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Hartford-Springfield


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"Hartford - Springfield". They share an airport, a river, and a valley. They are separated by a mere 20 miles. Historically, they are significant for their creativity, universities, colleges, and contributions to the American Industrial Revolution. Together, their metropolitan population is nearly 2 million (1.776 million, ranked #26 in the US and easily #2 in New England).

In spite of the fact that these cities are so close to one another (closer than most other hyphenated US cities including Dallas-Ft. Worth, Raleigh-Durham, SF-San Jose, etc...) they operate almost completely in vacuum.

Is this bad for these cities?

Could they benefit from a more cooperative relationship"?

What steps might be taken by either or both to make Hartford-Springfield better?

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The one thing that amazes me about Bradley Airport is that there are no regularly scheduled European flights. I can imagine that for the nearly 2 million residents of Hartford - Springfield combined with the 3 million other residents who are within a closer driving distance to BDL than BOS or JFK/EWR that at least one international carrier would recognize the value of lying out of BDL!!!

In addition, imagine the redevelopment potential of operating commuter rail through the historic towns along the old Hartford/New Haven/New York rail corridor (now Amtrak) that runs from New Haven to Springfield.

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Given the fact that Springfield is on the verge of being put into receivership by the state of Massachusetts, I don't think Springfield benefits from anything. However, if it weren't for the parochial nature of the New England states, Springfield could benefit greatly from Hartford.

We have a similar situation in the Providence Metro of a state line geting in the way of the Metropolitan Area working together properly. The Providence Mayor has called for a major transit study of the Providence Metro, but only the cities in the metro located in Rhode Island. RIPTA, the Rhode Island transit agency has no power in the Massachusetts part of the metro, even though New Bedford and Fall River and other cities and towns in Bristol County, Mass. would benefit greatly from better transit connnections to Providence.

Hartford and Providence are both benefiting from a magical rebirth, but Springfield, New Bedford, and Fall River, across the state lines, are getting left behind. The 6 New England states really need to learn how to flex their muscles and work together for the health of the entire region, especially when it comes to issues such as transit. The power of 12 Senators in Washigton is not to be sniffed at. If it weren't for the fact that the 6 states are 2 busy chasing their own agendas, the region would greatly benefit from cooperation.

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Given the fact that Springfield is on the verge of being put into receivership by the state of Massachusetts, I don't think Springfield benefits from anything. However, if it weren't for the parochial nature of the New England states, Springfield could benefit greatly from Hartford.

We have a similar situation in the Providence Metro of a state line geting in the way of the Metropolitan Area working together properly. The Providence Mayor has called for a major transit study of the Providence Metro, but only the cities in the metro located in Rhode Island. RIPTA, the Rhode Island transit agency has no power in the Massachusetts part of the metro, even though New Bedford and Fall River and other cities and towns in Bristol County, Mass. would benefit greatly from better transit connnections to Providence.

Hartford and Providence are both benefiting from a magical rebirth, but Springfield, New Bedford, and Fall River, across the state lines, are getting left behind. The 6 New England states really need to learn how to flex their muscles and work together for the health of the entire region, especially when it comes to issues such as transit. The power of 12 Senators in Washigton is not to be sniffed at. If it weren't for the fact that the 6 states are 2 busy chasing their own agendas, the region would greatly benefit from cooperation.

God, I wish others would see it like we do. I would add that if New England hopes to continue to compete on the stage with other emerging "citi-states", regional cooperation transcending state lines will have to start!

BTW, Springfield in "receivership"? Wow. I can tell you the citizens of western Mass. are not too happy about the resources that have been /are being thrown at Boston (esp. the "Big Dig").

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I think the city will escape outright receivership, but the state is assigning a panel to oversee the city's finances and that panel has the power to overrule and act without the consent of the city council, so it's pretty damn close to receivership.

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Thanks for the link. Do you know why Springfield's in such a mess?

Because the city council doesn't look at the big picture of things. At least that's my opinion. They spend to improve things in the city and the money doesn't come back to them. Why? Because they don't think things through, and think of every possible scenario.

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  • 1 month later...

