Visions for the Commuter Rail

[robm324]

So there is a great article in the commentary section of today's Courant. The link is below:

The Right Road - Hartford Courant 7/15/2007

There are a lot of common sense ideas in the article, and it hits on the major points of the ineptness of the CT DOT over the past few decades.

I don't like cluttering up the board with new threads, so maybe this thread should be viewed as a general CT/Hartford Transportation Thread?

[JimSawhill]

So there is a great article in the commentary section of today's Courant. The link is below:

The Right Road - Hartford Courant 7/15/2007

There are a lot of common sense ideas in the article, and it hits on the major points of the ineptness of the CT DOT over the past few decades.

I don't like cluttering up the board with new threads, so maybe this thread should be viewed as a general CT/Hartford Transportation Thread?

[Lowerdeck]

I say, beyond maintaining the road system and widening I-84 from Brewster to Southington and I-95 from Branford to North Stonington ... there needs to be no major roadway projects. As the article said, building the highway system is pretty much done in this state.

However, we heavily need a railway network in this state. We are dense enough nearly statewide, and the fact we have heavy usage already on Metro North means it can work. There needs to be a higher focus on the trains, expansion of commuter rail networks, optimized use of express and local trains.

I might write a piece regarding the subject, and send it out to some newspapers. Maybe it'll get attention this state should pay attention to.

[JimSawhill]

I say, beyond maintaining the road system and widening I-84 from Brewster to Southington and I-95 from Branford to North Stonington ... there needs to be no major roadway projects. As the article said, building the highway system is pretty much done in this state.

However, we heavily need a railway network in this state. We are dense enough nearly statewide, and the fact we have heavy usage already on Metro North means it can work. There needs to be a higher focus on the trains, expansion of commuter rail networks, optimized use of express and local trains.

I might write a piece regarding the subject, and send it out to some newspapers. Maybe it'll get attention this state should pay attention to.

[PCGrad02]

I would like to see the state finish Route 11 from Salem to Waterford as well. Believe me, I am all for mass transit use, but the road is needed, even from an emergency evacuation route standpoint.

[Lowerdeck]

LowerDeck:

If you do write a piece of it, please post it here. I'd love to see it. Now, CT gets 3% of its frieght by rail (the second highest percentage in New England), but we need to up the percentage on railfrieght.

JimS

[JimSawhill]

I probably would post it here first just for fact/point check before submitting it to actual media. I just talked to someone today at the Norwich Bulletin regarding freelancing, but that wouldn't cover op-ed pieces... so I'd need to talk to someone else first there.

That would probably be the only other major project besides 84/95 widening that needs to be completed. They say it's in the works, but when?

I say, just build something like the Merritt Parkway... smaller right of way, scenic route, more environmentally friendly, etc...

[GHartford]

We're just like the DOT. This thread was supposed to be about commuter rail and we have turned it into "Where and how can we build some more roads?"!

[Lowerdeck]

We're just like the DOT. This thread was supposed to be about commuter rail and we have turned it into "Where and how can we build some more roads?"!

[JimSawhill]

We're just like the DOT. This thread was supposed to be about commuter rail and we have turned it into "Where and how can we build some more roads?"!