A growing number of economists and public officials think Connecticut’s transportation troubles are contributing to the state’s slow economic recovery.
Eight years after its recession, the state has recovered only 73 percent of the jobs it shed in the downturn. The situation has hardly improved in the past few months, as Connecticut has lost more than 11,000 positions since July. While a multitude of factors contribute, mass-transit shortcomings loom as a key concern in a state where hundreds of thousands of workers commute every day.
“We have some of the most congested highways in America. That suppresses job growth,” said Joe McGee, vice president of public policy for The Business Council of Fairfield County. “Our congested highway system makes us less attractive. If we can improve our highways and also increase rail speed, I think our economy can grow very powerfully.”
Consensus on congestion
By many measures, southwestern Connecticut comprises one of the most congested areas of the country. Stamford ranked as the American city with the highest overall congestion rate — even higher than the levels in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco — according to a report this year by transportation analytics firm Inrix.“I don’t think the transportation issues are necessarily directly related to job losses, but you see it in terms of limiting growth,” said Pete Gioia, economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. “It’s a huge concern for growth going forward.”
The clogged roadways hinder many employers’ efforts in cities such as Stamford to attract and retain top talent.
“It is a significant burden on being able to lure people into this area and getting them to happily commute,” said David Lewis, founder and CEO of Norwalk-based HR outsourcing and consulting firm Operations Inc. “The chances are you’re going to pay more for that employee, and you’re also going to deal with the effects that commute causes. That person comes in more stressed from their drive, having been in that commuting mode.”
The state Department of Economic and Community Development does not track the economic impact of congestion, but the department still pays close attention to the transit systems, said Commissioner Catherine Smith.“For most companies thinking of coming to Connecticut, I don’t think transportation is No. 1 on their list of needs — that would be people and talent — but it’s still an important factor,” Smith said. “Everyone wants to make sure we’re making the right investments in our roads and rail lines.”
Members of the General Assembly also acknowledge the need for substantial investments.
“From the Transportation Committee point of view, there is no question that we are in need of significant improvements in efficiencies and capacity without sacrificing safety,” said L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, a member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee. “All one has to do is look from the third story of any building in Stamford at the traffic entering, exiting or transiting I-95 to understand how challenged we are.”
But the Legislature has been hard-pressed in recent years to enact the necessary remedies.
“If we did some of the things that I’m trying to do — like improved transportation and infrastructure — we could easily move to the top 10 states to do business in, but we have to make those investments,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in an interview earlier this year in Stamford. “And that’s why we need to get a budget done and why the Legislature can’t steal money from transportation again.”
The “stealing” refers to legislators’ frequent raids in recent years to pay for general expenditures.
The Special Transportation Fund posted an estimated balance of about $98 million in the past fiscal year and is predicted to finish the current year with $141 million, according to the state Office of Policy and Management. But the re-allocations have depleted a fund that faces the likelihood of going into the red in the next few years, as gas tax revenues have fallen sharply. CLCIK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Traveler traffic off to slow start at new Meriden train station
MERIDEN – A special holiday schedule and service delays contributed to a slow day at the new Meriden Train Station Friday following the opening of the new platforms and pedestrian bridge last week.
“This is new to me,” said Armando Diaz, a train passenger from Bridgeport. “It’s much better.”
Friday afternoon was the first time Diaz was able to step off the train at the new station. He said he takes the train usually every other week. The station is part of the new CTrail line and includes a pedestrian bridge.
“We have the up and over (pedestrian bridge) to connect both sides of the tracks,”said Sean Moore, president of the Midstate Chamber of Commerce earlier in the week. “You can park in the new garage and use the bridge to get to the Meriden Green.”
The new garage across the street from Track One was quiet Friday. An employee there said it wasn’t busy.
Amtrak issued a special Thanksgiving and holiday timetable from Nov. 21, through Nov. 27 for Northeast Corridor services. In a corresponding travel guide, Amtrak warns that Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday are the busiest travel days during this time.
Service alerts were also issued concerning possible track work from Nov. 3 through Dec. 31. The train continued from Track One on Friday after arriving in Meriden to St. Albans, Vermont, one of the few departures this weekend.
There is still sidewalk and landscape construction in front of the station, which is expected to be completed next month. Increased service will start at all stations May 2018.
Stonington school projects on schedule and within budget
Stonington — With two large additions partially enclosed, residents are getting an idea of what a major portion of the $62 million expansion and renovation project at Deans Mill and West Vine Street Schools will look like.
While classes have been going on inside the existing buildings, the grounds of both schools have been turned into large construction sites with fencing, heavy equipment, large piles of dirt and two additions.
“The progress from where we were on Labor Day until now has been significant,” K-12 School Building Committee Chairman Rob Marseglia said after touring the schools on Wednesday. “We are right on schedule. We’re right where we want to be. The credit has to go to Gilbane (Construction Co.) and their teams at both sites.”
Marseglia said classroom and library partitions are going in now, as well as mechanical items such as duct work and conduits. Soon windows will be installed with the goal of making the building weather-tight and heated so crews can work comfortably through the winter.
The project also remains well within budget, with $4 million left in the contingency account despite spending more than anticipated on rock and PCB removal and blasting.
The plan to upgrade the two 50-year-old schools calls for the two additions to be done in time for school to begin in August 2018. At that point, students will move in to the new additions, which will contain classrooms, offices, 6,000-square-foot gyms and libraries, while crews renovate the cafeterias, restore the school grounds and complete work on larger parking areas. At Deans Mill, the wing facing the street will have to be demolished. Both schools will have air conditioning and will use gas heat instead of the current electric.
While all the work at West Vine Street is expected to be completed in February or March 2019, and Deans Mill a month or so later because of the demolition, Superintendent of Schools Van Riley will have to decide whether to make the transition in the middle of the school year or wait until the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.
The West Vine Street move will be complicated by the fact that third- and fourth-grade students from West Broad Street School are moving to the expanded West Vine, which now houses kindergarten through second grade. The 117-year-old West Broad facility then will be closed. In addition, fifth-graders at Mystic and Pawcatuck middle schools will be moved to the two elementary schools.
Riley said he understands teachers are excited about moving in to their new classrooms but he wants to minimize the disruption for students.
With the exception of the construction crews from Gilbane Building Co., the two people who are most intimately involved in the project each day are Deans Mill School Principal Jennifer McCurdy and her counterpart at West Vine Street, Alicia Sweet Dawe.
Both say the projects are going smoothly and have had minimal impact on the operations of their schools.
“I thought there would be a lot more disruption,” McCurdy said. “Some days are louder than others but everyone has acclimated. Sometimes I forgot they’re even back there.”
“As crazy as it sounds, it’s going very well,” Dawe added. “The kids have been great, the staff has been great and my project supervisor (from Gilbane), Cheryl Benn, has been phenomenal. Anything I’ve needed, she’s taken care of. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Lengthy CT budget debate leaves capital program low on cash
It’s been nearly three years since Connecticut has had to dip into funds for capital projects to pay its operating bills.
But thanks to the long-running state budget impasse, the state’s cash flow problems could be back — in a slightly different way.
State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier warned in her most recent monthly debt report that this time around, Connecticut might need to temporarily transfer operating funds to cover its capital program.
The state uses this program to finance municipal school construction, road and other infrastructure upgrades, building programs at public colleges and universities, state building repairs and other projects.
Connecticut operates from a common pool that mingles tax revenues, federal grants and receipts from fees and licenses with borrowed funds. The treasurer’s office is allowed to transfer funds between operating and capital programs.
Though it is done infrequently, this flexibility was employed on several occasions both in 2009 during the last recession and again between 2012 and 2014 when bills exceeded available tax and other operating fund receipts.
A combination of a sluggish, post-recession economy coupled with decades’ worth of budgetary accounting gimmicks had drained operating cash substantially five years ago. At one point in May 2012, the state had $121 million in its common cash pool — while weekly disbursements were averaging about $540 million. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE