New Haven Independent

The transportation bill, which adds to a $1.3 billion transportation package passed last year, focuses on improving public transportation as well as the state’s highways.

To New Haven, the bill brings funds to complete the rail link to the cargo operators at the Port of New Haven, so that freight can be lifted off trucks and onto cars. The city will also benefit from $146 million for new rail service from New Haven to Hartford to Springfield, as well as $25 million to rehabilitate rail cars on Metro-North. New “Virginia” rail cars should come by September, said Rell, who boarded a Metro-North train in Stratford to talk about the bill before a host of media cameras.

The bill also includes, according to the governor’s office:
o $52 million for a new commuter “busway” between New Britain and Hartford.
o $11 million for a new rail station in West Haven, plus some planning funds for a new station in Orange.
o $60 million for parking and station improvements.
o $45 million for branch line improvements.
o Funding for the planning of expansion projects on I-95 and I-84.

The State Bond Commission also approved last week $469 million for new rail cars, which will be built by Kawasaki, said Rell.

“One of the things we often talk about is getting people off the highway, out of their cars, and into mass transit,” said Rell. “And yet we’re not going to be able to do that unless we give them a clean, safe train in which to ride.”

Rell noted 80 percent of Connecticut commuters drive alone to work; 9 percent carpool and 4 percent use public transportation. She said she had no specific plans to encourage carpooling or bicycling to work, but would consider using incentives to encourage businesses to encourage employees to carpool or ride mass transit.

Rell’s opponent in the governor’s race, Democrat John DeStefano, said Rell was touting legislators’ accomplishments for the purposes of her own campaign. The bill was signed on June 6, but Rell waited until after the Democratic primary to reannounce, and re-sign, the bill, noted DeStefano campaign spokesman Derek Slap.

He also said that Rell didn’t show nearly as much vision or willingness to invest in transportation during her 2006 State of the State address, when she proposed spending only $344 million on transportation.

“The reality is that Gov. Rell does not understand what Connecticut commuters and motorists face every day,” said DeStefano in a written statement. “There’s no other explanation for why she would not propose these critical investments in our state’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure.”

Rell Campaign Spokesman Rich Harris admitted Rell didn’t propose such a sweeping investment in the first place, because “the governor is a careful budgeter.” But then “the will of the legislature was to move forward” with a bigger transportation package. He added: “It’s kind of ridiculous for DeStefano to take a shot at her, considering she’s the only person in 20 years to make any forward motion on transportation in this state.”

In a similar ride-along event in July, DeStefano proposed his own transportation reforms, including: “implementation of commuter rail along 91 and 84, creation of a Port Of Connecticut to coordinate development of the state’s three ports, and the establishment of Bradley airport as truly an international airport.”

Rell’s short press-conference-train-ride ended in Fairfield, where transportation officials said commuters must sit on a waiting list for “years” to land a parking space by the station. Rell got off the train, leaving the media entourage to wait 45 minutes for a train back to New Haven. Rell herself jumped into a Cadillac Deville to head to a diner then drive back to East Haven for another press event.