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In a rare moment outside the halls of the Capitol
building, I was provided an opportunity to experience
a relatively new light rail system during a recent business
trip to Charlotte, North Carolina.
For those of you who have not experienced this type
of transportation, light rail is a continuously running
electric railway system that takes advantage of rails
at street level, underground and overhead. While visiting
Charlotte, I paid $3 to take the 14 mile light rail
round trip between the suburbs and downtown. These trains
make frequent stops at the convention center, basketball
arena, hotels, and retail and corporate centers. This
smart, clean and convenient ride is extremely popular,
and the voters overwhelmingly approved the plans now
underway to double the size and reach of their light
rail system.
I am cautiously optimistic about the potential benefits
of developing light rail in Connecticut. As the sponsor
of proposed legislation calling for the State Department
of Transportation to determine which regions of our
state could benefit from light rail service, it was
valuable to see a successful operation in action. According
to Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie,
this type of mass transit is successful in other states
and a feasibility study may show Stamford to be a good
candidate for light rail service because of its high
density and traffic volume.
A thorough study would include a look at successful
light rail systems like the one in Charlotte to determine
what aspects of these successful systems would work
well in Connecticut. Before making a huge financial
commitment to light rail anywhere in our state, we need
a great deal of information, including whether it would
appeal to commuters and if such a mass transit system
would promote economic growth.
We can draw certain parallels between our areas. Charlotte
is the epicenter of American banking, home to Bank of
America, Wachovia and Wells Fargo. Business and government
leaders in Charlotte are working hard to diversify from
the finance sector into biotechnology, healthcare, energy
and logistics. Here in Connecticut, our state’s
dismal fiscal situation and government budget deficit
can be linked to a lack of economic diversification,
punitive tax policies, and unbridled state spending.
Like Charlotte, Connecticut must take a close look at
what we do right, and what we do wrong, with an eye
to reinventing state government to promote strong economic
growth.
As an added benefit, the Charlotte light rail system
has encouraged smart land use policies. For example,
high quality development has sprung up near the new
stations established to accommodate light rail commuters.
Could developing light rail in certain, carefully chosen,
regions of Connecticut promote diverse economic growth
here? A well designed feasibility study could answer
that question, and provide other information we need
in order to proceed intelligently. Connecticut Transportation
Commissioner Marie told legislators he has seen 17 out
of 18 light rail systems succeed throughout the nation.
In his experience, density is the number one issue and
a study may show Stamford to have the right attributes
for success.
Connecticut cannot presently afford to make a huge
financial commitment to light rail. However, our state
will eventually emerge from this recession, and it is
in our best interests to spend this time looking into
how we can promote economic growth when the time is
right. Regardless of what form it takes, faster, more
convenient, and environmentally-friendly mass transit
will play a key role in the future success of our state.
Light rail may be an option worth exploring.
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