DeStefano Announces Bold Transportation Policy

July 07, 2006

DeStefano announces bold transportation policy at first left of two-part whistle stop stop through Fairfield County.

Calls for thousands of new rail seats, creation of port of Connecticut, and massive effort to get more trucks off the road and families home in time for dinner.

DeStefano to continue tour Monday with stops in Westport, Stamford and Greenwich.

New Haven - John DeStefano, Democratic candidate for governor, began a two part whistle stop tour through Fairfield County today to announce his new transportation policy. Lawmakers, elected officials, and supporters from Bridgeport, Fairfield and Norwalk joined DeStefano as he greeted commuters and discussed his plan to improve Connecticut's neglected rails, roads, and ports.

DeStefano's plan calls for sweeping improvements to Connecticut's transportation infrastructure, including: implementation of commuter rail from New Haven to Springfield, the creation of a bi-state Connecticut-Massachusetts Airport and Development Authority, the formation of the Port of Connecticut, and increased parking and safety measures at rail stations along Metro-North commuter rail line.

"Connecticut's quality of life is in serious jeopardy because Governors Rowland and Rell have failed to address our state's transportation crisis," said DeStefano. "Gridlock is driving jobs out of the state and forcing people to spend dinnertime in their car instead of with their family. As governor, I would lead the effort to revitalize our roads, ports, and rail."

Under the failed leadership of Governors Rowland and Rell, much of Connecticut's transportation infrastructure has fallen into disrepair. More than 50% of the state's 20,346 miles of public road and interstate highway are in poor or mediocre condition and one third of Connecticut's bridges are functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. Lack of adequate freight rail service means 98 percent of freight that passes through Connecticut is transported on trucks. Making matters worse, our deepwater ports are underutilized and public transportation, including rail and buses, has been neglected.

DeStefano's transportation policy addresses many of Connecticut'a critical needs. The highlights are listed below:

- Creation a new state agency to manage the state's public transit system. (According to the Connecticut Commuter Council, Connecticut is the only state in the nation to run its commuter rail operations out of its department of transportation).

- Create a bi-state Connecticut-Massachusetts Airport and Development Authority. It would aggressively manage the airport and market Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

- Widen I-95 from Branford to the Rhode Island border.

- Audit of all bridges should be completed with a financing plan and timetable to address the atate's needs prioritizing safety and usage.

- Immediately invest in commuter rail between service between New Haven and Springfield and pursue commuter rail along I-84.

- Improve freight rail access to Connecticut. Rail options for freight should be expanded using Connecticut's north-south connections to the CSX facilities in Massachusetts.

- Work with New York State to re-establish rail freight movement across the Hudson River and New York Harbor.

- Increase parking, lighting and safety at Metro-North stops in Fairfield County.

- Create a true Port of Connecticut capable of supporting all three ports with financial resources, expanded bonding capacity, planning assistance, and marketing capacity.

- Develop the Port of New London and I-395 into a commercial corridor.

- Immediately seek proposals for high speed ferry service to each of the state's ports with connections to Long Island and New York City.

"Our neighbor, Massachusetts, plans on spending $31 billion over the next two decades on improving and building transportation infrastructure," said DeStefano. "The Massachusetts Governor has committed $1 billion over five years for bridge projects alone. It's time for Connecticut to step up and make the critical investments in transportation that our families deserve. Perhaps Jodi Rell and Dan Malloy believe things are fine the way they are - neither has proposed a comprehensive transportation plan - but I know Connecticut can do better."

DeStefano continues his tour Monday with stops in Westport, Stamford, and Greenwich.