Comments

ITS TIME TO COMPLETE SUPER 7 BEFORE IT BECOMES ANY MORE DIFFICULT. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YEARS AGO.

40 years (1961-2001) is a long time to wait for a highway and it looks it may well be another 40 years. Maybe we should concentrate on making the train a more attractive and convenient option.

All throughout the fall, trees were trimmed on the sides of Rt. 7 and construction was done in Georgetown. The 2 lanes were turned into one, with traffic from each way taking turns. This doubled my already frustrating commuting time!

Although Super 7 will increase traffic from Norwalk to Danbury (build it and they will come applies particularly to roads I believe) the traffic increases have occurred and will continue to occur whether Super 7 is built or not. New buildings at Merritt 7, 10 Westport Road, etc. and expansion of Perkin-Elmer's space on lower Danbury Road are just the most recent indicators of increased traffic. Wilton H.S. expansion (and expanding enrollment) will add more daily Route 7 drivers. I am one of those in Wilton whose daily lives are directly affected by increased town road traffic as Route 7 commuters flee chronic and lengthening congestion. Belden Hill Rd. is useless in the morning beginning at about 7:30 a.m. The increase in traffic since 1993 seems staggering to me--certainly in the neighborhood of tripling or quadrupling. So, net net, I think Super 7 will be a positive even if there is more traffic as a result. At least, the thru traffic will not be on town roads.

Everyone on their property map has the proposed expressway draw on it. They were told this by the realtor when they purchased their home. There is no excuse on their part to not allowed it to go through, when they purchased their home knowing this.

ConnDOT acquired most of the land for Route 7 expressway back in the 1960s. Still, it is not finished. Meanwhile, numerous fatal accidents (which could have been avoided if an expressway was built) occurred on the existing narrow, winding and overburdened Route 7. Some people suggest that upgrading service on the Danbury railroad will solve the problem, but they do not realize that Americans are married to their automobiles and most think of using mass transit as an inconvenience to them. As for Wilton and Ridgefield...they should stop trying to live in the past and get with the times. There is a serious traffic problem on Route 7, which not only makes commuting a nightmare, but jeopardizes safety of commuters. The DOT should stop wasting money on installing traffic lights and widening the existing road. This just adds to the problems already plaguing this region. Instead, the DOT should focus on finishing the 15 miles of expressway, which should have been done 30 years ago! 

Define Expressway. How many exits would there be? How spread out would they be? How many lanes would it be? Would there be tolls? Where could it be routed without reconstructing most of the current Route 7? I like the idea, and would like to see more visual displays of the expressway with technical details, but I currently don't see it as being practical. I'd rather see better mass transportation and environmentally non-destructive alternative modes of transportation to show how progressive and effective CT really is (of course, lets only do what works, but we need to fix many problems on certain applications before they will be seen as effective). Why don't we build bike/motor scooter paths on Route 7? Why don't we use the Expressway mainly for HOV lanes and have a max of 1 single driver lanes? Why don't we use the Expressway as an experimental computer-driven car system and then convert some lanes to HOV lanes and ignore single driver vehicles all together for the Expressway? Also, the Danbury train

finally!!! a chance to do something about this nightmare commute!!! I love my house & my job but the commute is the worst sometimes it takes 2 hours traveling through Wilton, very bad i have learned a lot of back roads. the worst is the merge in Ridgefield at the end of the connector, it backs up no matter what time of day. i have been doing this for 3 years it gets worse each year.

For the past 6 years, I've used Rt. 7 to commute from the Greater Danbury Area down to my place of employment in Norwalk. Never once has there been a day when the following hasn't held up traffic flow during peak rush hour or any other hour of the day or night: traffic lights, construction, school buses, tractor trailers, tree trimming, accidents, routine police stops, oversize delivery trucks parked on Rt. 7, cars traveling below the posted limit, and people paying too much attention to local foliage changes. Indirectly, everywhere you turn road rage seems to be the topic everyone is discussing. On the whole, I would think our growing communities in Fairfield County would benefit extremely from having a major thoroughfare connecting the north and south on the western corridor of the state. Anyone who is against this plan is someone who either doesn't work and therefore doesn't experience the daily frustration of commuting, is a local property owner near the projected expansion site of Rt 7, or is in the

Having lived all over the United States, it seems to me VERY irresponsible that the state of Connecticut hasn't used our HIGH taxes to make sure that road expansion keeps pace with development. Our beautiful country side roads are now a menace and a hassle. Isn't anyone listening?

