Talking Transportation

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but chances are we will see another fare hike on Metro-North in the coming months. Not that any elected official would endorse such a plan (at least not before the November elections), but once again Connecticut is not totally in control of its financial destiny when it comes to our trains. True, fare increases in Connecticut must be … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Why a Another Fare Hike Seems Inevitable

Like many, I love Vermont.  But I’m not crazy about getting there. From my home to Burlington VT is about 300 miles.  By car, that’s at least five hours and about $50 in gas each way.  Flying may seem quicker, but with the airport drive, it’s not much better and about $150 each way.  But there’s another alternative: Amtrak. There are actually three trains a day that will … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: To Vermont, By Train

We may never know what happened to that Malaysia Airlines 777, but there’s plenty more we should know about flying, even domestically.  Here are some little-known truths of aviation as shared by pilots and flight attendants: Lavatory Doors Don’t Really Lock: They can be opened from the outside by just sliding the “occupied” sign to one side.  This isn’t so attendants can … [Read more...] about Eight Little Known Facts About Flying

It was worse than we'd ever known.  Metro-North was almost an accident waiting to happen. That summarizes the Federal Railway Administration's “Operation Deep Dive” report issued last week, following 60 days of probing into every aspect of the railroad's operations.  All of this comes on the heels of collisions and derailments in the past year that have taken the lives of … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The Feds ‘Deep Dive’ Into Metro-North

Now is the winter of our discontent.   I’ve been riding Metro-North for almost 25 years and I’ve never seen the railroad in such bad shape. Trains are consistently late without explanation.  Some cars have no heat.  A couple of trains were stranded for more than two hours when wires were pulled down.  And on one recent evening, the entire railroad ground to a halt because … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The Commuter Action Group

We’ve read a lot about the George Washington Bridge (GWB) in recent weeks.  And the scandal over who ordered closure of approach lanes from Fort Lee, N.J., only underscores how crucial this bridge is to the entire region.  All of which got me thinking about the GWB and its history. Surprisingly, the GWB was not the first bridge design to cross the Hudson River.  As early as … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The George Washington Bridge

After 19 years, I have resigned from the CT Commuter Rail Council.  But I can promise you I am not quitting my advocacy for my fellow commuters or the writing of this column. And I have an even better idea of how commuters can be heard. The old Commuter Council accomplished many things since its founding in 1985, including the ordering of the new M8 cars.  The Council also … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Down, But Not Out: Cameron Resigns — But Doesn’t Quit

No, it’s not your imagination.  Service is getting even worse on Metro-North. And there’s no sign of short-term improvements. This has been a terrible year for Metro-North and its 120,000 daily riders in Connecticut:  the May derailment / collision, the death of a track worker and the September “meltdown” because of a failed Con Ed feeder.  But the repercussions of these … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Slow Orders for Metro-North