Norwalk Train Station Area Study - Public Meeting January 12, 2022

January 12, 2022
Virtual Public Meeting #2
South Norwalk
Station Area Study

Thank you!
tomorrow.norwalkct.org
Opening Remarks

Agenda
Project overview
Community input
Market analysis
Location of transitway
Development concept
Transportation & mobility
Community conversation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Thank you!
Project Overview

Project Overview
Transportation
infrastructure
 Bus, walk, bike
integration
Land use &
development of
public property
Affordable
housing
Complete streets
& roadway
improvements
Neighborhood
connectivity &
preservation
Community cohesion & balance Green space & parks
A plan for the Station Area that addresses:

Adaptive reuse of South
Norwalk Railroad
Station as multimodal
transportation hub
Improve
neighborhood
connections
1:1 minimum
affordable housing
Fill in empty,
underutilized lots
Historic &
neighborhood
preservation
Accommodate
façade
improvements
Identify future
build-out potential
Project Goals

Study Area
Station
Chestnut Street Block
Lexington Ave
Private Development
SNEW
Housing Authority
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 2
6
5
4
3
Monroe St

A Transformative Opportunity
 Optimize publicly-controlled assets to create a
cohesive, integrated neighborhood
 Balance land use with community needs
 Adaptive re-use of train station & infill
redevelopment
 Improve transit components & infrastructure
 Focus on equity, affordable housing, parking,
historic preservation, sustainable development &
complete streets

Neighborhood &
Historic Preservation
 Encourage mixed-use infill development
 Protect existing residential neighborhoods
from inappropriate development
 Protect historic building context
 Concentrate higher residential density
within ¼ mile of the train station
DRAFT
The Lock
Building
Webster St,.
Lot
Leroy Shirt
Company Factory
Building
Lower Density
Development
TOD District
Boundary
Train Station
National Register
Historic District
Whistleville Historic District
(State-Listed Resource)
Historic Resources
Local Historic Resource
National Register
Historic Resource
Train
Station
Beth Israel
Synagogue
S. Main & Washington Sts.
Historic District
Hanford Pl.
Historic District
US Post Office

Community Engagement
District B Meeting #2
June 7, 2021
Public Meeting #1
February 25, 2021
March 1, 2021
Steering Committee Meeting
January 28, 2021
Community Advisory
Committee Meeting
December 7, 2021
Distribution of Survey
August 2021
Community Advisory
Committee Meeting
September 9, 2021
Close of Survey
September 20, 2021
Developer Presentation
to Community Advisory
Committee
September 30, 2021
October 4, 2021
Technical Advisory
Committee Meeting
October 18, 2021
Public Meeting # 2
January 12, 2022
Community Advisory Committee
Technical Advisory Committee
Community survey
Public meetings
Iterative Process

Thank you!
Community Input

Takeaways
 Pathway for affordable housing ownership
 Community-oriented commercial uses
 Streetscape improvements
 Additional green space
 Traffic impacts
 Explore transitway options
Community Walking Tour:
September 2021

Intersection of MLK Drive & Monroe Street.
Underpass at Franklin Street.
Shuttle staging at train station surface lot. Henry Street
Merritt Pl. extension
Bus activity at station
Community Walking Tour

Additional Community Input
(District B)
 Community amenities
 Facade improvements
 Street lighting
 Tree planting
 Open space/parks improvements
 Support for local service organizations
(YMCA, shelters)
 Preserve quality of adjacent development
(Columbus Court)
 Home ownership down payment assistance
Monroe St.
Columbus
Magnet School
Columbus
Court

 279 respondents
 Strong desire for
neighborhood uses
– grocery store
– coffee shop/restaurant
– community/recreational facility
 Desire for pedestrian
friendly walking
environment
– wider sidewalks
– improved lighting
South Norwalk Station Area Survey

Follow-up on topics discussed during the September meeting and walking tour
Community Advisory Committee Meeting:
December 2021
Long term
development plan
Transitway
location
Private development
adjacent to train station
Affordable housing
ownership models

Thank you!
Market Analysis

 Norwalk is a Growing City
– Since 2010, population and households have increased at a faster rate in
Norwalk than both Fairfield County and Connecticut.
– Impacts of COVID have shifted some households out of dense urban centers to
smaller transit-rich, walkable cities. Norwalk is benefiting from these consumer
preference changes.
– More households and added spending power create demand for retail and
services.
 Housing is an Important Driver of Market Demand
– Broad range of household types driving demand. Young professionals, single
person households, single-parent households, and multi-generational families.
– Specifically, the delay in family formation for younger generations AND
demand from downsizing Baby Boomers is driving the need for smaller units.
– Consumer preference, ability to pay, and product supply create a strong rental
market in Norwalk.
– City-wide demand is strong with the potential to attract/support over 5,600
rental units in the next ten years. This is supported by a recent development
pipeline of nearly 2,811 units approved or under construction since 2016.
Summary of Market Findings

