Sudden Metro-North 'crisis' followed years of neglect
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy held a “crisis summit” Monday at Metro-North, but the surest time for preventing the latest service interruption on nation’s busiest commuter railroad most likely passed a decade ago during the waning days of the administration of Gov. John G. Rowland.
The newest source of Metro-North’s angst is one very old bridge: the 118-year-old Walk Bridge, a 564-feet long swing bridge across the Norwalk River that’s stalled in the open position twice in recent weeks. It is a monument to commuter frustration and deferred maintenance.
“The bridge didn’t turn 118 years old in the blink of an eye,” said Kevin Nursick, a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Nor can it be replaced in a blink. Transportation infrastructure crises announce themselves quickly and loudly, but they arrive slowly and quietly. And the fixes, especially when they involve providing a new rail crossing without interrupting service to 140 daily trains, seldom are easy to finance, design or construct. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Waterbury school board approves new school
WATERBURY -- The Board of Aldermen on Monday voted 12-3 in favor of building a new $49.6 million school in the city's East End.The vote follows approval by the Board of Education, allowing school officials to submit an application for state aid that will cover nearly 70 percent of building costs. City taxpayers will be responsible for $18.1 million.The plan calls for a 550-student "neighborhood school" serving students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight. It is to be built on 20 wooded and rocky acres surrounded by a quiet East End neighborhood.The city's application still needs to pass review by state officials and ultimately gain the blessing of state lawmakers. Based on Waterbury's history, it would be extremely rare for the state to turn down an application at this point.School officials have long sought to build in the East End. Two prior proposals were shot down, both times owing at least partially to concerns with location.Prospects also looked uncertain heading into Monday's meeting. The project needed support of 10 of 15 aldermen.Democratic Alderman Ryan A. Mulcahy joined Independent Lawrence V. De Pillo and Republicans Steven R. Giacomi and Jerry P. Padula in opposition. Giacomi voted against the project when a "subcommittee" of the entire board voted. Giacomi later sided with the majority for a second, ratifying vote, once it was clear the measure would pass either way. This maneuver preserves his right to bring it up for reconsideration later. Giacomi said he believes educators when they say overcrowding is a problem, but this is outweighed by the burden on taxpayers."If I could I'd put a new school on every corner," Giacomi said. "... But I'm not sure we can afford to do that right now." Democrats Paul Pernerewski, Gregory A Hadley, Anne P. Phelan, Ronald A. Napoli Jr., Victor Lopez Jr. Anthony T. Piccochi, Earnest Brunnelli and Joseph Begnal Jr. voted for the school. They were joined by Republicans Paul V. Ciochetti, Stephanie E. Cummings and Christopher Ursini.Cummings and Ursini were seen as the determining swing votes going into Monday's meeting. "I made the best decision I could for the city based on what I know, and what constituents tell me they want," Cummings said during a break. "I do think there is a cost associated with this new school, but I think it's a necessary cost." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE