FAIRFIELD, Conn. — In a move to address a longstanding source of confusion, the Fairfield Metro station on Metro-North’s New Haven Line will be renamed Fairfield-Black Rock, local and Connecticut Department of Transportation officials have announced.
The station in question, which opened in December 2011, is approximately 1.7 miles northeast of the downtown Fairfield station. Commuters have indicated that navigation apps sometimes confuse the two stops. The new name will more clearly delineate the two facilities, and reflect the Black Rock neighborhood adjacent to the renamed facility.
CTDOT also announced planned pedestrian improvements for those walking to the station or its parking, including new concrete ramps and mid-lot sidewalks, as well as a clearly defined pedestrian walkway from the street to the platform area.
“Renaming this station will limit any public confusion about when and where they need to be to catch their train,” CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said in a press release. “… I want to thank Metro-North and the Town of Fairfield for partnering with us on this endeavor.” Said Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi, “Metro-North applauds the Connecticut Dpearment of Transportation’s Choice to include Black Rock in the renamed station name because the change is aligned with the MTA’s own principles for station names in New York to emphasize community names.”
No specific date for the change has been set, with CTDOT saying only that it will happen “in the coming months.”