I am a divorced Adult Male Head of HH. I used to live in Ridgefield, then Danbury, and commuted to Norden when they had facilities in Trumbull, Monroe, Westport, and, of course, Norwalk for 5 years. My ex-wife now lives in Danbury, and I in Stamford. I have custody of our daughter. Although I now work in Stamford, I find myself many many times still needing to travel the ""Ho Chi Minh"" trail to retrieve my daughter from her visitations with her mother as she is reticent about bringing her down. Moreover, my daughter suffers from her mother not taking advantage of all her visitation rights because ""the drive is too long, too harrowing, and, although I684 is preferred, it is too far out of the way and too congested itself."" (Quote my ex.) Western Connecticut is derelict in NOT having a Route 8 style expressway to service this end of the state. I684 doesn't suffice. The longitudinal gap between I684 and Rt 8 is almost 3 times the gap between Rt 8 and Rt 18/I91, and yet the population density on th

I am frustrated with the amount of traffic on Route 7. I travel from New Fairfield to Stamford every weekday and everyday the commute gets longer. The traffic build-up from the intersection in Ridgefield where Route 35 meets Route 7 to 84 takes 20 minutes. That is unacceptable!!!!! What needs to happen for the State to realize that we need a Super 7? More Deaths? Fairfield County is the most affluent county in the state, why is it taking them so long to solve this major problem?

I am just one "commuter" working in CT and paying Ct taxes. I am currently considering working closer to NY because i can travel to Danbury from Dutchess county in about 30 min.(30 miles) but it takes me 40 min to an hour to get through route 7 from Danbury to Norwalk. i am a professional and i am having difficulty recruiting willing qualified workers to Norwalk because of route 7.

I am tired of my 23 mile commute (door to door) taking a minimum of 45 minutes and an average of 70 minutes. If you look at the average commute time versus distance, my daily commute "speeds" along at an average 20 miles per hour on a road where the average speed limit is in excess of 40 miles per hour. Something is terribly wrong with this situation.

I do not commute for work but I do have occasion to go to Norwalk during rush hour and try to find alternate ways to avoid Route 7.

I favor the Rt. 7 Expressway between Danbury and Norwalk. Although I travel it infrequently, Rt. 7 is very similar to Rt.25 between Trumbull and I-84 in Newtown, which I drive with more frequency. Both roads should have been built as expressways years ago! I'm glad your org. has taken the lead to make a go of this. Just for thought, perhaps a toll could subsidize the cost??? Also, perhaps the train line could snake along the Expressway right-of-way, killing two birds with one stone. If we are to do it, let's do it right.(6 lanes all the way, the number of vehicles will always increase!) The reason "transportation" is such a big issue is because years of insufficient building and poor planning for the future.

I have followed this issue for more than 30 years and am strongly in agreement that the road should be completed. I resist using rte 7 solely because of the congestion and have not pursued job possibilities in northern Fairfield county because of it. Let's get moving!!

I have started using Route 53 through Bethel on my way to Norwalk, and I am not the only one. Super 7 would reduce traffic from alternate roads.

I live at the intersection of Grist Mill Road, North Seir Hill Road, and Belden Hill Road. Because, as you know, the Expressway now ends at Grist Mill Road, there is a large volume of traffic that travels daily past my house on the way north up Belden Hill Road to Wilton. This creates noise, litter, and dangerous conditions, when vehicles run the Stop signs. I would strongly support the extension of the Expressway.

I live off of Rt 7 and the traffic has increased greatly. Plans for any additions to rt 7, community center, residential, are ridiculous with traffic the way it is now.

I Own a business in Stamford. I provide a pick up service for many of my clients who are located between Danbury and Stamford. I travel along Route 7 every day and a highway would save me many hours of driving. I frequently drive along back roads to save me from stopping at traffic lights every mile. So I am one of those people driving through peoples neighborhoods to save myself from the aggravation of getting stuck behind school buses, dumps trucks, trailers, cement mixers, etc.

I recently inquired with the CT DOT about the expansion of Route 7 expressway and was shocked to learn that the state acquired land to complete the project 20 years ago! Also, I was given a run down of all the expected construction on the original Route 7 over the next few years....outrageous!!! I was told that I should plan on taking the train as often as possible between Danbury and Stamford over the next couple of years to avoid the traffic congestion and construction activity. I would also like to comment on how ridiculous it is that a 35 mile commute can take close to 1.5 hours!!! I occasionally take alternate routes from Danbury to Stamford, but do not find them any faster and find that the back country roads are not as safe after dark... Additionally, I would like to add that I do not understand the political movement against expanding the Route 7 expressway. It seems as though citizens in the towns affected by Route 7 would prefer that the large volume of traffic not cut through their "peaceful"

I support the extension of Super 7 from Norwalk to New Milford

I think completing route 7 will have the effect of reducing traffic congestion in Rt 95 and 15 in FF county by shifting some truck traffic to I 84. Removing commuter traffic from local residential roads will reduce accidents on those roads. FF county residents provide a disproportionately large % of state revenue but are neglected when it comes to road improvements. Most taxes, worst roads. Encourage economic development in/and around Danbury. More people will relocate to Bethel from down county.

I think that there should be more attention paid to finding alternate ways of commutation and freight transportation than spending taxpayers dollars on destroying wetlands so people can travel from Danbury to Norwalk in record time.

I think there's no way around building Super 7. So, the sooner you start, the sooner you finish.

I would like to know what the opponents arguments for not completing the extension are.

I'm concerned that many of the people who are most outspoken in opposition to a new Route 7, may be those who stand to benefit most economically from widening existing Route 7 into a new "Post Road".

I've been commuting down Route 7 since 1982 and it has only gotten worse. I probably can't say anymore than what's already been said. We really do need a better way.

LET US NOT FORGET, CONNECTICUT IS GROWING, COMPARED TO 10 YEARS AGO!"

Let's not forget Georgetown in this fight. We are struggling to improve our homes, beautify the area, and finally be rid of the old "Georgetown vs. Wilton" stereotype. Rt. 7 is not helping us! We are interested in preserving our historic homes and natural wetlands--as in Wilton "proper." The traffic down rt 7 is so hideous that it takes literally 8+ minutes on some days simply to pull out of our roads onto Rt. 7. Road rage is in full display. As a Wilton (Georgetown) resident, my family and I fully support the extension so we can preserve the peace, quiet, and safety that originally drew us to this area. The commute to Stamford is horrific, and speeding traffic (trying to avoid rt.7)down our little country road is so dangerous--many near misses have already been seen. It's just a matter of time before tragedy becomes reality....even in the northern-most areas affected by this proposal.

It will reduce wear and tear on the local infrastructure thereby reducing maintenance and saving tax dollars.

Most Fairfield County employers are in the Stamford/Norwalk area while most affordable housing is in the northern part of the county. It is not fair to those just trying to make a living to delay this construction due to wealthier individuals voting with their dollars. The lack of this highway stifles area development and forces commuters to either relocate to the already congested and very expensive southern Fairfield county, leave the area entirely, or accept the fact that a class system is still very much in effect and those with less financial clout are written off. It seems that half the county is protected wetlands and I'm also wondering if they are protected due to lobbying efforts of those wanting to make the construction of this much needed highway all the more difficult. I have been making an hour commute each way to cover 27 miles for a year now and I will move elsewhere in the near future if it appears that no action will be taken.

Not constructing the expressway just doesn't make any sense at all. Why the hell do we have to drive to work in all of the traffic each and every day just to get to work pissed off at the world because of all the traffic. Most importantly, why the hell do hard working, law abiding, TAX paying citizens have to drive through this ever increasing traffic on our ways home from work each and every day? Governor Rowland obviously doesn't have to commute through the stop and go BS of route 7 with unnecessary construction CONSTANTLY going on. Does he not hear his people demanding justice from this hellish commute? This is a topic that needs to be brought up an upcoming elections...
Road rage will be reduced to nothing resulting in fewer reckless driving acts.

Once the current Route 7 is expanded to 2 lanes in each direction, I am concerned about increased student accidents by the high school and by School Rd.

Originally, I lived in Washington Depot and it took me over 2 hours via route 7 because of the excessive congestion particularly in the Wilton area. I sought after detailed road maps of the area and found a route that traversed route 7 at the Redding/Wilton line at routes 57 and 107, onto Mountain Road in Wilton. I decreased my commute to 1 hour and 15 minutes by avoiding route 7 all together. Although these secondary roads are narrow and have low speed limits, I still found the trip to go faster than staring at the person's license plate in front of me, crawling toward my destination as it was via route 7. Something needs to be done, should be done and should have been done a long time ago!

PLEASE COMPLETE LIMITED ACCESS EXPRESSWAY. I HAVE LIVED IN WILTON ALL MY LIFE AND AM TIRED OF FEELING LIKE I HAVE TO RISK THAT LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY JUST TO GET ONTO THE CURRENT ROUTE 7. I NOW LIVE JUST FEET AWAY FROM WHERE ITS PATHWAY IS PROPOSED. MY LIFE MEANS MORE TO ME THAN MY PROPERTY VALUE!

Please read, "The Nature of Economies" by Jane Jacobs, pp.97-98: "Vicious Circles...". There are other solutions than infrastructure development...i.e., I can leave for work at 6:30am and have NO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS!"

Route 7 was approved back in the late 1950's. During the 70's when I lived in Wilton, my friends were forced to sell their homes for the route. So many people are killed on this road, I feel it is absolutely ridiculous that Super 7 hasn't been completed.

Route7.org is no "non-partisan" group. Fully disclose your financial interests in making Rt 7 happen before you hide behind the cloak of "non-profit" status.

See my letter dated 10/12/00 (mailed today) to Barbara Quincy for many additional comments. As a side note, you should be able to return to this survey form from the following review page without all of your input being blanked out. For example, if you note a typo and only want to correct a single letter, it is a real pain to have to fill out the entire form a second time. (P.S. Please do not call.)

I-95 and Route 15 will not be able to handle the increased traffic - i.e. Danbury to Stamford commuter

The booming economy has managed to fuel expansion & development in Northern Fairfield County. With the rate of development constantly increasing, so will the number of people using the Rt.7 corridor. The lack of a north/south expressway is unacceptable in this day & age. Something needs to be done that will provide Rt.7 commuters with a safer means of transportation as well as making the current Rt.7 safer for it's local residents.

The data on which this project was originally justified is very old. The greatest likelihood is that a new road will divert traffic from other routes that are not using route 7 now (e.g. 684) and increase the problem on local roads as well as increase opportunistic crime. I am strongly opposed to this project which is not well thought out and the consequences of which are irreversible.

The existing road is a disgrace! My brother was a pedestrian struck by an oncoming vehicle on Route 7 in Wilton. He has been unable to walk for the past three years. Safety is an important issue! There has been enough monies spent on environmental impact statements, all showing no significant environmental damage. I have traveled Route 7 from Danbury to Norwalk for the past 20 years, and have witnessed numerous crashes, due to unsafe conditions of the road. It cannot handle the current volume of traffic. It couldn't handle the volume of traffic 20 years ago!

The increased traffic on Route 7 in the past 8-10 yrs is dramatic. It now takes me 3 times as long to get down Route 7. The increase in the amount of accidents has also increased at an alarming rate! We NEED to put a plan into action NOW to alleviate this congestion and danger!"

