Imagine reducing the commute between Connecticut and Long Island from three hours to 30 minutes.

"It would be a game-changer -- and that's exactly what a 14-mile bridge from Bridgeport to Long Island would achieve," Easton developer Steve Shapiro told News 12.

"There are over 3 million people living on Long Island and there are over 3 million people living in Connecticut. In the state that begins with the word 'connect' in the city that begins with the word 'bridge' – wouldn’t it be amazing if a 14-mile span could connect all of them?" Shapiro said.

For more than seventy years, Connecticut and New York leaders have debated the idea of building such a bridge, with a major study commissioned in 2017 laying out the plan's benefits and challenges, Shapiro said.

"The time is perfect right now to consider moving forward with the idea," Shapiro said, arguing the project would dramatically increase the GDP of both states while reducing carbon emissions by an equal measure.

While some people have expressed environmental and noise concerns, Shapiro says "the great advantages on those fronts make the proposition a win-win for everyone."