This weekend, Soundview Drive was filled with bikers, joggers, walkers, gawkers, Rollerbladers, skaters, scooter riders, lemonade sellers, gals and their fellers — and cars. Plus motorcycles, trucks and !@#$%^&* Hummers.
It was a different story Friday.
From late afternoon on, Soundview turned into a pedestrian mall. With traffic shut down — everyone headed to the fireworks; no one left — the quarter-mile strip of prime beachfront property became the coolest place in town.
People meandered, then stopped in the middle of the street to chat. Music played, and did not compete with cars to be heard. Little kids turned cartwheels. Older kids made out.
I wondered — as I do every fireworks day — why this happens only once a year.
How hard would it be to shut Soundview down2 or 3 Sundays each summer? Folks could stroll to their heart’s content. A reggae band could perform; maybe a juggler and mime too. Joey could send his ice cream trucks down, and fire up a grill out by the Hillspoint jetty. Who could argue with a street party like that?
Well, residents of Compo Beach Road could. They’d complain of increased exit traffic on their street.
To which I’d say: Leave your house, and hang out on Soundview too.
Bring your cooler and your kids. Trust me: You’d have a blast.
A wonderful idea, Dan!
I seem to recall that just before I was assigned to help dig telephone-pole holes for the Compo Playground, Soundview area residents led the charge against this popular Westport recreational facility. I’m not sure of the year, but they lost that battle. So why not try for a traffic change now? Nothing ventured, nothing gained . . . .