Every year, thousands of residents enjoy Westport’s best street party: the stroll up and down Soundview Drive, during the (pre)-4th of July fireworks.
With the road closed to vehicles, it’s a festive, relaxing time. Friends chat; neighbors meet. Music plays; kids romp. It’s a true community event.
And every year, the day after, I suggest closing Soundview to vehicles on more than just the Fireworks Day.
Why not, I wonder, do it on a couple of Sundays every summer? We could enjoy bands, buskers, jugglers, face painting, food … all without cars.
In 2022, this marching band strutted on Soundview.
Every year: crickets.
Except this one. Maya Hirani — who moved to Soundview last year, and lives smack in the middle of the beach exit road — listened to my idea.
She liked it.
And she wondered whether others do too.
So Maya created a survey. It’s quick, but comprehensive.
The goal is to gauge public support for closing Soundview Avenue for one or more days in the summer.
All Westporters are encouraged to take the (anonymous) survey. One question asks where you live. Residents of the beach area are especially encouraged to respond.
Click here for the survey. See you (perhaps) at Soundview!
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore and former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe strolled down Soundview Drive last year. (Photos/Dan Woog)
Sure why not.. great idea
I pick First Selectwoman Tooker. Whatever you may think of her she does have the best smile. Her eyes are a close second.
Survey is flawed- if you answer no, it doesn’t work….
It’s not flawed. Dominion Voting Systems designed it that way.
Let me check!
I have not heard any other issues, and it seems to work okay for all responses.
Foti looks a little worn out though. Must be from picking up all that trash on his day off. What a guy!!! Staples grad.
NO CARS!!! No cars north of the Post Road downtown (parking lot next to the Episcopal Church) and cars in a designated area away from the water at the beaches. Hire Staples kids to ferry folks in/out with golf carts for all their “stuff.” Lord, after 70 years here, changing before my eyes. I hope for the better??
Where do people park for the Soundview stroll ?
You have a huge parking lot, right next to the entrance to the beach to park. Any over flow can park at Longshore and be shuttled over. Peter, we have some traffic issues in this town. We need to get some of these cars off the road. Mandate car pooling or so many individuals to a car, etc. But to sit and just watch the traffic get worse and not implement some measure, is no bueno. Cross Highway at North was backed up to North Compo the other day. How’s that 20K$ study doing?
People can park at the beach and walk over to street too. I take clients down to the beach all the time to show it off for future homeowners. In the summer, you can’t even see the water, let alone the beach.
Finally, a little common sense. Make Westport a walking/biking town except for those with a handicap. Institute the needs based transit service like the wise old sage CAS has suggested. Listen to him. He may be casual about his own personal grooming but he knows what he’s talking about. Sell the Baron’s property and use it 50% old age housing and 50% production area to turn senior citizens into Soylent Green. Most of all put the maintenance department under Foti so he can train them in litter pickup. He is a “servant leader” and walks the talk.
I’m a Soundview resident and this would be very helpful. Speeding cars are dangerous and the noise is not appreciated. I would make this a permanent solution, or at least in sync for the entire dog beach access season. If this doesn’t become the norm, then speed bumps would be appreciated. It will also become important not to have everyone turn onto Norwalk Ave. since Westport Ave (the first street) goes one direction to the beach.
Make Westport the biking capital of the northeast. Maybe folks would ride easy instead of driving insanely?
They’ll bike insanely (after all they’re Westporters) but at least they’ll keep their carbon footprint under control. Plus, they’ll start getting in shape which will lower healthcare costs for the rest of us that pay our fair share of taxes.
We walk everyday on Soundview, bikes are way more scary. Solo biker not scary, packs of cyclists, all chatting while biking, on Soundview, very scary.