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CT Gov: I’ll “Aggressively Pursue” Busway

After months of deliberation, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced today that his administration will “aggressively pursue construction” of the Hartford-New Britain Busway, one of the state’s most important transit projects. The Governor also commissioned funding to study the potential of connecting Waterbury and Bristol to Hartford via rail, reaffirming that the busway and a rail connection are not mutually exclusive projects.

After years of planning and design work, the busway is on the cusp of federal approval. The governor released a letter from Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, which read, in part (emphasis added):

The Busway project is considered ready-to-go and is currently recommended for New Starts funding in President Obama’s proposed FY 2011 and FY 2012 budgets. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is prepared to advance the project to an FTA funding contract — a Full Funding Grant Agreement — if the Connecticut Department of Transportation continues as the project sponsor and completes the federal New Starts Program requirements… A decision to withdraw this project from consideration and seek FTA funding for an alternative rail project in the region would require Connecticut to reenter the competitive New Starts process at the beginning.

The busway is expected to support over 16,000 trips a day, generate up to 6,000 jobs a year, provide the first real rapid transit service in the state, and generate transit-oriented development opportunities. Private development had been planned in cities and towns along the corridor even before the decision was finalized, and business groups had urged the state to approve the project. ConnDOT will need to work with communities so that development can be targeted around any new transit hubs.

Governor Malloy is quickly showing shown true leadership in sustainable transportation and land use. Earlier this year, he made securing greater federal funding for the New Haven-Springfield rail line an administration priority. At his first Bond Commission meeting, he released funds for a long-awaited transit-oriented development pilot program, and the final order of new M-8 rail cars for Metro-North and Shore Line East.

In a statement, the Tri-State Campaign applauded the governor and said he “had signed off on a brighter future for Central Connecticut.” As a recent video from the Regional Plan Association shows, the busway is an integral part of a more-connected and dynamic region.

 

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[…] Gov Malloy Will “Aggressively Pursue” Hartford-New Britain Busway (MTR, W. Hartford […]

Rick Patoski
Rick Patoski
12 years ago

will this busway project physically prevent the double tracking of the the NHHS rail corridor ?

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To Rick Patoski
To Rick Patoski
12 years ago

Hi Rick, I live in New Britain where the terminus of the busway from Hartford is. The busway will actually run side-by-side with the NHHS corridor up to Newington Junction, at which point it will break off on an old secondary line known as the Highland Route that hasn’t been tracked for 20 years. The NHHS line continues heading south on to Kensington. If the state decides in the future to connect Waterbury and Bristol to Hartford via New Britain, it will do so via the main line, which is currently single-tracked and is used only for a few freight trains each day. It would head south from New Britain down to Kensington, and then take a sharp turn back north to Hartford. To see a good explanation of the entire plan, check out this link: https://blog.tstc.org/2011/03/11/new-video-previews-central-cts-transit-future/ For more info on the busway itself, check out http://www.ctrapidtransit.com

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[…] might be studying up on that Brookings panel right now. He announced he is going to “aggressively pursue” a BRT-style project (dubbed a “Busway”) that would connect Hartford and New […]

Jeff Smith
12 years ago

This is a huge mistake, and a boondoggle. I’m surprised TSTC supports it. Rail service could be restored for a fraction of the cost. The Busway faces huge engineering hurdles, including encroachment on an area of Amtrak’s right-of-way in Hartford. Huge bridges through several downtowns along the route required to avoid interaction with local traffic are opposed by community organizers (you’ve heard of them, right?). The slavish devotion to this project is (Robert) Moses-like. And these ridership projections are overly optimistic, and imply that the operational money will even be available to run all of these buses. If CT spends all this money, you can forget about any other mass-transit project for the next 10 years.

Larry Phelps
Larry Phelps
12 years ago

I voted for Gov. Dannel Malloy because I thought he would kill this project. Boy was I thrown for a loop on this one. This busway is 63 million a mile, might as well make the road in Gold…..We lose not only one seat public transportation but you also kill any freight that could have gone this way. Oh sure we can still go around this by going from NB to Berlin and then North but why go out of the way when all we ever talk about today is speed and just getting there. I also have to say I really think Amtrak will put some brakes on this because I can’t believe they will allow trains and buses on the same corridor….and what happens if CSOR gets a new freight customer on that side where the bus line is along this corridor in the future, how will they be able to connect the track to that customer with the busway in the way. This is just so dumb….I am so stunned by Malloy’s answer to this. I thought he was better then what I just learned today on his decision…It is a waste of taxpayers money and I do not care if it comes from Feds or not, It is still mine and yours monies whether State or Feds or Grants.

To Jeff and Larry
To Jeff and Larry
12 years ago

I haven’t heard about any bridges through downtowns. The only complaint has been in West Hartford where the busway and higher-speed rail project necessitate grade-separating Flatbush from the railroad. In the end, West Hartford will admit that’s a major improvement in traffic flow and safety.

Freight is running on the corridor now, and even Pan Am who operates the freight really didn’t need the busway right of way to maintain and expand their business.

As for the cost of rail, the cost estimate for the rail upgrade has gone from $52M a year ago to $192M last month, and that’s still wtih NO real engineering cost estimation or environmental work having been done. So if you don’t like the busway, don’t kill it because of freight or low- budget passenger rail cost estimates.

And no one loses one-seat rides. See the service plan on ctrapidtransit.com. There’s a map that shows one-seat service between Hartford and Waterbury, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, UConn Health Center, CCSU, and of course all eleven stations.

At least learn the facts, then you can complain.

Larry Phelps
Larry Phelps
12 years ago

All it takes is basic math…that is why we are in trouble in this country as well as our state…basic math. You said it yourself, 192 million (which if this number is for the whole route to Bristol and on to Waterbury)then that is a steal from the busway’s 9.4 mile 63 million a mile. If the 192 is for just that same portion, then it was drafted up by CDOT and they can not do basic math and have no idea how much a mile of rail really costs….Learn the facts before you tell someone else what you think are true facts. This busway is a waste of our money, just do the math.

Jeff Smith
12 years ago

Read it all here: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=126&t=69097 this is a boondoggle.

To Jeff and Larry
To Jeff and Larry
12 years ago

The $192M is a figure from the rail advocates at Pan Am and Bristol, not DOT. And when you add all the costs the busway price is forced to include by the feds, such as inflation to year of expenditure, right-of-way for stations and parking, all the engineered costs of FRA-approved grade crossings, all the cost of the engineering and project management, finance charges, etc., it will be way beyond $192M – and that’s for 40mph track. Then if you want a connection to Bridgeport and New York, you have to do upgrades to the Waterbury Branch that are conservatively estimated at $320M for PTC and signals, sidings or double-tracking, crossing improvements, bridge replacements, etc.

Nothing is ever as simple as it looks. Just do the math.

Larry Phelps
Larry Phelps
12 years ago

Sorry to say with all you have thrown in the pot for costs for rail it still comes out cheaper then $569 million of 9.4 miles of Tar…math..simple math. And you haven’t even received the ok from Amtrak for the Hartford portion…

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[…] will be reached to balance the budget, the budget does continue the Governor’s trend of supporting transportation […]

adams
adams
12 years ago

I disagree – Busway is to much expensive project. While the USA are in tough economy we should plan cheaper options, like proposed commuter rail Hartford – NB – Bristol – Waterbery. Rail line as a main core and bus lines supporting all train stops on the way from around area. Ex.: The bus take You almost from Your home in north side of NB and also pickup people on its way to rail station downtown where You just chose metro north NYC grand terminal or light commuter to Hartford ( yes also in Plainville Bristol !) . The system just need to be adjusted. I just don’t understand why they so ugly push this highway busway for over ten years and still wasting time on it?

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