“Why don’t they build a monorail down the middle of I-95?”
So began the latest in a series of well-intentioned emails I regularly receive from readers, anxious to offer what seem like smart solutions to our transportation crisis in Connecticut.
Why no monorail?
Because we don’t have the money.
So let me ask — and answer — a few questions:
Why do we issue 20-year bonds to pay for highway repaving that, at best, will last 15 years?
Why does 40 percent of the state’s Department of Transportation’s annual budget pay for debt service on old bonds instead of buying new trains?
Because we don’t have the money.
In China, they spend 10 percent of their GDP on infrastructure. In the U.S., it’s more like 2 percent. Why the underinvestment? Because we are paying so much to play catchup on the lack of savings in previous decades for things like pensions for state worker and teachers. In other words, we don’t have money for new trains — let alone a monorail — because we’re stuck paying the bills passed down to us that our parents didn’t pay. But nobody in Hartford has the guts to tell you that truth.
But objective experts who follow the budget process for a living have some ominous warnings:
The state has authorized $3 billion in transportation bonds we can’t even issue because we don’t have the money to pay for them.
We are in so much debt that some towns have been forced to issue bonds (IOUs) to pay for snow removal.
The state has issued bonds to make payments on other bonds — like taking out a second mortgage to pay your first.
Connecticut’s debt now adds up to $14,800 for every man, woman and child in the state. That compares to a national average of $4,300 in other states.
We have a $6 billion “balloon payment” upcoming on the underfunded teachers’ pension, and we don’t have the money. Yet, pandering politicians now give teacher retirees a 25 percent state income tax exemption on their pensions — soon to rise to 50 percent. Why? The average teacher pension in Connecticut is $59,700.
Pensions and medical care for teachers and state employees plus debt service will soon be 60 percent of the state’s budget.
Experts say it will soon be legally and mathematically impossible NOT to raise taxes in Connecticut. The latest deal with state workers promises no layoffs for four years and declaring bankruptcy is not legally possible.
So you wonder why our roads are potholed, our rails so rickety and our airports so poorly ranked? It’s because we don’t have the money.
The economic piggy bank known as Fairfield County still provides 40 percent of all the income taxes in this state, but it’s no longer growing by double-digits like previous years. A handful of billionaires in Greenwich and New Canaan could throw us into chaos if they all decided to pull up stakes and move elsewhere. And if train service on Metro-North gets much worse, they’ll have even more incentive to leave.
Yet, our elected officials in Hartford continue to lie to us about what’s coming, more concerned with their re-election by not being seen as raising taxes than telling us that Armageddon is just around the corner. CLCIK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Centre Square marketing effort ready to step up
BRISTOL - As the city continues to develop an access road serving Centre Square, it is gearing up to market the site to developers.
“Now, we want to get the word out about our downtown incentives,” said Justin Malley, executive director of the Bristol Development Authority. “We want to be able to reach a variety of audiences for this - from larger-scale developers to small mom-and-pop business owners. Our goal is to market the site to a variety of potential end users.”
The project started at the beginning of the month. So far, the city has excavated to begin installing sewers and storm drainage, said City Engineer Ray Rogozinski. He added that most of the material excavated will be removed.
“We are progressing on schedule,” Rogozinski said, adding that the road is expected to be finished next spring.
Centre Square Access Road will run 900 feet, from the corner of North Main and Laurel streets in front of City Hall to Riverside Avenue. The project includes lights, landscaping, granite curbs and trees.
The road is estimated to cost $2.5 million and will serve the new Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center and future development on the north side of the lot.
It will also provide access to future development on the corner of North Main Street and Riverside Avenue. Rogozinski said the city has been in contact with developers interested in that parcel. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Legality of little known Meriden road questioned after development proposed
MERIDEN — “City street” might not be the first thing to come to mind driving by the little-known extension of Murdock Avenue off Ives Avenue. Grass and trees have conquered the pavement and aside from vehicles used by the abutting Ives farm, cars have not frequented the road in decades.
Greater Hartford's competitive bid for Amazon's second headquarters touts its value as an affordable, talent-filled transportation hub that boasts both a sustainability plan and nearby international airport -- two of the online retail giant's key requirements.
The cities of East Hartford and Hartford -- the latter of which has been open about its fiscal challenges and the possibility of filing for bankruptcy -- have teamed up in a bid to land Amazon's second headquarters, dubbed HQ2.
