Residents press Stratford council on Fifth Avenue flooding and train-station safety during public forum

Kevin Kelly told the Town of Stratford council that repeated flooding at the Fifth Avenue gateway has been a chronic problem for roughly 12 years and asked for a timeline for work on the site. "The last firm that had it had it for 15 months and did 0 on it," Kelly said, adding that the flooding is "ruining my driveway, my cars, everything." The remark came during the meeting's public forum, which Chair Carl Glad opened at 7:30 p.m.

Ali Falcon, who said she recently founded the volunteer group Stratford Trash, used her three minutes to raise public-safety concerns near the train station and to urge the council to consider bike lanes. Falcon said several crosswalk indicators near the station are not working and that, after repaving on Broadridge, the high-school crosswalk no longer has a curb cut, forcing pedestrians and bicyclists into traffic. "I'm kinda scared daily, to be honest, when I'm coming home from the train," Falcon said.

Council members did not engage in an extended back-and-forth during the forum; Chair Glad said forum rules prevent responses at that time and that "someone will address you afterwards." The council proceeded to its regular agenda, and staff were asked elsewhere in the meeting to follow up on public works items and upcoming contracts. No specific schedule was announced for repairs or an engineering timeline for Fifth Avenue during the meeting.

Why it matters: Persistent flooding can damage private property and impede safe access for residents; nonworking crosswalk signals and missing curb access create safety risks for pedestrians and people biking to and from the train station. Residents and volunteers asked for clearer timelines and near-term corrections.

What comes next: The council's later agenda included several Public Works–referred contract approvals and items the mayor said would be announced by Public Works and posted on the town website; residents seeking updates may follow the town's public-works announcements for implementation details.