There is possibly no more beautiful railroad station in the world than New York City’s Grand Central Terminal (GCT). As the destination of over 55,000 daily rail commuters from Connecticut, it’s a place where many of us spend a fair amount of time. I’ve been riding in and out of Grand Central for over 50 years. So to help you maneuver the station’s labyrinth of tunnels, … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Secret “Hacks” of Grand Central
Talking Transportation: Trucks as Traffic Scapegoats
“Why don’t we just ban all trucks from our interstate highways in rush hour?” The question was asked of me by a small town mayor in Fairfield County who’d obviously given a lot of thought to solutions to our traffic woes. He’s a smart guy and thought he’d come up with “the answer” to our transportation crisis. He said he wasn’t in favor of tolls, but liked them as a traffic … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Trucks as Traffic Scapegoats
Talking Transportation: ‘Train Time is Your Own Time’ … True or False?
“Train time is your own time” was the old marketing slogan of Metro-North, encouraging commuters to kick back and enjoy the ride while reading, working or taking a snooze. But in reality, train time is shared time. They don’t call it “mass transit” for nothing as passengers much share their space with a hundred other commuters on each railcar. Assuming you get a seat, this … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: ‘Train Time is Your Own Time’ … True or False?
Talking Transportation: “The Automotive-Construction Complex”
How did Americans develop their love affair with driving? Visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington and the transportation exhibit, “America on the Move,” will sell you on the commonly-held theory that when Henry Ford made cars affordable, Americans loved them and demanded more and more highways. Of course, that exhibit is sponsored by General … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: “The Automotive-Construction Complex”
Talking Transportation: Federal Air Marshals? Worthwhile or Worthless?
Do you feel safe when you fly? Forget about exploding jet engines, cracked aircraft windows and clear-air turbulence. What about terrorists? We haven’t seen a domestic case of terrorists attacking jetliners in years, thanks to increased scrutiny of passengers by the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration. From the moment you book a flight, you are being … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Federal Air Marshals? Worthwhile or Worthless?
Talking Transportation: Connecticut: Love It or Leave It
The recent debate over tolling our highways should remind us of just how divided our state has become. Not red vs. blue and not even just upstate vs. downstate. The real divide is between those who commute by car vs. those who take mass transit. I’ve written for years about the fact that riders on Metro-North pay the highest commuter rail fares in the US, and those fares … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Connecticut: Love It or Leave It
Talking Transportation: Transport Cuts Will Hurt Us All
For weeks I’ve been writing about the CDOT’s impending bus and rail service cuts and fare hikes and their profound impact on commuters, local businesses and real estate values. But with just weeks to go, the folks who can prevent this pain… our legislature… seem to be doing nothing. The deadline is July 1 this year when proposed CDOT cuts will go into effect: A 10 percent … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Transport Cuts Will Hurt Us All
Talking Transportation: “Getting There” – Grabbing The Best Seat
It was the folks at Cunard who said “Getting there is half the fun”. And crossing the Atlantic in style on an ocean liner certainly was. But whatever your mode of transportation, getting the right seat can make for an enjoyable or miserable trip. On Metro-North, I usually go for a window seat. However, on crowded trains, any seat is better than none. But I can still get an … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: “Getting There” – Grabbing The Best Seat
Talking Transportation: Citizen Anger About Imminent Transport Funding Cuts Needs to be Directed at Legislature
In recent weeks I’ve been criss-crossing the state talking to folks about our transportation crisis: the proposed fare hikes on trains and buses coupled with service cuts on the branch lines, and the multi-billion spending cuts at CDOT. I call it the “Winter of our discontent” magical misery tour. From Woodbridge to New Canaan, from Old Lyme to West Haven, I’ve talked to … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Citizen Anger About Imminent Transport Funding Cuts Needs to be Directed at Legislature
Talking Transportation: Why I Support Malloy’s Plan for Tolls, Gas Taxes
Am I the only person in the state who thinks Gov Malloy’s plan for tolls and gas taxes makes sense? Probably. But let me try once again to overcome the usual objections and explain why Malloy’s plan is fair and necessary. TOLLS ARE TAXES: No, tolls are users fees. Train fares aren’t taxes, are they? If you don’t want to pay a few pennies a gallon more for gasoline, don’t … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Why I Support Malloy’s Plan for Tolls, Gas Taxes
Talking Transportation: “Getting There” Malloy’s Transportation Cuts
Fare hikes, rail service cuts and a freeze on transportation projects. As he promised in December, Governor Malloy announced them all in January. Rail commuters and highway drivers are justifiably outraged, but they should direct their anger not at the Governor or CDOT but at the legislature. WHY NOW? This funding crisis has been years in the making, exacerbated 20 years … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: “Getting There” Malloy’s Transportation Cuts
Talking Transportation: Will the Real ID Act Disrupt Travel?
Something like 1.73 million Americans board airplanes ever day. And each of them must go through a very necessary screening by the TSA, the Transportation Security Agency. But beginning in late January 2018, a lot of passengers will be denied boarding because they don’t have the right kind of ID. You can thank (or blame) the Real ID Act passed by Congress in 2005 after … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Will the Real ID Act Disrupt Travel?
Talking Transportation: Who Should Pay for Sound Barriers?
Building and maintaining our highways is expensive. But here’s a quiz question: on interstates 95 and 84, what costs a half-million dollars a mile to construct? The answer: sound barriers. Why are we spending that kind of money to enshroud our interstates simply to protect the peace and quiet of its neighbors? Didn’t they know that living that close to a highway came … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Who Should Pay for Sound Barriers?
Talking Transportation: Why Metro-North’s ‘Quiet Cars’ Aren’t Quiet
What happens when a good idea goes bad? Consider Metro-North’s 'Quiet Car' initiative. Sixteen years ago a group of regular commuters on Amtrak’s early morning train to DC had an idea: why not designate one car on the train as a 'Quiet Car', free from cell phone chatter and loud conversations. The railroad agreed and the experiment proved a great success. Now all … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Why Metro-North’s ‘Quiet Cars’ Aren’t Quiet
Talking Transportation: All Tickets Please!
Imagine you’re in a store and you see somebody shoplifting. You’re embarrassed to say anything or to make a scene, but inside you’re pissed-off. You pay for your merchandise, so why should that guy get it for free? And if he’s ripping off the store, doesn’t the merchant actually make you pay more to make up for that loss? It’s morally wrong and it’s just not fair. Yet … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: All Tickets Please!