connecticut’s highways.
The biggest backup is southbound from Exit 30 in Stratford to Exit 22 in Fairfield. Traffic is moving about 16 MPH.
Merritt looking good at this point, but traffic is starting to get sluggish in Trumbull/White Plains Road.
On the train bus on I-95
By Frank Juliano
On I-95. Traffic is moving smoothly but it is busier than I’d expect at this hour. I’d say it is midday busy with traffic in every lane and ocassional brake lights.
Oh, and some idiot just cut off the bus.
The bus is dark and people in window seats are slumped against them. No one is talking. The train was definitely more comfortable.
Making an easy connection
By Frank Juliano
The switch from train to bus took five minutes. The 4:51 from Milford arrived in Bridgeport at 5:06.
There were MNR employees in yellow or orange vests on the platform directing people to the street level buses.
The Stamford Express buses were lined up by the station door on Water Street. One bus is carrying the whole train I arrived on, with seats to spare.
Across the street were two local buses. They were going to stop in Fairfield and Westport only.
To get to South Norwalk or Norwalk you’d get back on the train in Westport.
Have bike will travel
By Frank Juliano
Jay Pinsince of Milford was on the 4:51 out of Milford with his fold-up bike. An English teacher in the Stamford public schools, he drove in yesterday.
“I talked to a Dattco bus supervisor and she said one way or another they’ll get my bike on the bus.
“We won’t leave you stranded”, she told me,” Pinsince said.
Getting an early start
A quiet beginning to what’s hopefully the last day of Metro-North service disruption caused by Friday night’s train collision.
As you would expect, there’s very little traffic on the roads at 4:30 a.m.; mostly tractor-trailers and garbage trucks.
It’s a little foggy in spots, so be extra cautious.
If today is like yesterday expect the worst of the traffic to start around 8 a.m. On Tuesday, traffic was reduced to a crawl on both I-95 and the Merritt.
Road commuters leaving before 6 to 7 a.m. should experience little delays.
On Monday, apart from the suspended service, there were few problems on Metro-North. Part of the reason: ridership for the entire New Haven Line was down by 20 percent Monday morning, thanks to a large number of commuters working from home, taking the day off or carpooling.
And Metro-North ridership was down 81 percent between New Haven and Stratford.
And while Gov. Dannel Malloy was concerned that 30,000 extra cars taking over the lanes of the Merritt Parkway and Interstate 95 would turn the county’s highways into “a parking lot,” the morning drive was fairly typical for a Monday in southwestern Connecticut.
There was a smaller than usual backup on the Merritt Parkway and a little more congestion than usual on I-95, officials said.
