Expanded Pedestrian Access at Summer Street a Sign of Future Goals
Expanded Sidewalks, More Greenery, and Other Improvements Made

STAMFORD — Local and state officials gathered on lower Summer Street outside the AMC Majestic 6 theatre to celebrate a momentous occasion for the downtown neighborhood, the city, and the state.
After months of work, new improvements were announced to expand pedestrian access on Summer Street between Main Street and Broad Street. Mayor Caroline Simmons; City of Stamford Transportation, Traffic, and Parking Bureau Chief Frank Petise; Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) Special Advisor Carlo Leone, former Stamford senator; and Stamford Downtown Special Services District President David Kooris were in attendance for the big announcement.
The $2 million project, which included $600,000 from the DOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program, renovated lower Summer Street to become more pedestrian-friendly. It includes additional outdoor dining space and improved greenery.
“The Connecticut Department of Transportation was happy to provide $600,000 in funding for a $2 million project. Safe streets, open streets. I think the business community will be very happy with pedestrian [access] and the walkability of this area,” Leone said at the announcement. “It’s all about making the city much more vibrant and accessible for all communications and transportation. We couldn’t be more excited to support the city and the efforts.”
According to a press release from Simmons’s office, the improvements include widened, ADA-compliant sidewalks on both sides of the street, new lighting, and trees planted. The enhanced promenade also has a canopy over the roadway to boost pedestrian safety and a new bioswale to improve stormwater drainage.

“We transformed this car-centric road into a pedestrian promenade. It used to be a 32-foot-wide roadway filled with cars. We added over 6,000 square feet of sidewalk space for people by removing some on-street parking,” Petise said during the event. “The project really exemplifies using roadway infrastructure to create places for people, improve safety, and spur economic development for the businesses downtown.”

“The completion of the Lower Summer Street Pedestrian Promenade project is an exciting milestone in enhancing the vibrancy and walkability of our downtown,” Simmons said in a press release after the event. “This project prioritizes pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, allows for better connectivity, and supports economic development. I want to thank City officials, Frank Petise and Luke Buttenwieser for their work on this project, as well as the partnership of the Connecticut Department of Transportation.”
Construction of the project began in spring 2023 and concluded in June 2024.

“I think more than anything else we try and use public infrastructure to leverage larger outcomes and this kind of an investment on behalf of the city and the state will result in further investment by entities like Stamford Downtown and by private businesses,” Kooris said after the ribbon cutting ceremony. “And they will be the ones who reap the benefits of this for decades to come. It’s a great use of catalytic pubic funds for public and private benefit.”
Local businesses in the area include Barcelona Wine Bar, bartaco, Buffalo Wild Wings, Courtyard Stamford Downtown, Divina Modern Italian, Flinders Lane Kitchen & Bar, Jerkyz, Kashi, Maruichi Select, Ninja Bubble Tea, Sally’s Apizza, Taj Stamford, and Val's Wine, Spirits, & Crafts.
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