State Senator Dan Debicella (R-Shelton) testified at a public hearing before the Transportation Committee yesterday in favor of legislation he proposed, Senate Bill #420, An Act Concerning Bus Service To and From Metro North Stations.

The bill would require that the state Department of Transportation establish comprehensive bus service from Metro North stations in Norwalk, Greenwich and Stamford to major places of businesses in those towns. The bus schedules would go right to the door of major offices and office parks in each town, and would run in conjunction with train schedules in the mornings and evenings to ensure passengers a seamless experience getting from home to office.

Debicella said this proposal would not only benefit Metro North commuters, but would unclog I-95 and the Merritt Parkway by making the train a more attractive option for current drivers.

“Improving mass transportation in Connecticut comes down to one thing above all for commuters—convenience at the right price. Metro North provides convenience at an excellent price for riders for its service to and from New York City,” said Senator Debicella. “However, it’s a different story for those who commute from eastern Fairfield County or New Haven County to the communities in western Fairfield County like Stamford, Greenwich, and Norwalk.”

“Not only is parking difficult at many train stations, but once commuters get to their destination stations there is no convenient way for them to get to their office. Taxi lines in Stamford are long and crowded, and no subway system exists to take people around.”

Senator Debicella suggested that current riders may be willing to pay for a portion of the cost of the new bus route if the convenience is greater. He also suggests several courses of action to take to implement the bus system.

“I think it would be wise to set up a pilot program in one of the targeted cities to learn real-time about the strengths and weaknesses of such a program,” explained Senator Debicella. “Alternately, the state could conduct a study this year, followed by a full-flow implementation in Stamford, Greenwich, and Norwalk in 2008.”

Senator Debicella has already received backing on his proposal from the State Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT Commissioner Ralph J. Carpenter submitted written testimony during yesterday’s public hearing supporting Senator Debicella’s bill.

The Department currently offers smaller-scale “Commuter Connection” bus routes from rail station in South Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich, but Commissioner Carpenter said he supported Senator Debicella’s larger and more comprehensive proposal. Commissioner Carpenter, in his testimony, wrote that “the Department is willing and available to revisit the existing bus and train service in Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich in an effort to expand or enhance additional bus service to the region.”

The bill got bipartisan positive reviews from the Transportation Committee. Representative Steve Mikutel (D-45th) agreed that “we need to make public transportation convenient” and stated that this was a “good common sense” proposal.

Senator Debicella was elected in November to his first term representing the 21st District, which is comprised of Stratford, Shelton, Seymour, and Monroe. He is an Assistant Minority Leader and serves as the Ranking Senator on the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee.