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A Model Train?
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Business New Haven
11/25/2002
By: BNH
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The state's Transportation Strategy Board met November 19 to consider proposals for the state to spend about $250 million on new locomotives and commuter rail cars over the next few years, and as much as $3 billion over the next 18 years to upgrade rail facilities of all kinds.
The task force also expressed support for the creation of a new commuter rail line that would run from New Haven to Hartford to Springfield. The group will vote by December 15 on final recommendations for improving the state's beleaguered transportation infrastructure.
We have editorialized in this space for commuter rail service between New Haven and Hartford. We are also inclined to see positive possibilities in passenger service between the state capital and its sister city, the "capital" of western Mass.
We're in favor, that is, at a cost that makes sense.
We wouldn't call restoration of New Haven-Springfield passenger rail service a solution without a problem, exactly. But neither have we heard a clamor or groundswell of support for the idea from the business community. On many levels, it remains just that: an interesting idea.
However, posing New Haven-Springfield rail service as a major remedy to the state's transportation challenges is, well, silly.
The No. 1 transportation issue in Connecticut - without question - is automobile congestion in Fairfield County and north into New Haven.
Fairfield County will likely always be home to the state's densest concentration of businesses, especially large companies. The difficulties those companies face related to ground transportation - moving goods, services and people through bottlenecked surface arteries such as I-95, the Merritt Parkway and Route 7 - are already formidable for existing companies, and complicates the task of their workforces in getting to and from the place of business.
Beyond that, the ground congestion poses a powerful deterrent to companies that might otherwise find Fairfield County a good place to grow or relocate to.
Compared to that, passenger rail to Springfield seems like pretty small potatoes. We hope the state's transportation experts don't overlook the obvious when assigning billions of dollars to "fix" transportation in Connecticut.
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