They, with the help of state officials, officially submitted their application Thursday, which was the deadline established by Amazon. Stamford also submitted a state-sanctioned application. With Amazon's second headquarters located in either Hartford or Stamford, Connecticut would see a $500 billion increase in its GDP over the next quarter-century, state officials said.
The state has set up websites pitching both the Hartford and Stamford regions. Greater Hartford is described as both an "eclectic" and "charming" destination -- deemed one of only 19 "Knowledge Capitals" worldwide by the Brookings Institution -- that offers "a larger labor force than many other metro areas, one of the highest academic concentrations in the nation, and a cost of living 15 percent to 50 percent below other Northeast cities."
"We're inviting Amazon to reinvent with us – to create a campus bridging both banks of the historic Connecticut River, and to be part of our great city's revival," said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin via email. "But beyond the attractiveness of the site itself, the real power of our application is the strength of our region."
Specifics in the application sent to Amazon Thursday by the state of Connecticut on behalf of the city include developable site availability both east and west of the Connecticut River, spanning downtown Hartford and East Hartford.
The application also highlights the region's array of colleges and universities, the CTfastrak rapid transit bus system and walkable bike friendly neighborhoods. A Hartford Climate Stewardship Initiative is a climate action plan focused on energy, food, landscape, transportation, waste and water needs.
In September, Amazon announced plans to open a second company headquarters in North America to complement its headquarters in Seattle. Cities across the country are competing as Amazon expects to invest over $5 billion in construction and grow the site to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs.
Competing cities had until Thursday to submit confidential applications to Amazon.
Hartford Will Seek Proposals For Land Around Ballpark In Next Few Weeks
The city is moving swiftly to seek new proposals for the property around Dunkin’ Donuts Park, just weeks after it fired the original developer of the ballpark from other projects in the Downtown North neighborhood.
With the ballpark coming off a successful first season of minor league baseball, Hartford planners envision a combination of residential and retail development on the 16 acres surrounding the ballpark, now a sea of parking lots and a vacant, bunker-like former bank data-processing center. Sean Fitzpatrick, the city’s director of development services, said that the city will seek proposals beginning in early November, and that he expects prospective developers will have three months to submit their ideas.
“We are fairly agnostic as to whether it is three developers, one developer. We really want to see what the market comes up with,” Fitzpatrick said. “There may be some other things that we haven’t thought of. There may be other entertainment uses that someone would come up with.” Mayor Luke Bronin has told The Courant that Hartford already received several inquiries from interested developers, though he has declined to name them.
When the city agreed to finance the $71 million Dunkin’ Donuts Park, development around the ballpark was considered a crucial part of the plan to generate much-needed tax revenue for the city.
Fitzpatrick acknowledged that the process could be complicated by a “legal overhang” involving the development partners that originally were hired to build both the stadium and redevelop the surrounding neighborhood.
The developers have sued the city for wrongful termination from the ballpark project, claiming the city made dozens of changes that caused the developers to miss the deadlines.
Raymond A. Garcia, a lawyer for Centerplan, has said he and his clients don’t think the city will be able to justify the most recent firing.
Garcia declined comment Friday on the move by the city to seek new proposals for the neighborhood project.
Fitizpatrick said the city would cast a wide net, not only regionally but in the New York and Boston development circles. The city also is talking to landowners just outside the Downtown North area. There are wide expanses of land along Market Street, for example, that often have been mentioned as prime areas for redevelopment.
Fitzpatrick said the city could “put people together and see what we could make happen.”
Even with an expected legal challenge, it is important for the city to begin marketing the properties, Fitzpatrick said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
What Lies Beneath: Cities With the Best—and Worst—Infrastructure
Savvy home buyers know that when they check out a home, they need to look at the fundamentals. Is the foundation sagging? Is there a whiff of rot in the basement? How old is the roof? Hey, is that a water stain spreading on the bedroom ceiling? All of these could hint at big trouble, and bigger expenses, up ahead.
But most people don't extend that nuts-and-bolts approach to the infrastructure around the house. And yet: How the heck are you going to get to work, or to the grocery store? Is the water drinkable? Are potholes turning into sinkholes, prompting desperate cries of "What the hell happened to my home investment?"
Highways and sewers and electrical grids—oh my! They're hardly scintillating topics for dinner-party conversation, but they're essential to everyday life. And to the future value of your home.
But here's the harsh truth: Infrastructure in the United States is a stark tale of haves and have-nots. Some cities have pristine and modern systems, investing deeply in future projects; others seem to be decomposing from within. The realtor.com® data team set out to separate the best from the rest.
For a seemingly snooze-worthy subject, infrastructure improvement has gotten plenty of attention lately. President Trump used the subject for sure-fire "stand-up-and-cheer" moments at his campaign trail rallies, as he promised to rebuild aging city systems. So far, little has come from his $1 trillion national infrastructure improvement plan, which was billed as relying on public-private partnerships.
But there's plenty of stuff happening—or in some cases, not happening—on a local level.
“Cities that keep up with infrastructure needs are a big step ahead in attracting home buyers,” says Scott Muldavin, chair of the Counselors of Real Estate, a Chicago-based industry group. The home buyers, he says, "want short commutes, transit options, and quality roads. Time is money, and being near good infrastructure improves home value.”
Employers, too, are clamoring for locations in markets with first-class infrastructure. Good luck competing for the second Amazon headquarters without an airport that doesn’t have direct flights to Seattle! CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Amtrak: Sandy Tunnel Repairs May Begin in 2025, Cost $1B
Construction work on a critical project to repair damage from superstorm Sandy in East River tunnels used mostly by the Long Island Rail Road may not begin until 2025 — 13 years after the structures were deluged with 14 million gallons of corrosive saltwater.
The work, once expected to begin by 2019, now will cost more than $1 billion — three times original estimates, according to Amtrak. It will also require the LIRR to operate without one of four East River tunnels, or tubes, linking Long Island to Penn Station for up to four years — twice as long as originally estimated, Amtrak officials said Oct. 19.
Even years after water flooded the tunnels in October 2012, residual chemicals continue to eat away at their structure, experts have said.
Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach), after being briefed by Amtrak officials on the plan, called the developments “extremely troubling.” He said waiting more than a dozen years after Sandy to repair the damage could significantly worsen LIRR service disruptions caused by problems in the tunnels — disruptions that have increased 72 percent since the storm, according to a state comptroller's report in April.
Problems with the East River tunnels were responsible for nearly one-fifth of all the LIRR's increase in delays, cancellations and terminations since 2011, the report said.
“Being stuck in a tunnel is not something that we can take lightly. And unfortunately, that's what riders are going to be increasingly looking at,” said Kaminsky, who intends to call for a public hearing to discuss the tunnel-repair project. “It is not an acceptable plan.”
In 2014, Amtrak announced its plan to address Sandy's toll on the tunnels, including from chlorides and sulfates in the floodwaters that “caused and continues to cause damage to the tunnel structures,” according to a report issued by HNTB Corp., a Kansas City, Missouri, construction engineering consultant hired by Amtrak.
Amtrak, using HNTB's projections, said the repairs, which largely entailed addressing deep cracks and holes in concrete structures, would cost about $330 million and would necessitate taking each of the two affected tunnels out of service for a year at a time.
Amtrak officials said Oct. 19 that the consultants' report did not factor in the condition of other components of the tunnels, included aging electrical wires and signal systems. So Amtrak has opted for a “full reconstruction” of the tunnels — a complex project that requires years of design work and other preparations. That includes fortifying the other two CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The project started at the beginning of the month. So far, the city has excavated to begin installing sewers and storm drainage, said City Engineer Ray Rogozinski. He added that most of the material excavated will be removed.
“We are progressing on schedule,” Rogozinski said, adding that the road is expected to be finished next spring.
Centre Square Access Road will run 900 feet, from the corner of North Main and Laurel streets in front of City Hall to Riverside Avenue. The project includes lights, landscaping, granite curbs and trees.
The road is estimated to cost $2.5 million and will serve the new Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center and future development on the north side of the lot.
It will also provide access to future development on the corner of North Main Street and Riverside Avenue. Rogozinski said the city has been in contact with developers interested in that parcel. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Legality of little known Meriden road questioned after development proposed
MERIDEN — “City street” might not be the first thing to come to mind driving by the little-known extension of Murdock Avenue off Ives Avenue. Grass and trees have conquered the pavement and aside from vehicles used by the abutting Ives farm, cars have not frequented the road in decades.
The city’s law department is looking into the legal status of road, which appears on maps and property deeds, and has put Plimpton and Hills Corporation’s application to construct a 20,000-square-foot warehouse temporarily on hold. The plumbing, heating and HVAC company hopes to build a warehouse and showroom alongside its offices at 300 Research Parkway. The extension of Murdock runs through the area proposed for the building.
The Ives family owns the farm at 1 Ives Avenue behind 300 Research Parkway and believes the warehouse would violate the city’s zoning laws because the section of Murdock Avenue is still a legal city street. “The road is a public road. It belongs to the people of Meriden. Do they have the right to give it away just to build a warehouse?” said Amy Ives.Attorney Thomas Luby, who is representing the Ives family, sent a 9-page letter requesting the Planning Commission deny Plimpton and Hills’ application because the construction calls for the warehouse to be built over the road. Even if the road were legally discontinued, Luby said the family will still retain the right to pass through Murdock Avenue between Pomeroy Avenue and Research Parkway.
“Once a roadway is accepted as a city street, it is of no significance that the roadway is seldom used,” Luby writes in the letter. “The site plan application proposes a manner of development which is a legal impossibility; the applicant simply does not have the right to build the warehouse/distribution structure in the middle of the street and right of way.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
WALLINGFORD — Eversource Energy continues to install gas line on Route 68 after recently wrapping up work at the busy Route 150 intersection.
The $14 million project, which began in June, involves installing more than 17 miles of pipeline in Wallingford and Middletown.
On Thursday, Eversource crews continued work on a two-mile section of Route 68 between Research Parkway and Tilcon Connecticut, Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said. Construction is expected to be completed by mid-November.
In August, a section of Route 68 leading up to Route 5 was closed for two days to accommodate construction.The first phase of the project, which involved the installation of 5.6 miles of gas line on Route 68 from Wallingford to the Durham town line, will be completed by the end of November. Next year, crews will install eight miles of gas line on Route 17 in Middletown south to the Route 68 intersection in Durham. Both segments will be connected in 2019.
“This will allow natural gas to flow between the communities, ensuring that gas is available when customers need it,” Eversource said in a statement. “Linking the two communities also offers potential access to natural gas in nearby areas where the clean and efficient fuel has not been an option.”
The Route 150 and Route 68 intersection was also recently widened by creating a three-lane approach, with a dedicated left-turn lane, a straight lane and a dedicated right-turn lane.
Town Engineer Rob Baltramaitis said the three lanes have helped alleviate congestion at certain points of the day
BERLIN — Environmental crews are working to remove debris at the site of the old train station as construction on the new station continues nearby.
“We’re deciding whether we’re going to open a section” of the new station’s platform, which extends into a portion of the former station’s property, said John Bernick, assistant rail administrator for the state Department of Transportation.
In August, DOT said the new station in Berlin is “likely” to open in January.
Bernick said Thursday the extension of the new platform cannot be completed until the old station, leased by Amtrak to DOT, is completely demolished. Temperature sensitive concrete work may also now be delayed until the spring.Crews began final cleanup of the site Thursday nearly a year after the station was destroyed by a fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Asbestos was detected by environmental crews contracted by DOT.
Steve Waznia, town fire marshal, was on site Thursday and said the contamination needs to be contained and removed before further cleanup can occur. “They need to take care of that first,” he said.
Bernick said crews had anticipated hazardous materials due to the age of the building.
“These are normal things we encounter,” he said.
Any salvageable materials, included in a list within the demolition contract, will be saved and discussed with the town.
DOT met with the town last week to discuss plans going forward.
“The town has a number of different plans and initiatives they are pursuing,” Bernick said.
Interim Town Manager Jack Healy was not immediately available for comment.
Completion of cleanup is expected to take a few more weeks.]
PLAINVILLE — Over 150 people crowded into the cafeteria at Plainville High School to learn about the new preferred route to close the gap in the Farmington Canal Trail at the Plainville-Southington line.
“I’m all for it,” said Joyce Fritz, a Plainville resident, during the Wednesday night session.
Fritz biked to the meeting using marked street paths throughout town. She is part of a local group of cyclists out who travel on the Farmington Canal Trail.
The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) has been looking at options to close the 4-mile trail gap since last summer. Choices were narrowed down to one preferred route that is mostly off road and starts on Northwest Drive.Previously the route was proposed to go through Peron Road and Tomasso Nature Park. Under the revised plan, the trail passes through the western edge of the Carling Technologies property behind Peron Road.
