Madison Adding 100 New Parking Spaces Downtown

Madison, CT - Approximately 100 additional municipal parking spaces will be added to the downtown area within the next few weeks, top officials said Thursday.

The new municipal parking will be added at the previous Shore Line East Train Station, which is located at the intersection of Bradley and Wall Streets, just north of Madison’s downtown.

“Adding convenient parking to Madison’s growing economic base has been a priority of the Town and Economic Development Commission for years,” said Ryan Duques, Chair of Madison’s EDC, in a prepared statement.

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“It has been frustrating to have a vacant parking area within an area of Madison this is growing quickly. Over the past few years Wall Street has added Clarity Software Solutions, Moxie Restaurant, Aria DermSpa as well as new and expanding businesses on Bradley Road like Vista Life Innovations, Tru Events, Hammonasset CrossFit and Jia Mei, all of which demand additional parking for customers and employees.”

Town use of the parking lot, which is owned by Amtrak and leased to CT DOT is now permitted due to the execution of a temporary use agreement.

Town Officials have been working for years to secure a short or long-term agreement to use the parking area, which was abandon in 2008 when the new Shore Line East Station opened farther west on Bradley Road.

“Municipal parking is a key component to economic growth in the Bradley Road, Wall Street area. Adding capacity in this area will allow existing businesses to grow and new businesses and perhaps housing to develop,” said Tom Banish, First Selectman in a statement.

The agreement allows for use of the lot; new municipal parking signs will be installed and the lot will be striped with proper parking spaces.

The CT DOT intends to use the property for construction staging during future planned improvements to the new train station, at which point the town will need to modify or cease use of the lot. The Town has made its desire known to permanently use or acquire the parking lot once Amtrak and DOT have completed their use of the property.

“It isn’t far-fetched to say that Congress had to get involved to make this happen. Last August State Representative Noreen Kokoruda convened a meeting with Congressman Joe Courtney in Madison who assisted in communicating with Amtrak to help move the use agreement along,” said Duques.

The parking area is expected to be open by the end of July.

PHOTO (By Ryan Duques): Former Madison Shore Line East Train Station parking lot at the corner of Bradley Road and Wall Street, which has been abandoned since 2008 will become municipal parking later this month