FAIRFIELD, Conn. Its 4:10 on a Monday afternoon, but it's hard to tell that the Fairfield Metro station has been in service for five full weeks.
A New Haven line train is due to stop in eight minutes, and no one is on either platform. There are plenty of cars in the parking lot, but at least a third of the 1,500 spaces are empty.
Just three people are waiting when their ride comes at about 4:21. They get on and head to the Fairfield center stop, where at least a dozen commuters are waiting for the train and one cannot see an empty parking space from the platform.
The Fairfield Metro train station opened five weeks ago after nearly 10 years in development. At the time, Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker called the grand opening a historic event.
This is going to be transformational for the town, its going to be transformational for the region, and most importantly its going to affect the lives of commuters in a very positive way, Redeker said before cutting the ribbon on the station in December.
But based on the early evidence, it seems that residents still prefer the older Fairfield Center station to their new landmark. In a poll on The Daily Fairfield last month, the majority of readers preferred Fairfield Center 54 percent to 38 percent. (Southport finished a distant third, with just three votes.)
The stations opening has made a slight dent in the wait lists for Fairfields existing stops. According to the Fairfield Parking Authority, there were still 6,381 people on the wait lists for Fairfield Center and Southport as of Dec. 20. That number was down from the 8,529 on the lists in October. Estimated waits for permits are still longer than five years at both.
I think they serve different purposes, Joan Carty said right before boarding the train at Fairfield Metro. She sees Fairfield Metro as more of a commuter station, serving those who have been waiting for years to get permits at the old station.
Fairfield Center, however, is still within walking distance of downtown Fairfields shops and restaurants, attracting different visitors. If youre meeting somebody, thats a great spot, Carty said. The advantage of [Fairfield Metro] is you can save time at this point thats its best advantage.
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