Amtrak Study Offers Spooky Opportunity for Public Input on Lyme Street, Oct. 31

OLD LYME, CT – Residents can share their thoughts on Amtrak’s plans for improving rail service between New Haven and Providence at upcoming community engagement events, including a Halloween pop-up in Old Lyme and an open house in Groton.

The pop-up event, part of the annual trick-or-treat festivities on Lyme Street, will take place Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.

First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker said the Amtrak study team will be set up on Town Hall property to connect with residents.

The outreach is part of the New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study to improve train speed, capacity and reliability while addressing long-term impacts from extreme weather.

The study follows a controversial 2017 federal proposal for a high-speed rail bypass through Lyme Street in Old Lyme’s historic district. Amtrak officials have said the new effort will take a fresh look at rail planning goals and will include community input before developing recommendations.

Officials have said it’s too soon to tell what improvements, if any, the study will recommend.

The open house will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Thrive 55+ Active Living Center, 102 Newtown Road, Groton.

Attendees can explore informational and interactive stations about the study’s goals and process, feedback received from the community so far and key considerations for the future of rail travel along the Northeast Corridor, according to the project website. Study team members will be available to answer questions and hear public input.

Open house attendees are asked to register online.

Participants may drop in anytime during the three-hour session. A Nov. 4 session is also scheduled in Wakefield, R.I.

More information is available on the project website.