Romney signed the Springfield bailout bill today:

Romney signs Springfield bailout bill, but reduces amount of loan

By Associated Press, 7/9/2004 15:52

BOSTON (AP) Gov. Mitt Romney signed a Springfield bailout bill Friday, but reduced the amount of a no-interest state loan for the western Massachusetts city from $52 million to $22 million.

Romney said he agreed with the rest of the bill which creates a five-member oversight board empowered to control the city's finances and gives Romney's top financial aide, Secretary of Administration and Finance Eric Kriss, sweeping control over the city's operations.

But Romney said Springfield should be able to get its fiscal house in order with the smaller line of credit.

The Legislature can override Romney's decision to reduce the loan with a two-thirds majority vote.

Romney's actions came a day after House and Senate lawmakers reached an agreement on the bailout bill for the state's third-largest city.

The bill requires the city to pay back the loan by 2012. The House initially wanted a 2010 deadline, while the Senate wanted a 2015 deadline.

Kriss would appoint three members of a five-member oversight board empowered to abolish the salaries of elected officials, eliminate school and city departments, sell city properties, establish fees and rescind any action taken by any city official or commission.

The compromise bill requires the board to deliver a preliminary analysis of the city's fiscal crisis to Kriss and top legislative leaders within 30 days, including a look at ways to ease the cost of school transportation.

Springfield's mayor and city council president would serve on the panel.

The bill also gives Kriss the power to dissolve the oversight board and replace it with a receiver if he feels the city's finances cannot be turned around.

But it stops short of giving the oversight board power to void union contracts and civil service protections. Romney had sought those powers in his version of a bailout bill.

From Boston.com

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  • 1 year later...

Once Hartford's comback gets into full swing, Springfield's will begin. This will definitely happen. Our two cities must work more closely together, Hartford can market itself as being close to Six Flags and The Basketball Hall of Fame but does not actively do so. It is more like once you get here people say "Oh yeah, Six Flags and the Hall of Fame are like 15 minutes away." That needs to change. Springfield needs to embrace it's proximity to Hartford because Hartford is a National Business Center. Once this begins to happen everything will improve. It would also be very helpful for the entire I 91 corridor if the proposed commuter rail line from New Haven to Hartford to Springfield gets built. This would allow poeple to commute from Greater Hartford and Springfield to Southern CT and NYC and vice versa. Now that would be great. :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Why Hartford, Springfield, and New Haven don't jointly market themselves I have no idea. It doesn't help that people like Neilsen and the US Census Bureau can't figure out that the populations easily overlap, interchange, and are interwoven.As far as I'm concerned, Springfield through New Haven is one big metro area....

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Why Hartford, Springfield, and New Haven don't jointly market themselves I have no idea.  It doesn't help that people like Neilsen and the US Census Bureau can't figure out that the populations easily overlap, interchange, and are interwoven.As far as I'm concerned, Springfield through New Haven is one big metro area....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me too. I'm glad you're here MadVlad. I said that like a million times in the VS thread, but got totally trashed for it. Like I said there are parts in between where you would have no Idea which of the 3 metros you're supposed to be in. Like Enfield: Hartford or Springfield? or Meriden: New Haven or Hartford? I really don't have clear answers to these questions. I used to work in Wallingford and Half the people there brough the Courant to work the other Half brought the Register. We all know whats going on in New Haven and Springfield and they know what goes on here. I really really don't know what the big hang up is or who exactly to blame for the idea that Hartford metro is only 15 minutes driving time. :angry: But if I found out......

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I fully agree on the fact that the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield area is one big metro in itself. These cities are

Similar in population

* Hartford and Springfield sit on the CT River and New Haven on Long Island sound thus giving them the opportunity to embrace water into their cities

* Are home to many institutions for higher learning such as Yale and Gateway Community College in New Haven, Trinity College, Capital Community College and the Hartford Seminary in Hartford, the Saint Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, University of Hartford, Saint Joseph's College and UCONN at West Hartford all in West Hartford and finally American International College, Springfield College, and Western New England College in Springfield.

* Home to revitilzation of some sort such as the plan to bring both Gateway Community College campuses into one large one in downtown New Haven bringing 11,000 more college students to downtown and theplan to bring the Long Wharf Theater to downtown. As we all know billions of dollars are being pumped into Hartford between Adrieans Landing (CT Convention Center/ Marriott Hotel/ Front Street) and the hundreds of new apartments being built in the city. Even Springfield is having the civic center redeone so that it is the MassMutual Center that includes 40,000 square foot of meeting space.

* All located on I-91

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  • 3 weeks later...

What separates the Springfield and Hartford metro areas?  How can they not be one?  They are closer together (26 miles) than DC and Baltimore (45) but not as close as Minneapolis and St. Paul (10).  Are there neighborhoods that are a suburb of both Hartford and Springfield?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are not really seperated. I just went to the club in Springfield last night for a party thrown every saturday up there by Hartford's Hot 93.7. That station serves all of CT, western MA, and parts of LI. I strongly feel we get screwed by the census on this issue. It takes me 15 minutes to get to Springfield from DT Hartford on I 91. Enfield, CT which is just across the border from Springfield is considered to be Metro Hartford as it is in Hartford County but IMO it is more a suburb or Springfield. IMO Springfield is a suburb of Hartford though, even though it's larger. Our combined Metro Area would be nearly 2 Million in population and would help both cities in my opinion. They also share Hartford's Bradley Int'l airport and some of our local TV stations.

Here is our regions combined website.

HartfordSpringfield.com

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What separates the Springfield and Hartford metro areas?  How can they not be one?  They are closer together (26 miles) than DC and Baltimore (45) but not as close as Minneapolis and St. Paul (10).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are seperate metro's because the percentage of people commuting to Hartford from Springfield does not meet the requirements established by the Census Bureau.

I'm probably the only Hartford forum member who feels this way, but I don't think they should be considered the same metro until the commuting patterns fit the requirements.

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^ :lol:

I just wanted to add: even though i'm a proponent of keeping the metros seperated, I do acknowlegdge that Hartford and Springfield share quite a lot in common and do operate frequently as if they were a single metro.

It is kind of crazy that we can hop in our cars, drive 20 minutes north, and be in downtown Springfield, but I suppose that is the nature of living in this Northeast Megalopolis that we call home.

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They are not really seperated. I just went to the club in Springfield last night for a party thrown every saturday up there by Hartford's Hot 93.7. That station serves all of CT, western MA, and parts of LI. I strongly feel we get screwed by the census on this issue. It takes me 15 minutes to get to Springfield from DT Hartford on I 91. Enfield, CT which is just across the border from Springfield is considered to be Metro Hartford as it is in Hartford County but IMO it is more a suburb or Springfield. IMO Springfield is a suburb of Hartford though, even though it's larger. Our combined Metro Area would be nearly 2 Million in population and would help both cities in my opinion. They also share Hartford's Bradley Int'l airport and some of our local TV stations.

Here is our regions combined website.

HartfordSpringfield.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That site is quite interesting. It presents the combined metro as I'd expect to see it as an important economic and education corridor.

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Metro areas are defined by their broadcast influences. Springfield has it's own network afiliates so it is a seperate metro area.

Hartford and New Haven share network afffilates with NBC, CBS and FOX in Hartford and ABC in New Haven. So Hartford/New Haven is considered one broadcast market. Neilsen counts Hartford/ New Haven as the 27th largest in the country

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Metro areas are defined by their broadcast influences.  Springfield has it's own network afiliates so it is a seperate metro area.

Hartford and New Haven share network afffilates with NBC, CBS and FOX in Hartford and ABC in New Haven.  So Hartford/New Haven is considered one broadcast market.  Neilsen counts Hartford/ New Haven as the 27th largest in the country

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Each marketer(?) defines their own market. Arbitron ranks Prov.-Warwick-Pawt as 36th largest radio market with 1.4 mill; Hartford-New Britain-Middletown ranks 50th with 1.03 mill.. The point I am making is that while rankings have some credibility, you still need to take them with a grain of salt. The Providence TV market is tied in with New Bedford. Why? We will never know. It could have just as easily been tied in with Worcester. By the way, Putnam is tied in with the Boston metro area as of the last census when the Worcester sub-metro area was combined with Boston. Go figure!

Mark

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