Senate Leadership
August 24, 2006
Williams Says Mass Transit Investment is 'On the Right Track'
Ceremonial bill signing highlights Democrats' commitment to saving energy and changing the way we travel
State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) said today that Connecticut's new investment in mass transit is "on the right track" and poised to reap the benefits of energy conservation and congestion mitigation.
"The train is already rolling down the track in terms of our commitment to mass transit," Sen. Williams said. "Unlocking the gridlock was part of the Democrats' 'Jobs for the 21st Century' agenda at the beginning of the last legislative session. We followed through on that with a $2 billion investment in rail, bus and port improvements that will get tuck traffic off our highways and put more commuters in gas-saving mass transit. I thank the governor for joining us in showing a renewed commitment to improving Connecticut's transportation infrastructure, which is something that both businesses and individuals will benefit from."
Sen. Williams made his comments in advance of Friday's ceremonial bill signing by Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Gov. Rell is scheduled to re-sign House Bill 5844, "An Act Concerning the Roadmap for Connecticut's Economic Future," while riding a train from Stratford to Fairfield. The bill was originally signed into law on June 6.
Due to Sen. Williams' commitment to various mass transit alternatives, the new law requires various state agencies to implement a variety of mass transit projects and initiatives, including:
- rehabilitating rail passenger coaches for use on the Shore Line East and the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield lines, and the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches of the New Haven rail line;
- developing a new commuter rail station between New Haven and Milford;
- meeting the costs of capital improvements to the New Haven Line branch lines, up to $45 million;
- meeting the capital costs of parking and rail station improvements on the New Haven Line and its branches, and the Shore Line East service (including at least four stations east of New Haven), up to $60 million;
- developing a second rail passenger station between New Haven and Milford;
- acquiring rail equipment to add at least 2,000 additional seats for interstate and intrastate service on the New Haven Line;
- constructing or expanding stations in Stamford, Bridgeport, and New Haven to accommodate rail service and at least one other mode of transportation;
- making improvements to Long Island Sound to facilitate its use for passenger and freight movement, and expanding the Bridgeport Intermodal Facility to support high speed ferry service;
- establishing express bus services from New Haven to Bradley International Airport;
- completing the New Britain-Hartford busway and establishing other bus rapid transit or light rail service in Hartford and surrounding towns;
- expanding passenger rail service through Danbury to New Milford to assist commuter movement on Routes 7 and I-95;
- upgrading or constructing maintenance and parking facilities, and upgrading feeder bus services for passenger rail service, particularly along the New Haven Line;
- establishing commuter bus or commuter rail service as determined by the Hartford-New Haven-Springfield Implementation Study (which proposed rail service);
- establishing rail freight service with connections to the New London port;
- expanding bus service frequency and connections within and outside of the region, particularly in and to Norwich and New London and acquiring enough new buses to add capacity for at least 200 additional seats;
- acquiring sufficient rail equipment to add at least 1,000 seats for the Shore Line East rail service;
- and expanding DOT marketing of the Deduct-a-Ride program to all eligible employers.
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Senator Williams’ Larry Cook |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Larry Cook |