“I really don’t want to see that go behind our backyards,” said Robert Balkow, a Peron Road resident.
He spoke at a Town Council meeting this week along with several other residents opposing a route through Peron Road or Pierce Street.
Most councilors said they were in favor of closing the gap, but wanted more information before making a final decision .
“I think we do need to have more input,” said councilor Scott Saunders.
During Wednesday’s meeting at the high school, potential trail liability and maintenance issues were raised by residents.
“Maintenance would be an agreement between the town and DOT,” said Tim Malone, principal planner for CRCOG.
Close to 100 percent of the trail is proposed to be off-road in wooded areas and on side street paths. There is a possibility some sections could be on-road initially depending on funding for off-road construction.
“All alignments are preliminary,” Malone said. “We will continue to refine it once selected.”
He said if approved by the town, the trail could ultimately take four years to complete. Funding will be explored as the project moves forward.
The cities of East Hartford and Hartford -- the latter of which has been open about its fiscal challenges and the possibility of filing for bankruptcy -- have teamed up in a bid to land Amazon's second headquarters, dubbed HQ2.
They, with the help of state officials, officially submitted their application Thursday, which was the deadline established by Amazon. Stamford also submitted a state-sanctioned application. With Amazon's second headquarters located in either Hartford or Stamford, Connecticut would see a $500 billion increase in its GDP over the next quarter-century, state officials said.
The state has set up websites pitching both the Hartford and Stamford regions. Greater Hartford is described as both an "eclectic" and "charming" destination -- deemed one of only 19 "Knowledge Capitals" worldwide by the Brookings Institution -- that offers "a larger labor force than many other metro areas, one of the highest academic concentrations in the nation, and a cost of living 15 percent to 50 percent below other Northeast cities."
"We're inviting Amazon to reinvent with us – to create a campus bridging both banks of the historic Connecticut River, and to be part of our great city's revival," said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin via email. "But beyond the attractiveness of the site itself, the real power of our application is the strength of our region."
Specifics in the application sent to Amazon Thursday by the state of Connecticut on behalf of the city include developable site availability both east and west of the Connecticut River, spanning downtown Hartford and East Hartford.
The application also highlights the region's array of colleges and universities, the CTfastrak rapid transit bus system and walkable bike friendly neighborhoods. A Hartford Climate Stewardship Initiative is a climate action plan focused on energy, food, landscape, transportation, waste and water needs.
In September, Amazon announced plans to open a second company headquarters in North America to complement its headquarters in Seattle. Cities across the country are competing as Amazon expects to invest over $5 billion in construction and grow the site to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs.
Competing cities had until Thursday to submit confidential applications to Amazon.
Hartford Will Seek Proposals For Land Around Ballpark In Next Few Weeks
The city is moving swiftly to seek new proposals for the property around Dunkin’ Donuts Park, just weeks after it fired the original developer of the ballpark from other projects in the Downtown North neighborhood.
With the ballpark coming off a successful first season of minor league baseball, Hartford planners envision a combination of residential and retail development on the 16 acres surrounding the ballpark, now a sea of parking lots and a vacant, bunker-like former bank data-processing center. Sean Fitzpatrick, the city’s director of development services, said that the city will seek proposals beginning in early November, and that he expects prospective developers will have three months to submit their ideas.
“We are fairly agnostic as to whether it is three developers, one developer. We really want to see what the market comes up with,” Fitzpatrick said. “There may be some other things that we haven’t thought of. There may be other entertainment uses that someone would come up with.” Mayor Luke Bronin has told The Courant that Hartford already received several inquiries from interested developers, though he has declined to name them.
When the city agreed to finance the $71 million Dunkin’ Donuts Park, development around the ballpark was considered a crucial part of the plan to generate much-needed tax revenue for the city.
Fitzpatrick acknowledged that the process could be complicated by a “legal overhang” involving the development partners that originally were hired to build both the stadium and redevelop the surrounding neighborhood.
The developers have sued the city for wrongful termination from the ballpark project, claiming the city made dozens of changes that caused the developers to miss the deadlines.
Raymond A. Garcia, a lawyer for Centerplan, has said he and his clients don’t think the city will be able to justify the most recent firing.
Garcia declined comment Friday on the move by the city to seek new proposals for the neighborhood project.
