(rshsdepot) Connecticut Study: Many Rail Stations Need Work

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

From today's Hartford Courant.

Bernie Wagenblast
Transportation Communications Newsletter
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/

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Study: Many Rail Stations Need Work
By STEPHANIE REITZ
Courant Staff Writer

August 13 2003

Connecticut would have to spend more than $11 million to return all of its
aging commuter rail stations to good working order, according to a new
study.

Almost $9 million of that total would be needed for parking lot repairs, not
including extra money to add spaces in overcrowded lots at several stops
along Metro-North's New Haven Line.

The information is part of a consultant's ongoing study of how Connecticut's
commuter rail service is governed. The purpose is to determine how the state
Department of Transportation can work with municipalities, Metro-North,
regional planning agencies and other groups to improve the service.

The study, presented Tuesday to the state's Transportation Strategy Board,
also found that commuters face a patchwork of policies at the various
stations.

Parking fees, security and other amenities vary greatly, depending on the
whims of the municipality in which each station is located and what
agreements they have negotiated with the DOT.

"The loser in all of this is the commuter," said James Cameron, vice
chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council. "I think there's an
expectation that commuters shouldn't face different rules and different fees
depending on the station they use."

For example, in some towns, parking fees are used for station improvements
such as increased security; in others, they are not. The fees themselves
vary greatly, as do the methods for allocating the much-coveted yearly
parking passes.

The $900,000 federally funded study looked at the New Haven, Danbury, New
Canaan and Waterbury lines of Metro-North Railroad. The stations used by
Shore Line East were not included because they are controlled by Amtrak, not
the state.

The Transportation Strategy Board has no money to help pay the $11 million
that would be needed to return the stations to good repair, but hopes to be
able to "provide some guidance [to the DOT] as a neutral third party," board
Chairman R. Nelson "Oz" Griebel said.

"If we're getting inconsistent pricing and inconsistent amenities, we ought
to know where that is," he said. "I think it's very relevant to
understanding how we use mass transit as a real alternative."

Several of the parking lots at New Haven Line stations pose a particular
problem because they are so crowded and because several need repaving or
other repairs such as drainage work or new curbing, the study said.

Many state transportation officials say more parking is a critical part of
Connecticut's plan to lure more commuters off the highway and onto mass
transit.

The new study included surveys and interviews with thousands of passengers,
garnering their opinions on topic such as lighting in the parking lots,
restroom cleanliness, the availability of phones and trash canisters, and
the ease of dropping off or picking up passengers.

Some of the highlights:

Passengers who use the Redding and Bethel stations were the most satisfied
with parking, while those at Noroton Heights (Darien), Stamford and Talmadge
Hill (New Canaan) were the least satisfied.

The New Canaan station had the highest percentage of positive ratings for
its building, while Noroton Heights had the lowest by far.

The Wilton station received the lowest score for amenities. Bethel station
users were the most satisfied with the amenities offered to them, giving it
even higher scores than larger facilities such as New Haven's Union Station.

The Redding station had the highest percentage of positive ratings for the
condition of its platform, while Noroton Heights was rated the lowest.

Overall, the most satisfied customers were those using the Redding, Bethel
and Cannondale (Wilton) stations. The least satisfied were those using
Noroton Heights, Fairfield and Stamford.

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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