 Opportunity for Small Office Spaces in SoNo
– Office demand has weakened in Norwalk between 2015 and 2020.
– Although this trend was exacerbated by COVID, vacancy in the office market was increasing prior to 2020.
– Employment growth in Fairfield County through 2030 does suggest additional demand for office users,
but much of that could be absorbed within currently vacant office space.
– There is potential for smaller office users to occupy ground floor space in mixed-use buildings in SoNo.
Office Performance Metrics, 2015-2020
Source: REIS
Central Submarket
(Including Norwalk)
Fairfield County
Metric 2020 2015-2020 2020 2015-2020
Inventory (SF) 8,993,000 -49,000 40,777,000 -373,000
Completions 0 11,000 0 11,000
Vacancy 28.8% +5.8% 25.30% +1.7%
Net Absorption (SF) -426,000 -653,000 -610,000 -837,000
Asking Rent/SF $33.41 +0.9% $35.57 +0.5%

 More People Living In/Visiting SoNo May Help Retail & Restaurants
– Vacancy in the Washington and South Main corridors is noticeable, estimated at 20,000 square feet or
more (as of Sept 2021).
– Available spaces range in size from 1,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet.
– Having more people living in Norwalk could help support both existing retailers to expand and future
retailers to locate in SoNo.
– The current pipeline of housing under construction or approved city-wide could help support an
estimated 46,000 square feet of retail space.
– This could help support the current ~20,000 square feet of vacant space as well as the planned 27,000
square feet of future retail in the pipeline.

 Projects tested are on the cusp of feasibility and may require some
assistance if costs continue to rise.
 Adjusting rents, parking ratios, assumed land value, and
assumptions for site costs all improve feasibility.
 Rising construction costs create challenges for future development.
 Need creative solutions for parking (reduced parking, shared
parking, cost sharing).
Financial Feasibility Takeaways

 Inclusionary Zoning/Deed-Restricted Housing
– Most effective for higher-scale housing options (condos)
– Percentage of total units set aside as deed restricted affordable, typically have
secondary deed acknowledging resale restrictions
– May couple with down payment/ closing cost assistance programs
 Community Land Trust
– Most effective for lower-scale housing options (single-family, duplex, townhomes)
– Units are income-restricted with affordable purchase prices, resale value is capped
– Land is owned by a non-profit entity while units are owned individually, helps to reduce
costs by not having to purchase the land and the unit. Owners are required to pay a
nominal monthly land lease fee.
 Housing Cooperative (Co-Op)
– Communal form of home ownership, typically in higher-scale buildings (condos)
– A Limited-Equity Cooperative can offer affordable purchase prices in return for a lower
share of profits should the share or the building be sold
– Members of the Co-Op own the building via shares. Payments are made for the share,
maintenance fund, and a reserve fund. Once mortgage is paid off, payments decrease
substantially.
Affordable Housing Ownership Models
“Fairfield County
residents with very
low incomes face a
limited amount of
housing affordable
to them, as there are
about 25,000 more
of these households
than units they can
afford.”
Source: Fairfield County Housing
Accessibility and Affordability Report,
Urban Institute, April 2021.

Thank you!
Location of Transitway

Existing Transit
Environment
Garage Access
(2-way)
Garage Access
(1-way)
Garage Exit
(1-way)
Taxi Only
Parking
SNEW
Customer
Parking
Bus
Staging
Bus
Drop-off/Pick-up
Parking

Characteristics of
Intermodal Transit Hubs
 Minimize walking distance between connecting services
 Simple, safe, fast & fully accessible
 Minimize obstacles (stairs & street crossings)
 Include bike-and-ride parking facilities & bike paths
 Create a brand identity
 Ensure both visual & physical connectivity
 Clear signage & direction of access
 Prioritizes transit vs. other land uses & modes

Public Transit at South Norwalk Station
Route
# Daily
Trips
Time of Service Headway
Wheels Bus Routes
Wheels 9 41 5:55 AM-7:15 PM 20 minutes
Wheels 10 82* 5:51 AM-7:11 PM 20 minutes
Wheels 11 42** 6:01 AM-8:01 PM 40 minutes
Shuttle Routes
Merritt 7
Shuttle
18 AM/PM Peak ~20 minutes***
10/20 Westport
Rd Shuttle
CT Ave Shuttle 8* PM Peak 60 minutes
Highland Ave
Express Shuttle
27 AM Peak/PM 40 minutes
Norwalk
Hospital Shuttle
NCC Commuter
Shuttle
3 AM Peak ~35 minutes***
*Southbound stops at station, northbound is 2 blocks away
**2-direction route
***Shuttle is timed to arrive and depart according to train schedule
Existing Norwalk Buses & Shuttles (2019)
3
6

Route
% Total
Boardings at
SNRR
% Total
Alightings at
SNRR
Average
Daily
Ridership*
Wheels Bus Routes
Wheels 9 2% 5% 41
Wheels 10 1% 0% 38
Wheels 11 19% 14% 788
Shuttle Routes
Merritt 7
Shuttle
66% 40% 540
10/20 Westport
Rd Shuttle
55% 43% 317
CT Ave Shuttle 4% 8% 44
Highland Ave
Express Shuttle
- - -
Norwalk
Hospital Shuttle
61% 33% 259
NCC Commuter
Shuttle
87% 3% 115
Norwalk Buses & Shuttle Ridership (2019)
* Sum of SNRR boardings and alightings
Source: Norwalk Transit District Boarding & Alighting Data week of 11/6/19
Public Transit at South Norwalk Station

Bus Bay 8:00-8:05 8:05-8:10 8:10-8:15 8:15-8:20 8:20-8:25 8:25-8:30 8:30-8:35 8:35-8:40 8:40-8:45 8:45-8:50 8:50-8:55 8:55-9:00
1
2
3
4
Highland Ave.
5
Westport Westport
6
Highland Ave Highland Ave
7
Norwalk Hospital Norwalk Hospital
8
NCC Commuter NCC Commuter
10
10
10
10
10
9 9 9
11 11 10
11 7
7
7 7
10/20 10/20
Bus Bays:
Weekday 8am to
9am hour
 Four shuttles timed to
meet up with trains
 Substantial periods
(15 to 20 minutes)
with empty bays
 7am to 8am hour
minimum of 5 to 6 bays
needed

 Connection with train station
 Connection between rail & bus
 Integration of bus shelter with station
 Bus flow from Dr. MLK Jr. Drive to State St.
 Operator access to layover facilities
 Opportunity for phased implementation
Benefits
 Air quality emissions (short-term) until buses convert to electric
 Potential conflicts at Monroe St. (buses & exiting vehicles from
the garage)
 Modification to central garage access point
 Requires SNEW relocation
Challenges
Private
Shuttles
Kiss & Ride
Taxis
TNCs
Buses &
Shuttles
Ped
Crosswalk
Option 1:
West Side of Station

Option 1a: Interim Condition
West Side of Station
 Does not require SNEW relocation
 Customer familiarity
 Connection with train station
 Connection between rail & bus
 Integration of bus facility with station
Benefits
 Air quality emissions (short-term) until
buses convert to electric
 Plaza/greenspace delayed until Phase 2
Challenges
Private
Shuttles
3 Buses &
2 Shuttles
3 Shuttles
Kiss & Ride
Taxis
TNCs

 Frees up valuable land around station for other uses
 Does not require SNEW relocation
 Maintains current garage access
Benefits
 Does not allow for seamless intermodal connections
 Bus customers must walk across Dr. MLK Jr. Drive to
access station
 May require right-of-way acquisition & removal of
trees
 May require removal of one travel lane in each
direction
 Wayfinding challenges
 Lack of operator access to layover facilities
 Air quality emissions (short-term) until buses convert
to electric
Challenges
Private
Shuttles
Buses &
Shuttles
Ped
Crosswalk
Ped
Crosswalks
Kiss & Ride
Taxis
TNCs
Option 2:
Along Dr. MLK Jr. Drive

 Passengers are familiar with layout & patterns
 Direct station access provides seamless transfers
Benefits
 Lack of direct access to Dr. MLK Drive
 Roadway geometry
 Forces buses to use local roadways through neighborhoods
 Relocation of taxis & kiss & ride to west side of station
Challenges
Option 3:
East Side of Station

Intermodal Facility Screening Considerations
Consideration West Side of Station Along Dr. MLK Jr. Drive East Side of Station
Location
Ability to meet Norwalk Transit District
operational bus needs
Proximity to train station
Connectivity to proposed TOD opportunities
Visibility/Security
Transportation
Ease of transfer (train to bus/shuttle)
Ease of transfer (bus/shuttle to bus/shuttle)
Accessibility to rail & potential bike/scooter
share
Environmental
Proximity to potential residential uses
Community context
Property needs
Dependency on SNEW Relocation
Development
Ability to implement (1) (1a)

Transitway Recommendations
East Side of Station (Phase 1)
West Side Transitway (Phase 2)
 Unique opportunity for an integrated transit facility
 Long-term benefits
 streamlines bus operations with train station
 easy, seamless connection for customers
 better on-time bus performance
 potential to reduce operating costs
 potential for growth
 East side of station can be used for passenger pick-up/drop-off
 Near-term implementation

Thank you!
Development Concept

Thank you!
Transportation & Mobility

Connections
Train Station
Washington St
 Excellent roadway connections
 Washington Street Bridge
 East Norwalk
 Dr. MLK Jr. Drive/South Main Street
 To West Avenue/points north
 Interstate 95
 Surrounding neighborhoods
 Street network

Sidewalk Network
 Extensive and mostly connected
 Fair to good conditions
 Limited poor sections
 Elizabeth Street
 Many obstructions
 Many tactile strips needed
 Notable gaps
 Underpasses

On Street Bicycle Network
 Limited on street bike lanes
 Monroe Street
 Washington Street
 Water Street
 Proposed bike lanes
 MLK Jr Drive
 Proposed sharrows
 South Main Street
 Connection to Norwalk River Trail

Public Parking Lots
 Previous parking inventory
 Evaluated facilities
 Recommendations
 Additional study needed
 Update For current/future demands
 Pandemic/post-pandemic
 Shared parking analysis (underway)
 Parking garage
 East station lot
 Webster parking lot

Train Station
Washington St
 Field investigations
 Walk Bridge project intersections
 Mostly signalized
 Additional intersections
 Mostly unsignalized
 Additional data provided within
background study
 Reviewed available traffic data
 Other traffic studies included
 Additional intersections
Monroe St
TOD Area Intersections

 The Platform
– 122 Units w/Office
– Less than 100 peak hour trips
 Monroe Street Development
– 150 Units w/Other Space
– Less than 100 peak hour trips (Net)
 Spinnaker East Side Station
Development
– 200 units
– Less than 100 peak hour trips
 Background Traffic Generation
for Future Train Station TOD
– Incorporate traffic models
– Incorporate traffic distribution
Development
Projects

 ITE Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition (October 2021)
– Generates traffic for developments
– Vehicles and persons
 Train Station Future TOD +/- 700 residential units
with +/- 12,000 sf of retail
– 2,800 Daily Vehicle Trips
– 230 AM/PM Peak (Vehicles)
– 100 AM/PM Peak (Walk Or Bike Or Transit)
 Distribution of New TOD Traffic
– Train Station – person trips
– Dr. MLK Jr. Drive and points north
– SoNo and points to East Norwalk
– Locally to south
New Development Trip
Generation―At the Station

Intersection Level of Service: Existing Morning Peak Hour
Train Station
Washington St
Monroe St
B C
B
A*
B*
For unsignalized intersections, LOS based
on turning movement that operates the
least effectively.
Very good
operations
(LOS A & B)
Acceptable
operations
(LOS C & D)
Congested
operations
(LOS E & F)
*The data collected as part of the Baseline
Condition shows one-way southbound
operation along Chestnut Street.

Intersection Level of Service: Existing Afternoon Peak Hour
Train Station
Washington St
Monroe St
B C
B
A*
A*
least effectively.
*The data collected as part of the Baseline
Condition shows one-way southbound
operation along Chestnut Street.
Very good
operations
(LOS A & B)
Acceptable
operations
(LOS C & D)
Congested
operations
(LOS E & F)

Intersection Level of Service: Future Morning Peak Hour
Train Station
Washington St
Monroe St
B B
B
A
D
least effectively.
C
C
Very good
operations
(LOS A & B)
Acceptable
operations
(LOS C & D)
Congested
operations
(LOS E & F)

Train Station
Washington St
Monroe St
C C
B
A
D
least effectively.
C
C
Very good
operations
(LOS A & B)
Acceptable
operations
(LOS C & D)
Congested
operations
(LOS E & F)
Intersection Level of Service: Future Afternoon Peak Hour

Vehicle Traffic Summary
 Excellent access to train station and surrounding neighborhoods
 Supportive transportation infrastructure
– City street classifications
 Moderate peak hour/daily traffic volumes
– Lots of pre-pandemic traffic data
 Crash history
– No unusual patterns
 Intersection Operations Levels Of Service
– No significant impacts
– LOS D or better
– Incorporated planned/pending projects
 Mitigation
– Minor traffic signal timing revisions

Next Steps
 Obtain community feedback on Draft Plan
 Plan refinements
 Plan adoption & implementation

Thank you!
Community Conversation

Norwalk Train Station Area Study - Public Meeting January 12, 2022

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