Connecticut will issue $200 million in bonds for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Line in the hopes of winning an equivalent federal high-speed rail grant, the Hartford Courant reported last week. While the article focuses on [...]]]>

The New Haven-Springfield Line will add commuter service and tie into a broader regional rail network, shown above.

Connecticut will issue $200 million in bonds for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Line in the hopes of winning an equivalent federal high-speed rail grant, the Hartford Courant reported last week. While the article focuses on a communication mixup between the governor and Senate Democrats, the decision to bond is supported by Gov. Rell, House Speaker Chris Donovan, and Senate President Donald Williams — a good sign for the project.

The state’s decision to ante up its own money comes as the August 6 deadline for the second round of high-speed rail grants approaches. Earlier this year, USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood praised the state for “having its act together,” and the federal government has generally rewarded those states which are willing to share the costs of projects. Connecticut received $40 million towards the project in January.

The total cost of the project is roughly $900 million. State officials envision commuter service running between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. every 15-30 minutes during peak hours, and the project is also key to regional intercity rail plans linking Montreal, Boston, and New York City. ConnDOT will hold a public meeting on July 29 at 6 pm at Hartford Union Station to discuss the New England regional rail vision and how the project fits in with that plan.

Image: Via ConnDOT.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Massachusetts and Vermont Departments of Transportation, will be holding informational meetings in the coming weeks on the three states’ “2030 Vision for High Speed, Intercity and Regional Rail” service.

After a two-month delay, the Connecticut State Bond Commission on Friday released $26 million to be used for design work and the construction of a second track along a portion of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line.  Initially planned for release in [...]]]>

The New Haven-Springfield rail project includes improvements to New Haven's State Street station.

After a two-month delay, the Connecticut State Bond Commission on Friday released $26 million to be used for design work and the construction of a second track along a portion of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line.  Initially planned for release in October, the item was withdrawn from the Bond Commission’s agenda for what appeared to be political reasons, and a subsequent December 11 meeting was canceled by Governor Rell.

The release of this funding sends a signal to the federal government that Connecticut is serious about implementing commuter and high-speed rail along the corridor,  and should help ensure that Connecticut remains a viable candidate for the $8 billion of federal funding set aside for high-speed rail in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Gov. Rell called the release of the funds a “crucial step forward for one of the most important transportation improvements we have made in decades.”

The release of the funding is a welcome development for a project that is viewed by many as integral to expanding transit, creating jobs, protecting the environment and promoting smarter land use decisions and affordable housing. According to ConnDOT, a decision on the federal funds will be made in late March or early April.

Image: From ConnDOT’s New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Implementation Plan.

[Update 12/31: Gov. Rell has announced that the NHHS rail money will be on the agenda of the Bond Commission's January 8 meeting.]

The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line was on the agenda at the November meeting of the Connecticut Bond Commission. But the commission failed to release $6 million for [...]]]>

The route.

[Update 12/31: Gov. Rell has announced that the NHHS rail money will be on the agenda of the Bond Commission's January 8 meeting.]

The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line was on the agenda at the November meeting of the Connecticut Bond Commission. But the commission failed to release $6 million for design and survey work as well as $20 million in funds towards double tracking the line, which will improve local, regional, and national service.  If this wasn’t bad enough, the cancellation of the Commission’s December meeting effectively puts off any future allocation for the project until late January.

These events sent shivers down the spines of the project’s advocates.  That’s because the last-minute withdrawal of NHHS bond money, the result of a political power play between Governor Rell and Senate Democrats, could end up costing the State much more than $26 million.

The real cost could be millions of federal dollars and Connecticut’s reputation.

The failure to release this money in a timely manner continues to diminish Connecticut’s attractiveness as a candidate for High Speed Rail funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

While Connecticut’s elected officials have expressed public support for this project, the absence of political will at a critical time is disappointing to the advocacy community who supports this investment — a community that includes business, labor, transportation, environmental, housing and planning organizations.

Luckily the federal government hasn’t given up on Connecticut just yet.  The recent spending omnibus bill that passed Congress this past Sunday included $3.9 million for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line.  However, unless Connecticut shows some good faith, it could miss out on future funding opportunities like the possible federal “Jobs Bill,” which the Senate is expected to debate in mid-January.

The Governor and the General Assembly need to put politics aside, at least on January 29th, the date of the next State Bond Commission meeting, and release the NHHS rail funding.

Tri-State joined several transportation, environment, civic and business groups in asking Connecticut Governor Rell to fast track the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line on Tuesday. The [...]]]>

Enfield is one of three towns which would receive new rail stations as part of the New Haven-Hartford Springfield Commuter Rail project. (Station concept rendering above.)

Tri-State joined several transportation, environment, civic and business groups in asking Connecticut Governor Rell to fast track the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line on Tuesday. The coalition was joined at the press conference by House Speaker-Elect Chris Donovan (D-Meriden), whose district would be served by the line, and current Speaker James Amman (D-Milford), in calling for quick approval of the project that would add commuter service from New Haven to Springfield, Mass., stopping in nine other municipalities along the way, including Hartford.

According to the groups, fast-tracking the project to get initial service running within two years will help revitalize Connecticut’s struggling economy by providing short and long term jobs, help reduce the number of cars on Connecticut’s roads and promote transit-oriented development and mixed-income housing in towns along the rail corridor. The groups called for immediate action to get initial service operating as a first step towards full-scale commuter rail between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield.

Currently, the state is allocating 2 years for the Environmental Assessment, a process that should take less than 12 months in any case, and much less in this case where transit has operated in the corridor for decades. In their preliminary study, consultants for ConnDOT found none of the potential issues — noise, takings, wetlands impacts, etc. — that could be expected in a new rail project. So one wonders why so much delay seems to be built into the process, especially when having the project “shovel ready” in the near term could bring in federal stimulus money.

Kevin Nursick, a ConnDOT spokesman, responded to the groups by saying that Connecticut was asking Amtrak to run commuter service until the state’s plan is ready. He told the New Haven Register that the state does not view funding as a major obstacle to the project and suggested that the timeline could be moved up by scheduling station improvements after the trains are up and running.

Other groups calling for the prioritization of the line include Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Regional Plan Association, ConnPIRG, Environment Connecticut and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.

Image: Via ConnDOT.

This week ConnDOT will be holding public meetings on both of its major planned transit projects — the long-delayed Hartford-New Britain Busway and the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail, which is undergoing an Environmental Assessment.

Both transit projects have long histories, but previous governors’ lack of interest in transit [...]]]>

The Hartford-New Britain Busway route.

This week ConnDOT will be holding public meetings on both of its major planned transit projects — the long-delayed Hartford-New Britain Busway and the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail, which is undergoing an Environmental Assessment.

Both transit projects have long histories, but previous governors’ lack of interest in transit showed in the way ConnDOT treated the projects. The busway was proposed in 1997 and originally supposed to open for service three years ago, while the commuter rail line was first studied in 2001 (see MTR #s 304, 356). Gov. Rell opted to put real money behind the projects after taking office (see MTR # 520); she could ensure a transit legacy by ensuring they are completed.

Today, most of the design work on the 9.4-mile busway has been completed and most of the needed land acquired; the busway meetings will solicit public input on operating questions like what kind of service should run on the busway and how local transit agencies should take advantage of it. Meetings will be in Newington today and New Britain on Tuesday at 6:30pm (more details here).

Four public hearings for the 62-mile commuter rail project will be held over the next two weeks to get public comment, starting today at 6pm in Springfield, Mass (the others are in Hartford, Windsor, and North Haven; more details here). There are two main issues facing the commuter rail project. The first is whether a project to add rail service to existing tracks where Amtrak already runs service needs to be studied for two years, as planned. ConnDOT has a further incentive to move quickly because the project could be eligible for federal economic stimulus funding planned for the first half of next year, but only if the project has advanced enough that construction can begin soon after funding is passed.

Second, if ConnDOT builds the project it has the choice between peak-hour-only service and a “full build” service that would run all day and require double-tracking the line. Gov. Rell and ConnDOT should signal their commitment to a more transit-oriented Connecticut by opting for full build — and if they can get federal dollars for the project, all the better.

Earlier this week, ConnDOT announced that it will hold agency and public scoping hearings for the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter line in early December. Along with the Federal Transit Administration and [...]]]>

Concept of an improved New Haven State Street station, part of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield plan.

Earlier this week, ConnDOT announced that it will hold agency and public scoping hearings for the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter line in early December. Along with the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Rail Administration, ConnDOT plans to hold four public scoping sessions in Connecticut and Massachusetts and one agency hearing in Hartford.

ConnDOT would operate the new commuter rail line, which would run for 62 miles between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, Mass. It would serve 12 stations including new ones in Enfield, North Haven/Hamden, and Newington (where riders could transfer to service on the planned Hartford-New Britain busway). Along with environmental and other impacts, the EA will look at development opportunities near train stations. Service alternatives under consideration include taking no action other than routine maintenance, peak-hour commuter service, and a “full-build scenario” which would involve construction of an additional track and allow for all-day service. The corridor in which the new service would run is owned and operated by Amtrak, but ConnDOT has been in negotiations to ensure a reasonable purchase or favorable lease of the tracks.

The estimated completion time of two years is on the longer side for an Environmental Assessment, which is less comprehensive than the Environmental Impact Statement process used in projects which are likely to have significant impacts. Still, this new development is welcome news for a project that has been delayed for years.

The project team also deserves credit for providing seven weeks of notice for the public meetings, the first of which is December 8 in Springfield, Mass. Details on those meetings can be viewed here.

Image: From ConnDOT’s New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Implementation Plan.