207 replies to this topic

[Cotuit]

Commuter rail proposal gathers steam
Associated Press | August 25, 2004
From The Hartford Courant

[CT-KID]

this would definately help CT out and maybe bring in more business (always good) i love riding the train and trains in general.

[JC3124]

Now that gas prices are ridiculous, let's go over some of the plans from the past and present and possibly future that can help us travel without those damned internal combustion engines.   When is the commuter line from New Haven through Hartford into Springfield scheduled to start/be finished?

[ctman987]

I havent heard anything about that rail line or the Hartford/New Britan Bus line either. Everyone complains about the high gas prices but every time CT gets transportation money they set it aside to fix roads and/or enlarge roads and dont set away the correct amount of funds to properly fund more public transportation projects.

[MadVlad]

Huge oversight, in my opinion....

[SOCOM]

You guys probably already know about this site, but just in case:

NewHaven-Hartford-Springfield Communter Rail

might be worth it to read the final report released in June.  I've only skimmed it so far.

[Cotuit]

I think the Springfield-New Haven line is a very worthy project. But what I'd like to see cities like Hartford, New Haven, Providence, Worcester... focus on is, intra-city transit. We need bus and rail systems for residents within the city to be able to quickly and easily move about the city itself. As gas prices rise, it will only make our cities more attractive to be walkable, and accessible via public transit.

[ctman987]

Cotuit, on Sep 5 2005, 12:54 AM, said:

I think the Springfield-New Haven line is a very worthy project. But what I'd like to see cities like Hartford, New Haven, Providence, Worcester... focus on is, intra-city transit. We need bus and rail systems for residents within the city to be able to quickly and easily move about the city itself. As gas prices rise, it will only make our cities more attractive to be walkable, and accessible via public transit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Hartford downtown circular project will be having a test run starting in late September into October in Hartford. This will be a series of small buses that will start at the Convention Center and make numerous stops through downtown Hartford such as at hotels and attractions and buses will be at every stop within 7-10 minutes. Also the fact is that Hartfords downtown is very small and so just making this circualr was very hard because someone could bike across downtown in 20 minutes.

[MadVlad]

Conventioners biking will be the end of us!!!

[HartfordTycoon]

I think it is a good idea. Some people like the elderly or families with small children will most likely appreciate a free busride sometimes.

Edited by HartfordTycoon, 05 September 2005 - 06:51 PM.

[fivedayrental]

they should a light rail going down the median of 84 from danbury or waterbury to hartford.

[Luca Brasi]

There are numerous unused rail lines running out of Hartford (including one that runs under Adriaen's Landing). These can be used with new rails laid on those stupid HOV highway lanes to begin creating somekind of rail commuter system.

[MadVlad]

How about his:  A system similar to other cities with 2 or 3 lines, all connecting through Union Station.  The north/south line can go New Haven to Springfield, with 3 or 4 Hartford stops (Commuter line, after all).  The east/west line can run along I-84, starting in Danbury or Waterbury, with 3 or 4 stops in Hartford, split off along I-384 and go to Willimantic.  the NW/SE line could start in Simsbury, run through Hartford and extend all the way to Norwich, or New London.  How many billions would that take, huh?

[ctman987]

That sounds great. I for one sadly do not use public transportation in Hartford because it is not readily available. But I would like to use it more because I know when I go to New York or Boston how much easier and less stressfull it is to use public transportation.

Obviously it is very hard to drive into lower Manhattan nevertheless finding a parking space but even in a city like Boston where driving is fairly easy it is much easier to dirve into the city or into one of the suburbs and then take the T (above/undergound at times) subway like system then to move your car around all day to each place you go and worry about parking tickets, parking spaces, traffic, and scratiching your car. It would be much easier to take public transportation in from the suburbs then deal with the traffic on I-84, I-91, Rt. 2, Rt. 9, etc every single day.

[uconn99]

A lot has to blame on the 1938 Hurricane. During that storm numerous bridges were washed out along the Hartford-Providence line. Towns like Windham, Chaplin, and Killingly all lost passenger service after this.

I don't know how many rail fans we have in here, but Willimantic used to be one of the largest centers of rail activity in New England and the Northeast. At one point you could hope on a train to Hartford, Providence, New Haven, New London/Norwich, and Boston.

The old rail line which ran from Hartford to Willimantic is now a nature walk. Most if not all the bridges were made smaller for pedestrians. In the 70's there was talk of rebuilding the line from Willimantic to Hartford, and then once again in the 90's there was talk but nothing happened. The Hartford area could support some kind of Regional train service. It did in the past, however that was when the car was less of a need.

If done right, there could be service like mentioned before from Hartford to Willimantic on the old lines. The only thing needed to be rebuilt would be the bridges, the most expensive part. A line from Willimantic to New London is still in use, but there hasn't been passenger service there for decades, the last being Amtrak's Montrealer which ended service to Windham in the mid 90's.

[HartfordTycoon]

This page has links to the final study of the New Haven Hartford Springfield Commuter line. What are people's opinions on the feasability and overall impact that this project would have for Central CT and Western MA. I personally feel it will better link our regions and the amenities that each distinct region has to offer to one another. If the end result is more regional thought and cooperation than this project could do wonders for Hartford and the region. You could take a commuter train all the way from Fairfield county to Hartford or Bradley or to Springfield. It would even connect New London to Hartford via Shoreline East. I am really a strong proponent of this project and seriously hope it does not get derailed, no pun intended.


CONN DOT Page for the project

Edited by HartfordTycoon, 30 September 2005 - 02:43 PM.

[Germaine]

I agree Tycoon.  This project well past due!  I hope that the towns/cities along the route will change their development codes to make it easier to build very high density projects adjacent to the stations.  

See this code as an example:

Huntersville

I'm hoping to use it locally even if the corridor isn't approved and constructed!

[Hiramicus]

HartfordTycoon, on Sep 30 2005, 03:42 PM, said:

What are people's opinions on the feasability and overall impact that this project would have for Central CT and Western MA. I personally feel it will better link our regions and the amenities that each distinct region has to offer to one another. If the end result is more regional thought and cooperation than this project could do wonders for Hartford and the region. You could take a commuter train all the way from Fairfield county to Hartford or Bradley or to Springfield. It would even connect New London to Hartford via Shoreline East. I am really a strong proponent of this project and seriously hope it does not get derailed, no pun intended.
CONN DOT Page for the project

I think this is an awesome idea.  It could really spur devlopment around the trainstation area as well as alleviating a lot of the traffic in Hartford area.  Although, I'm kind of confused as to how this differs from the amtrak service.  I think any upgrade to the rail system is desirable!  we're really lacking that in america and need to take advantage of these high gas prices now.

I think it should definatly connect to Bradley with Rail though.  If you were living in Newington and could take a train right to the airport... that would be AWEOSME!  Reminds me of the Metrolink in St. Louis connecting to Lambert Airport, which many many people took.  Also I don't think anyone would want to drive to the station, then take the train then transfer to the shuttle then get on a plane...

[MadVlad]

I think the difference is that the it will run like a commuter line, train every hour, half hour, or whatever.  Not sure the schedule of the Amtrak, I'm assuming it's less frequent than that, but I really have no idea...

[GregV]

The Bush administration has made it clear that they do not want to support a national rail system, and hope to dismantle it in favor of regional systems.  IMO, the national rail links are great for freight, but who wants to take Amtrak to the southwest?  The government should focus its funding on metro areas like Hartford where congestion is a problem.  It would be great for the city.