| Legislation proposed jointly by State
Senator Len Fasano (R-North Haven) and State
Representative Mike Lawlor (D-East Haven) to
plan for a train station in East Haven cleared its first
legislative hurdle on Friday when it was voted to be raised
as a bill in the General Assembly’s Transportation
Committee.
The legislators are hoping that discussion of the bill
will be the first step in the process for building a
train platform and parking area in the town. The Shore
Line East commuter train service originates in New Haven
and ends in New London; it currently stops in every
town along the shoreline except for East Haven.
“Many residents of East Haven have contacted
me in recent years about the possibility of adding a
train stop in our town, and I think it’s something
that we definitely should look into,” said Representative
Lawlor, who recently was appointed as a member of the
Transportation Committee. He said a likely location
for a train platform would be in the general vicinity
of the town’s Home Depot. “East Haveners
work in New Haven, Fairfield County, and New York. This
can be a good alternative to the increasingly congested
highways.”
“This is an excellent first step toward creating
a safer and more convenient way for East Haven residents
to commute,” said Senator Fasano. “Reducing
traffic gridlock and improving air quality by investing
in mass transportation is an important goal for all
of Connecticut. By putting a plan together now, hopefully
we will be ready to build a train station in East Haven
when economic conditions improve. I look forward to
working with Representative Lawlor and Mayor April Capone
Almon to move this legislation forward.”
The lawmakers acknowledged the economic difficulty
of financing the construction of a new train platform
during these tough fiscal times, however they’re
hoping that the planning can be done now so that its
construction can begin within the next 5 to 10 years
as funding becomes available.
The proposal will receive a public hearing in the Transportation
Committee within the next two months. If residents are
interested in testifying on the bill, they can contact
either Rep. Lawlor or Sen. Fasano for more details.
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