The Connecticut General Assembly’s Transportation Committee received a briefing by ConnDOT Interim Commissioner Emil Frankel last week on the draft report of the Governor’s Commission for Reform of the Department of Transportation. The report focused on how ConnDOT could become more transparent and accountable, but also recommended that the agency pursue “fix-it-first” policy, smart growth, non-motorized transportation efforts, and congestion pricing. The Commissioner also updated the committee on ConnDOT’s long-standing projects, revealing several surprises that bode well for ConnDOT policy in 2008 and beyond. Chief among them is that advocates’ calls for fast-tracking the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line and the New Britain-Hartford busway seem to have been heard, as both projects are moving forward.

This year ConnDOT plans to begin an environmental assessment for “start-up” service on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line as recommended in the Implementation Study (PDF). ConnDOT does not expect that a full environmental impact statement will be required. “Start-up” service would include trains every 30 minutes during weekday peak periods (with less frequent midday and evening service), construction of additional tracks, and better connections between the train and shuttle buses to Hartford’s Bradley Airport. Successful implementation will depend upon final negotiations with Amtrak, as it owns the right-of-way.

The New Britain-Hartford busway, on the other hand, has already completed a preliminary engineering agreement with Amtrak and is entering the final design stage of the project. Commissioner Frankel expects construction to start next year, with operations beginning in 2012. Moving forward with these projects is imperative to address Connecticut’s transportation needs for the 21st century, especially since the Commissioner also highlighted that ridership on all mass transit modes is on the rise throughout Connecticut.

Commissioner Frankel also emphasized that transit-oriented development (TOD) was “an integral component of [ConnDOT’s] comprehensive transportation policy, plan and strategy.” According to Frankel and Deputy Commissioner Albert Martin, who was also present to answer questions, ConnDOT is looking to utilize TOD throughout the entire state.

Martin told committee members that ConnDOT is working with municipalities, private developers and metropolitan planning organizations to develop TOD plans using the $5 million included in the October 2007 bonding bill for a TOD pilot program (see MTR #567). ConnDOT should make the Request For Proposals process public as soon as possible to ensure that all municipalities are aware of the program and that any TOD efforts are the result of a locally-driven process.

Congestion pricing was also a hot topic, and there seemed to be ample political will to implement some type of pricing mechanism on Connecticut’s roads. Both Commissioner Frankel and Transportation Committee members Sens. Donald DeFronzo and Bill Nickerson and Rep. Tony Guerrera expressed support for the Transportation Strategy Board’s resolution to study congestion pricing.

Perhaps most exciting, however, was the news that the man who oversaw reform of NJDOT, Jack Lettiere, will be on board to begin the reform process at ConnDOT. Commissioner Frankel announced that Lettiere would be a member of a “team of transportation experts who can help … get the agency refocused” in the run-up to the announcement of the new permanent ConnDOT Commissioner (The Hartford Courant reported today that ConnDOT has narrowed the field of commissioner candidates to nine). During his tenure as NJDOT Commissioner, Lettiere was integral to shifting the Department from a road-building agency to an agency concerned with connecting land-use planning and state transportation projects. His participation in the ConnDOT reform process is a welcome surprise and will no doubt facilitate the implementation of the Reform Commission’s recommendations.

Image: The Amtrak station in Meriden, which would get additional service if the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail becomes a reality (Courtesy Connecticut DOT).