Calling the extension of light rail "a good idea," U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Friday the possibility of a new commuter rail line between Waterbury and Hartford is "definitely worth exploring."
Lieberman said that commuter rail would help reduce gasoline use, relieve highway congestion and help the envi-ronment.
"It’s also good for the environment," Lieberman said.
State lawmakers are pushing for a $250,000 study of the possible use of a 24.5 mile, privately owned freight rail line between Berlin and Waterbury. It would have stops in at least New Britain, Plainville and Bristol.
The owner of the line, the Massachusetts-based Pan Am Railways, has estimated it would cost $52 million to make the necessary upgrades to the existing single-track line to allow for commuter trails to operate. Supporters have said it could probably use old Metro North passenger cars to save money.
Lieberman said he doesn’t know too much about the light rail project touted by Bristol and state officials. But, he said, he generally supports the concept.
He said that one of the nation’s mistakes over the past 40 years has been to let light rail wither when it should have been a key element of transportation policy.
Lieberman said the proposed line between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. – a project likely to be funded with federal economic stimulus money – opens the door to other, connected plans.
The area’s two congressmen – U.S. Reps. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol and Berlin, and Chris Murphy, a Cheshire Democrat whose 5th District includes New Britain and Waterbury --- said this week they support study of the light rail proposal for Bristol and New Britain.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
10 comments:
Hey what's another $52 million when you're the Congressional Democrats?
52 million towards energy independence for future generations.
Hey Joe, How about that costly mistake of going to war in Iraq that you supported so much?
I like the idea of rail transportation...in the future possibly when it becomes practical.
Right now with the conceived project, my commute would be twice as long as opposed to if I use my means of personal transportation. The same can be said of many who do not travel directly to Hartford. The rail line would serve absolutely no purpose at all to those who don't work in Hartford or on the I-91 or I-84 corridors.
Left-wing liberal Democrats can swoon and name-call all they want. This idea is an impractical pipe-dream and political folly.
I'd like to touch on the comment at May 16, 2009 12:00 AM.
The Iraq campaign actually did a lot for our economy, much more than any of Obama's "stimulus" will ever accomplish. Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney as well as Colt's and the multitude of other smaller contract manufacturers that provide parts for these companies boomed as a result of the campaign in Iraq.
Now Obama wants to pull out and restructure the military to the detriment of Pratt and perhaps the aforementioned as well. Right or wrong, Obama is doing much less for Connecticut's economy than Joe Lieberman.
11:11 has a very sadistic way of evaluating the success of an economy; if we have to depend upon wars to sustain us, we are in deeper trouble than the woes of an economic re(de)pression.
More important than the economic effects, think of the human sacrifices of war - if you have ever been in combat, you can readily realize the devastating effects upon individuals, families, communities and the country as a whole.
The plan is not simple, nor is it cost effective. Right now it's a waste of tax payer money. Private innovations such as electric cars (like GM's new Volt) are a much better solution to our energy problem. A public transportation system that 10% of the population or less of Bristol will use and one that will cost ten of millions of dollars to operate each year is not a "good plan".
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