I'm writing regarding the High Ridge bus (# 31) which goes to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS. During Monday through Saturday, there are usually 2 buses an hour to the SMNC. The SMNC admits bus riders for free and the walk through to Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens takes about 20-25 minutes. Walking along Brookdale in either direction is faster but dangerous due to a number of blind curves and a narrow shoulder area. The Brookdale walk in either direction is 10-15 minutes but I would not risk it with a child. The walk-through is a rough trail not suitable for young children or those with walking difficulties but these people can at least enjoy the SMNC's facilities, including the ADA-accessible "Wheels in the Woods" path; the farm area and playgrounds are mostly ADA-accessible and child-friendly as is the Museum itself (via the back door).
There is no bus service beyond the Merritt Parkway on Sundays. It is a 15-25 minute walk from the Merritt Parkway to the SMNC. The walk is very dangerous because the bus stops just short of the Merritt Parkway (at Buxton Farms) and there is no pedestrian passage/shoulder under the Merritt -- you have to walk in the lane of traffic with your back to traffic.
Accordingly on Sundays, the trip to the SMNC is only for hardy adults and even they may be deterred by the idea of a 30- 45 minute walk before arriving at BAG, particularly when they know that it will be another 30--45 minutes walk back, and that they might end up having to cross under the Merritt after dark. This affects Stamford residents (the elderly, the poor, the conservation minded, the Orthodox who don't ride on the Sabbath) as well as those who take the train to Stamford to visit our wonderful nature centers.
To extend the # 31 bus on Sundays from Buxton Farms to the SMNC would add less than 10 minutes to the bus route (3 minutes up, 2-3 minutes to turn around and pick up passengers, 3 minutes back to Buxton Farms).
As a volunteer at both the Stamford Museum and Nature Center and the Bartlett Arboretum I would like to see as many people as possible take advantage of the wealth of experiences these organizations offer the public.
