Bipartisan advocates for smart, sustainable environmental policies in Connecticut



Tuesday, December 15, 2009

New Haven - Springfield Commuter Rail: Making It Happen

Connecticut has failed its residents and businesses by not planning adequately for our transportation needs. Our elected leaders now have a chance to make amends by competing aggressively for the federal stimulus funding now available for rail. It’s an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.

CTLCV recognizes that implementing a smart, comprehensive transportation policy is good for our environment, good for jobs, and good for our economy. As one of the wealthiest states in the country, it is unthinkable that Connecticut’s transportation policy still has not invested in any serious way in transit.

It’s time for that to change.

Unless we wish to continue our downward economic spiral, there is no question that our transportation system must keep up with the times. With $8 billion in federal stimulus money now available for rail projects on a competitive basis, Connecticut must get in the game and compete aggressively for it.

"If we're not moving forward,
we're moving backward."


We call on Connecticut’s elected leaders to truly lead the way toward transforming our transit system, and secure the necessary funding through the Bond Commission to get the New Haven-Springfield line moving full speed ahead.
We must invest now to make the New Haven-Springfield commuter rail a reality, efficiently linking Connecticut’s major cities to one another and others in the northeast. Doing so is essential to getting Connecticut on a path to sustained economic recovery.

While we are mindful of our current fiscal challenges, it’s still the case that “If we’re not moving forward, we’re moving backward.”

Let’s choose to move forward.