Fitizpatrick said the city would cast a wide net, not only regionally but in the New York and Boston development circles. The city also is talking to landowners just outside the Downtown North area. There are wide expanses of land along Market Street, for example, that often have been mentioned as prime areas for redevelopment.
Fitzpatrick said the city could “put people together and see what we could make happen.”
Even with an expected legal challenge, it is important for the city to begin marketing the properties, Fitzpatrick said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
What Lies Beneath: Cities With the Best—and Worst—Infrastructure
Savvy home buyers know that when they check out a home, they need to look at the fundamentals. Is the foundation sagging? Is there a whiff of rot in the basement? How old is the roof? Hey, is that a water stain spreading on the bedroom ceiling? All of these could hint at big trouble, and bigger expenses, up ahead.
But most people don't extend that nuts-and-bolts approach to the infrastructure around the house. And yet: How the heck are you going to get to work, or to the grocery store? Is the water drinkable? Are potholes turning into sinkholes, prompting desperate cries of "What the hell happened to my home investment?"
Highways and sewers and electrical grids—oh my! They're hardly scintillating topics for dinner-party conversation, but they're essential to everyday life. And to the future value of your home.
But here's the harsh truth: Infrastructure in the United States is a stark tale of haves and have-nots. Some cities have pristine and modern systems, investing deeply in future projects; others seem to be decomposing from within. The realtor.com® data team set out to separate the best from the rest.
For a seemingly snooze-worthy subject, infrastructure improvement has gotten plenty of attention lately. President Trump used the subject for sure-fire "stand-up-and-cheer" moments at his campaign trail rallies, as he promised to rebuild aging city systems. So far, little has come from his $1 trillion national infrastructure improvement plan, which was billed as relying on public-private partnerships.
But there's plenty of stuff happening—or in some cases, not happening—on a local level.
“Cities that keep up with infrastructure needs are a big step ahead in attracting home buyers,” says Scott Muldavin, chair of the Counselors of Real Estate, a Chicago-based industry group. The home buyers, he says, "want short commutes, transit options, and quality roads. Time is money, and being near good infrastructure improves home value.”
Employers, too, are clamoring for locations in markets with first-class infrastructure. Good luck competing for the second Amazon headquarters without an airport that doesn’t have direct flights to Seattle! CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Amtrak: Sandy Tunnel Repairs May Begin in 2025, Cost $1B
Construction work on a critical project to repair damage from superstorm Sandy in East River tunnels used mostly by the Long Island Rail Road may not begin until 2025 — 13 years after the structures were deluged with 14 million gallons of corrosive saltwater.
The work, once expected to begin by 2019, now will cost more than $1 billion — three times original estimates, according to Amtrak. It will also require the LIRR to operate without one of four East River tunnels, or tubes, linking Long Island to Penn Station for up to four years — twice as long as originally estimated, Amtrak officials said Oct. 19.
Even years after water flooded the tunnels in October 2012, residual chemicals continue to eat away at their structure, experts have said.
Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach), after being briefed by Amtrak officials on the plan, called the developments “extremely troubling.” He said waiting more than a dozen years after Sandy to repair the damage could significantly worsen LIRR service disruptions caused by problems in the tunnels — disruptions that have increased 72 percent since the storm, according to a state comptroller's report in April.
Problems with the East River tunnels were responsible for nearly one-fifth of all the LIRR's increase in delays, cancellations and terminations since 2011, the report said.
“Being stuck in a tunnel is not something that we can take lightly. And unfortunately, that's what riders are going to be increasingly looking at,” said Kaminsky, who intends to call for a public hearing to discuss the tunnel-repair project. “It is not an acceptable plan.”
In 2014, Amtrak announced its plan to address Sandy's toll on the tunnels, including from chlorides and sulfates in the floodwaters that “caused and continues to cause damage to the tunnel structures,” according to a report issued by HNTB Corp., a Kansas City, Missouri, construction engineering consultant hired by Amtrak.
Amtrak, using HNTB's projections, said the repairs, which largely entailed addressing deep cracks and holes in concrete structures, would cost about $330 million and would necessitate taking each of the two affected tunnels out of service for a year at a time.
Amtrak officials said Oct. 19 that the consultants' report did not factor in the condition of other components of the tunnels, included aging electrical wires and signal systems. So Amtrak has opted for a “full reconstruction” of the tunnels — a complex project that requires years of design work and other preparations. That includes fortifying the other two CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE