Last week, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell nominated Joseph F. Marie to be the new head of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. In doing so, Governor Rell chose the first ever transit expert to lead the agency. According to the Governor’s press release, Mr. Marie, currently the Director of Operations and Maintenance for METRO, the regional public transportation service in Phoenix, has over 22 years of experience in transit, both in the public and private sectors.

Yesterday, Mr. Marie appeared before the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Executive and Legislative Nominations and, according to news reports, (The Stamford Advocate and The New Haven Register) seemed to impress legislators and is on course to be unanimously approved by the Committee today, with the nomination process then moving to the House of Representatives. The House must then take action prior to the General Assembly closing on May 7th. No Senate action is required.

In testimony, Mr. Marie called for creating a more integrated and multi-modal transportation system throughout Connecticut that incorporates roads, rail and ports equally to address transportation issues. According to reports, Mr. Marie also spoke about the need to focus efforts on transit-oriented development and for ConnDOT to become involved in smart growth initiatives.

It seems like Mr. Marie has been saying all the right things during the confirmation process. His comments concerning ConnDOT’s role in promoting TOD and smart growth are particularly heartening, and suggest that he understands the importance of connecting land use and transportation when working to create sustainable transportation systems and responsible growth.

The Campaign hopes that, if confirmed, Mr. Marie’s words will facilitate action. ConnDOT is in desperate need of a strong leader who can bring lasting and progressive change to an agency that has long prioritized road building and expansion as the solutions to the State’s transportation problems.

Editor’s note: Mr. Marie’s nomination was confirmed by the Connecticut House of Representatives on May 1st.