As part of the CTrail Hartford Line, expected to begin service in May, crews have been laying a second track to accomadate increased service.
Communters can expect 17 round trips daily between New Haven and Hartford and 12 to Springfield.
The 250-ton machine used to assemble the new track can lay up to 1,000 feet of track an hour, or over one mile of track per day.
This summer, the machine laid 10 miles of new track between Meriden and Newington, according to the state Departmetn of Transportation. The track will lay the final four miles of track between Hartford and Windsor this fall.The machine was first used for the project in October 2016 to lay nine miles of track between North Haven and Meriden. By the end of the project, the machine will have laid 23 miles of new track between North Haven and Windsor.
Trump's order includes revoking an earlier executive order signed by President Barack Obama requiring that projects built in flood plains with federal aid take sea level rise driven by climate change into account in their design, White House officials said. Trump has suggested the predicted risks from sea level rise are overblown.
A copy of Trump's executive order wasn't immediately available. Describing his action, Trump said projects will still be subjected to environmental safeguards.
"It's going to be quick, it's going to be a very streamlined process," Trump said. "And by the way, if it doesn't meet environmental safeguards, we're not going to approve it. Very simple. We're not going to approve it."
Building trade groups had urged Trump to revoke the flood plain order, saying it was overly bureaucratic and increased the cost of projects.
A recent draft of an upcoming report from scientists representing 13 federal agencies say sea levels along U.S. coastlines could rise by more than 1 foot on average by 2050, potentially more in the Northeast and western Gulf of Mexico. A projected increase in the intensity of hurricanes in the North Atlantic will increase the probability of "extreme coastal flooding."
Environmentalists said Tuesday that ignoring the reality of the Earth's changing climate is shortsighted.
"What this order will do is ensure that we will waste more taxpayer money because federal agencies will no longer have to consider long-term flood risks to federally funded infrastructure projects," said Jessica Grannis, who manages the adaptation program at the Georgetown Climate Center.
The president, speaking at a news conference at Trump Tower in New York, said it can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and 17 years to approve an ordinary highway project because of burdensome regulations. Trump signed another executive order on streamlining environmental and public reviews of infrastructure projects his first week in office.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has said that regulations, not a lack of funding, are a primary holdup faced by transportation infrastructure projects. But a Treasury Department report released earlier this year found that "a lack of public funding is by far the most common factor hindering completion" of major transportation and water infrastructure projects." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hartford region jobless rate continues decline in June
During the month, the region's unemployment rate declined to 5.2 percent from 5.6 percent in the year-ago period. The drop in Hartford, however, was 1.2 percentage points, declining to 8.9 percent from 10.1 percent in the year-ago period, BLS statistics show.
Suburbs had varying rates of decline: East Hartford posted 6 percent unemployment rate compared to 7.1 percent in the year-ago period; New Britain registered 6.8 percent unemployment down from 7.5 percent in the year-ago period; and West Hartford slid to 4 percent unemployment from 4.3 percent a year earlier, the BLS reported.
The region added 6,200 jobs, an increase of 1 percent in June. The sector of mining, logging and construction added 1,000 jobs, registering the largest percentage gain of 4.6 percent, while the information sector lost 400 jobs, a decrease of 3.4 percent.
East Hartford Outlet Shops 'On Track' Again, Town Leaders Say
Town leaders say negotiations for a planned outlet shopping center at Rentschler Field appear to be moving forward after stalling last month.
"They seem to be much more on track," town council Chairman Rich Kehoe said Tuesday of talks between property owner United Technologies and outlet center developer Horizon Group Properties.
"So, within a month or two, we should see the final agreement between Horizon and UTC, which would then serve as a basis for the town tax abatement," Kehoe said.
The shopping center is to be the first retail development on the 650-acre Rentschler Field property since Cabela's, the outdoor sports and lifestyle store, opened in 2007. Horizon was to lease about 50 acres for the project from Pratt & Whitney, part of UTC.
In July, the council was ready to hear comments and possibly vote on a proposed tax break for The Outlet Shoppes at Rentschler Field. But "outstanding issues" between UTC and Horizon forced a postponement, Mayor Marcia Leclerc said at the time. Asked recently if she expected the project to move forward soon, Leclerc said she did, and that Horizon is working on final agreements.
Kehoe said the disagreements apparently concerned UTC demands that Horizon meet certain requirements, including deadlines to secure financing.The council may vote on the proposed tax abatement at its September meeting, Kehoe said, if UTC and Horizon reach a final agreement. Over 10 years, starting with the project's scheduled completion, tax breaks would total about $16.86 million. The breaks would come from deferring the increase in real estate assessment, the difference between the value of the vacant land and the development.
The $100 million initial phase of the project is to include at least 290,000 square feet of retail space. The development would provide work for many construction trades and about 1,000 full- and part-time jobs at the stores and restaurants.
Horizon runs eight outlet centers across the nation and is developing the East Hartford location and another in Cleveland, Ohio, according to its website, www.horizongroup.com. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE