By State Senator Cathy Cook

One of the most important lessons I've learned is that resolving issues is sometimes a matter of having a heartfelt conversation with the right people.

That is what happened when I recently requested a meeting of southeastern Connecticut legislators who serve on the Appropriations Committee, state Office of Policy and Management Secretary Robert Genuario, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and representatives of Governor Rell to discuss the Governor's transportation initiative. We were assured that our concerns would be addressed and we voted for the Governor's bill in the Appropriations Committee. It is now subject to further legislative action.

Governor Rell's initiative calls for replacing and buying rail cars for Connecticut's commuter rail. While the greatest need is for additional service between New Haven and New York, our region sought assurances that the new trains would also be capable of serving passengers from New Haven to New London and Rhode Island. OPM Secretary Genuario assured us that these new cars will be equipped to run both on the third-rail electric system used by Metro North to New York as well as on the electrified overhead power line system used by Shore Line East from New Haven to New London. We also confirmed that some of the new cars will be reserved for an enhanced schedule of rail service on the Shore Line East runs between New Haven and New London, including weekend schedules to accommodate tourists.

Also, we requested help to implement the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Government's proposal to develop an intermodal tourist transit system linking buses with trains so that visitors do not have to use their cars. Secretary Genuario noted that this is "a reasonable request" and will work with us to move the plan forward.

The Governor's initiative also calls for short- term improvements to Route I-95. We were assured that many of these projects will involve our part of the highway, including improving traffic flow at Route 85 and I-95 near Crystal Mall. While we are eager for more investment in I-95 east of the Connecticut River, we are assured that future phases of the project will address our transportation needs.

Furthermore, we were assured that the state budget would be amended to include the $200,000 necessary to retain the FAA certification of Groton-New London Airport. This is critical, as FAA certification is necessary to meet mandated security requirements for continued visits from Air Force One, Air Force Two and other dignitaries.

Finally, we asked about funding for Route 11. In October, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta came to the infamous dead end of Route 11 and promised to place it on a list of only six federal transportation projects designated for "expedited review". U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons has since secured $16 million in federal funding to proceed with the next phase. When we asked if Connecticut was ready with our 20% share for the match with federal funds, we were assured that the state money will be released when the federal check arrives.

Sometimes, we don't need to write new laws to get great results. It just takes experience, good relationships and perseverance to get things done. All it took this time was a conversation among people who have the best interests of our state, especially our region, at heart.