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08-14-07 Mayor James R. Miron met with Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele, Al Martin, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Police Chief John Buturla and members of Stratford's State Legislative Delegation, to request the immediate installation of safety barriers along the Seymour Street area of the railroad tracks.

Over the past four months, three citizens have been struck and killed by Metro-North Railroad trains (Metro-North) in the Town of Stratford. All three of these fatalities have occurred within yards of one another on the railroad tracks adjacent to Seymour Street known to Metro-North and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) as “Dead Man’s Curve.”

After the first two fatalities, which occurred within one week of each other, the Mayor led a series of meetings between the Stratford Police Department, Metro-North, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police (MTA) and ConnDOT to discuss the recent tragedies and how to prevent future ones. As a result of these meetings, a three-point action plan was developed that included enhanced enforcement, increased education and installation of permanent barriers.

At today’s meeting, State Officials agreed to complete the final step of this three-point plan – the installation of permanent barriers. ConnDOT has been instructed to begin the immediate installation of a steel mesh security fence, approximately eight feet high in this area.