The on going politics around this road have been going on longer than I have been alive, I'm tired of hearing about wetlands and the environment on this issue. Build the damn road before I'm passed on!  As far as maintaining the character of the communities along Rt7 by not building the road 35-40 even 50 years ago, I feel that the people who made this decision deserve the traffic they now have, I really hope they enjoy the quiet along the current Rt7. The lawsuits to stop an expressway were short sighted and based as always on money. The not in my town attitude has placed these communities in the category of "just towns to pass thru" Who wants to shop in a place like Norwalk, Wilton or Georgetown. You take your life in your hands just fighting to get thru the traffic. I commute 3 hrs per day add up the hours per year and multiply it by the thousands of other commuters on that road and then think of the "lives' that have been wasted on that road. 657,000 hrs to the average lifetime! Thanks for listening,

The people who against this definitely do not travel on this most traffic filled, pollution making, road raging place. It has been too long for this expressway not to happen. This traffic problem also makes you think about finding another job closer to home.."

The politicians in this state must be nuts if they can't see how important the completion of this expressway is! I would like to put them in a bus (Day & Night) in rush hour traffic (Danbury - Norwalk) for a month. I bet they would change their tune.

The proposed "improvements" to existing 7 are merely stop gap attempts that won't solve anything, and by the time everyone concedes that the existing 7 will be ruined- ugly and trashy.

The side roads are a surreal sight at rush hour, particularly when a few school buses are thrown in for good measure. The Danbury line cannot be a solution as it is as antiquated as the current road. The land has been taken, the state has a surplus, it is time for Gov. Rowland to respect Fairfield County as the goose that lays his golden egg, and build the road immediately! it will reduce the amount of traffic-related injuries and property damage associated with the congested, over utilized stage road turned interstate that is Rt 7

The state has owned the property necessary to extend Route7 for 30 years or more. BUILD THE ROAD NOW........to wait any longer will only increase the cost of a desperately needed project. Is Gov. Rowland going to wait until road rage starts claiming lives before he takes his head out of the sand? I live in a neighborhood that is adjacent to Route7, and anytime traffic is blocked or slowed down on 7, we get the overflow and in some cases ALL traffic from 7 coming thru our neighborhood. Enough!! Just do it!! The politicians will love themselves in the morning.

This expressway was offered many years ago. At that time, the traffic was considerable but manageable. Since that time, traffic has become very heavy and there are an abundant number of accidents. This expressway is very much needed.

We are overloaded on route 7, south of rte.33 with more traffic than ever in the 9 years I live here. That could all disappear with the freeway in place as it should have been 40 years ago.

We have been hoping for a "super 7" since 1967....still waiting...still hoping!

What amazes me is that the fine folks in Ridgefield and Wilton don't mind commuters using the back roads as shortcuts around Rte 7. Cars race through neighborhoods at 40-50 mph, while children wait at bus stops 5 feet off the road. As traffic continues to increase on Rte 7, more and more people are forced onto side roads and I fear for the safety of the kids in those neighborhoods.

When I moved to Danbury in 1964, as I recall, they said that Super 7 would be completed by the end of 1960s. In fact, the State had started to acquire land. The original plan was for a four lane limited access highway with a linear park between Norwalk and Danbury with a horse back riding trail. In any case, a small group of people from Wilton stopped the project in court. Apparently, the project has now become too expensive for the State. New roads in Western CT have been neglected for far too long. I commuted on Route 7 to Greenwich for over 30 years before I retired in 1995. Currently, as a consultant, I commute on it 2 to 3 days a week. IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT SOMETHING IS DONE!!!!!

Where can I locate/review a detailed map of the proposed Super 7 Highway?

Why hasn't the work begun to complete the Merritt Parkway Interchange at Super 7?

With the exception of Mr. Morrisoe in Ridgefield and myself, I haven't heard or read any outcry to stop the tree-huggers from Wilton and the bleeding heats in Ridgefield along with Rep. Frey who can't see any further than his political correctness. Lets do something! It will reduce the annual death toll both to animals as well as humans. Its bad enough seeing death every day along the side of the street, but I have lost clients and the children of friends due to this abomination called Ethan Allen Hwy. Why have the towns and realtors allowed new homes along the right away the State (us) have paid for???

Your website makes no mention of Ridgefield and the benefits to its citizens. I think you would get more support if you would recognize the importance of Ridgefield's input into this project.

Zoning can be changed along Super 7 to accommodate business corporations. With enough buffer/green area to shield them from other residents.