CT News Junkie

I have good news and bad news about transit. The good news is that we can make public transit in Connecticut much better. The bad news is that it’s going to take time, money, and changing the way we think about how we get around.

Continue reading "OP-ED | Improving Public Transit is Necessary and Worthwhile" »

Back in July, right after the opening of the new Hartford Line, I decided that I was going to do what I’d always wanted to do but never had been able to manage: commute to work using public transit. Over the next five months I re-learned the hard lessons transit riders everywhere know: transit is a dream when everything goes smoothly, and a nightmare when it doesn’t.

Continue reading "OP-ED | Transit in Connecticut is Great! ... When It Works" »

HARTFORD, CT — The good news is that the new Hartford-New Haven-Springfield high-speed passenger rail service attracted 10,719 one-way trips during its first full week of regular operations.

Continue reading "10,719 One-Way Trips On The Hartford Line In The First Week" »

I crammed myself aboard an Amtrak train with a few hundred of my closest friends this past weekend, rode down to Meriden to wander around the beautiful new Meriden Green, and then I boarded a standing-room-only CTRail train back to Windsor Locks. The Hartford Line was open at last, travel was free, and people were excited.

Continue reading "OP-ED | The Train to the Future May Yet Stop Here" »

HARTFORD, CT — On its second day of free service, the Hartford Line was asking customers “making discretionary or optional trips” to consider changing their plans to make sure there is room for customers to get home.

Continue reading "Hartford Line Opens To Large Crowds" »

HARTFORD, CT — It took decades and wasn’t without a few unforeseen problems, but Connecticut officials were finally able to celebrate the opening of the CTrail Hartford Line for service Friday.

Continue reading "Commuter Rail Opens For Business" »

(Updated 11:00 p.m.) HARTFORD, CT — New rail service announcements have become routine as Connecticut’s reliance upon trains has increased over the years, but the debut of the $755 million Hartford Line has brought with it some added buzz.

Continue reading "New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Train Line To Debut" »

Senator Richard Blumenthal was in Hartford this week to highlight his efforts to snuff out “kid-friendly” flavored electronic cigarettes that he says are leading to a “new generation of nicotine addicts.”

Continue reading "DC NEWS JUNKIE | Blumenthal Fumes Over Juuling; Himes Not Ready to Impeach Trump" »

GUILFORD, CT—A bipartisan group of shoreline state legislators and first selectman held a press conference at the Guilford train station Wednesday to oppose proposed cuts by the Department of Transportation to the Shore Line East commuter rail line.

Continue reading "Shoreline Lawmakers Seek To Spare Shore Line East From Service Reduction" »

HARTFORD, CT — An estimated 3.3 percent more Americans will be hitting the road this year for Thanksgiving than last year, according to AAA’s Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Forecast. AAA expects the 2017 holiday weekend to see the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005, with 2.25 million New Englanders set to get away — an increase of 3.5 percent over last year.

Continue reading "More Americans, New Englanders Say They’re Traveling For Thanksgiving" »