Improving Metro-North

February 13, 2014

Metro-North is one of the busiest railroads in the country, serving over 60,000 commuters daily and nearly 40 million riders each year. As a member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee and a frequent passenger on the New Haven Line, I am looking forward to making Metro-North safer and more reliable for the people of Fairfield County in the upcoming session.

Advocating for the Commuter

With all of the unacceptable events and poor service levels during the last several years, I felt it was important to ask for federal help and, in February 2014, signed a letter with the Transportation Committee Leaders calling for federal intervention and additional efforts to hold Metro-North accountable to commuters. You can view the letter here.

In the letter we outline the following needed actions:

  • The Chairman and CEO of the MTA should establish measurable goals through which the railroad can advance to a safer and more dependable standard of service.
  • The federal government should provide Metro-North with managerial and technical expertise that they may need to resolve the serious problems that they are experiencing.
  • Our Congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Transportation should prioritize funding for repairs and maintenance on Metro North, with particular attention to the New Haven Line.
  • Adequate funding is also needed for a reliable, redundant power supply that is vital to any well-functioning and secure rail system.

In June, I also joined fellow legislators in reaching out to Therese McMillan, Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration of the United States Department of Transportation. Our letter seeks support for much needed improvements. See letter here.

Upcoming Public Hearings

For information on the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee and upcoming hearings, please visit:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/tra/Hearings.asp

For updated Information about Metro-North Delays or Schedule Changes visit: http://new.mta.info/mnr

To contact Metro-North with a comment, question or complaint about service on the New Haven Line Call 877-690-5114 or click here: http://mta-nyc.custhelp.com/app/ask

Metro-North has outlined a “100 day plan” for improvements
http://wtnh.com/2014/03/03/metro-norths-100-day-plan/