By Jenna Gaillard
The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Project has become a hot-button issue between some consumer, environment and business groups and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT).
These groups include Conn PIRG (Connecticut Public Interest Research Group), the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Environment Connecticut, Regional Plan Association, Connecticut Fund for the Environment and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA).
On Tuesday Dec. 9, these groups, along with State Rep. Christopher G. Donovan, held a press conference in Hartford requesting "the Rell administration and legislature to take steps to 'fast track' the commuter rail project."
"The point of it [the press conference] was to draw attention to the commuter rail line and to fast track the environmental assessment," said Ilicia Balaban, an advocate with ConnPIRG.
According to a press release, in 2005, the DOT announced an implementation plan for the commuter rail project, which called for construction to begin in July 2008. However, the environmental assessment and other parts of the plan didn't take place yet. Kevin Nursick, a spokesman for the DOT, said this was true, but that funding and various priorities "pushed us off schedule."
"A variety of items can push off any schedule -- funding, the environmental assessment, competing projects within the state" he said.
Even though the consumer, environment and business groups are calling for the environmental assessment to be "fast tracked," Nursick said there's no way to speed it up. He said currently the commuter rail project is in the "environmental assessment phase" and will be completed in February 2010.
"It's a time consuming process," said Nursick. "There's not a whole lot you can do to speed it up."
The environmental assessment examines how the commuter rail project will impact the environment and communities, and how the trains and train crossings are going to impact vehicles.
"We need to produce a pristine and flawless document in the environmental assessment," said Nursick. "The process is required by state and federal law. It's a project that requires significant planning, significant construction and significant cost."
Nursick said there are two options the DOT can choose from for the commuter rail project: a start-up service or a full-build option.
The start-up service would build on the existing Amtrak line and is a bi-directional service that includes a 20 minute peak period schedule with a minimum of 18 miles of additional double tracking. Also under the start-up service is an enhancement of the Windsor Locks station with a bus connection to Bradley International Airport, as well as adding stations in North Haven, Newington and Enfield.
Based on cost estimates from 2005 figures, the start-up service would cost $300 million, but Nursick said that number is "dated" and will be "significantly higher."
The full-build option includes double tracking another 20.6 miles of track on top of the 18 miles of track from the start-up service, totaling around 40 miles of track. This option would allow for a 15-minute peak period schedule and provide commuter rail parking at the new Meriden parking structure. Based on the old cost estimates from 2005 figures, the full-build option would cost $400 million.
Nursick said the time frame for both the start-up service and the full-build option to get the trains running on that line would be around 2015 or 2016.
However, there is another option the DOT has been looking into that could potentially start earlier and cost less -- an interim service.
"It's short of start-up and full-build. It's an additional rail service on the existing line and it's not a massive number of dollars to get it running " said Nursick. "[We're] hopeful we can come up with an interim [service] and get it rolling in the near term.
"The interim service doesn't require an environmental assessment; it doesn't have that type of footprint because we'd be utilizing existing infrastructure, not building infrastructure " he said. "The best bet right now is to get additional service on that line."
Nursick said the interim service would "fill the void" and could "ultimately" develop into the start-up service or full-build option. The cost for the interim service has not yet been determined.
"The interim service gets the ball rolling " said Nursick. "The best case scenario, you look at interim and then start-up and full-build down the road. It will fill the void and hold us over."
Nursick said the DOT's job is "to provide the public with options."
"Our goal would be to get an interim service up and running utilizing existing infrastructure in the short term, while keeping start-up and full-build on the radar screen as a longer term goal " he said. "Thus, any of the options will require discussions, collaboration and negotiation with Amtrak."
The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail could also bring about new opportunities.
" It's one piece of a puzzle " said State Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-133. "It's the first step and [it] shifts the focus to get other lines up and running all over the state."
Fawcett brought up the idea of an option of a "through service" to not only Grand Central Station in New York City but also to Penn Station, New Jersey and Long Island.
"A Metro-North service into Penn Station would dramatically alter our access to New York City, because now we can only go to Grand Central. It would become a whole different connector," said Fawcett.
Senator-elect for the 26th Senate District Toni Boucher had a similar idea to Fawcett. Boucher's idea is a "multi-modal extension into Bradley Airport."
"[Bringing about] access to the airport, you could change the dynamic of the airport itself " said Boucher. "It will connect other parts of the state to the airport and more airlines will be attracted to use it as well. I would love to use it as well "
Boucher said she is "supportive of any project that takes cars off the roads and puts people on trains and bus lines.
"Every car we can get off the road is surely a benefit," she said.
Boucher also said that the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line could also create jobs.
"We could be allowing our labor pool to be more flexible and allow access to people here to go to other areas where there are jobs as well," said Boucher.
Balaban, along with ConnPIRG and the other consumer, business and environment groups agree with Boucher.
According to a press release, these groups believe that "fast tracking" the commuter rail project and getting service up and running within two years will "help revitalize Connecticut's struggling economy by providing short and long term jobs "
"The Rell administration needs to get serious about getting the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project up and running to get Connecticut back to work and rebuild our economy," Balaban said. "This project will create as many as 775 jobs, and produce up to $150 million in economic growth to help Connect¬icut's economic recovery."
The press release also stated, "Connecticut's unemployment rate climbed to 6.5 percent in October and the state is projected to lose as many as 80,000 jobs during the current recession."
According to Balaban, President-elect Barack Obama's proposed economic stimulus package is calling for "states to prepare a list of projects that are ready to go and receive federal funding." She said these projects are called "shovel ready projects" and that's what she and other groups are trying to get the commuter rail project to be -- "shovel ready."
Nursick said he didn't know when the DOT would be making a decision on either the start-up service or full-build option, because the environmental assessment would have to be completed first, as well as "a review of funding, scope and priorities."
He also said with any of the options, there will be "discussions, collaboration and negotiations with Amtrak" because they own the rail line.
For more information about the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Project, visit www.nhhsrail.com
