As seen on Connecticut Local Politics, it appears that Governor Rell is re-floating the idea of a central Connecticut rail line again:
Rell proposed commuter rail service with eight trains daily each way between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield to supply what she called a “natural job development corridor.” Amtrak provides service from New Haven to Springfield, but it is not a commuter line.[...]
Rell also called for bus service from the Windsor Locks train station to Bradley International Airport and completing a 91/2-mile ‘busway’ between Hartford and New Britain.
It’d be nice if they’d finally get moving on these ideas. They’ve been talked about for quite a while. And, while I prefer Amtrak to Metro North, I’d love to have a better ability to commute into New York on those days when I need to work in the City. Heck, back when I was working in downtown Hartford, the train would have been a nicer option than the overcrowded “express” bus I rode.
While I’m wishing…it’d also be nice if we could get a viable passenger rail link to Boston. This new Metro North service would go along nicely with an extention of MBTA rail service to Springfield, for example….
I do disagree a little with CLP’s assertion that public transportation in central Connecticut sucks. It actually works reasonably well, provided that your transportation needs fit within a few narrowly defined goals. Specifically, CT Transit does a pretty good job of getting people in and out of downtown Hartford…even in spite of being hampered by an underpowered surface street system and gridlock on I-84. It’s also a viable option for doing reverse commutes, or for getting to Westfarms or Buckland Hills malls.
However, if you want to commute cross-town, or from suburb to suburb…or if you want intercity transportation within CT…yeah, it sucks.
It would be nice if that situation could be reversed. However, given how (comparatively) spread out and (relatively) small the population is outside the urban cores….I’m not sure that that problem can be economically resolved.
