Plan for Intercity and High Speed Rail: Travel Quickly and Efficiently while Reducing Carbon Footprint

- By Erin Bourgault, CTLCV Summer Intern from Bates College. erin.bourgault@ctlcv.org

Tired of traveling on congested highways? Due to population growth, if everyone continues to drive their own cars on the highways, it is likely that the congestion will only increase. In the Northeast, with so many states close together, there is the potential for people to travel quickly and efficiently while reducing their carbon footprint. Today most people decide to travel in individual cars within the Northeast Corridor because many of the public transportation options are slow, infrequent, or expensive. However, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), after receiving federal funding of $40 million through the American Reinvestment and Recoveries Act (ARRA) in January 2010, is working with the states of Massachusetts and Vermont to develop Intercity and High Speed Rail in the Northeast. At a public information meeting at Hartford’s Union Station on June 3^rd, Jim Redeker, the Bureau Chief of Public Transportation in CTDOT presented the 2030 Vision for High Speed, Intercity, and Regional Rail Service, available at www.nhhsrail.com.

There are two new plans for the Intercity and High Speed Rail, seeking to improve mobility and connectivity within the Northeast. The first line extends from NYC-New Haven-Hartford-Springfield-Boston. The second line extends from Springfield-Brattleboro-Burlington-Montreal.

According to Redeker, the Northeast is the most congested air traffic corridor. The Northeast also has an extremely high population density. With the plan for Intercity and High Speed Rail, people can choose a reliable and fast way to travel and reduce automobile, truck and air congestion. In addition to making trains faster, the project also aims to greatly increase the number of trains on the tracks, making trains a more convenient way to travel. Further, the plan will create more intercity and commuter stations.

With this new Intercity and High Speed Rail plan, the Northeast can set an example for the rest of the country with its fast, reliable, and convenient transportation, as well as the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion due to the use of public transportation.

Two additional public informational meetings will take place on:

• Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 6pm
  City of New Haven – Hall of Records, G2 Hearing Room, 200 Orange Street, New Haven, CT.
• Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 6pm
  Brattleboro Savings and Loan Bank, 221 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT

Click here for the Intercity and High Speed Rail Informational Meeting Presentation.