First, because this needs as many people as possible to weigh in, could you please share this post with 3 or 4 friends? (Share button below, or simply forward.)
News just out: CTDOT is releasing its draft 30-year long-range transportation plan, and the Train Campaign needs YOUR help to bring passenger rail back to Connecticut!
For years, dormant rail lines have sat idle while traffic gets worse. Other states are already restoring their lines, and it’s time for Connecticut to do the same. We are at a turning point, but it won’t happen without YOUR VOICE.
We at the Train Campaign are demanding that CTDOT study the restoration of service on two critical corridors by 2027:
The Maybrook Line: Connecting the Danbury, Waterbury, and Harlem Metro-North lines.
The Housatonic/Berkshire Line: Connecting Danbury to Pittsfield, MA.
The tracks are already there. The stations are already there. This isn’t a pipe dream, but a practical solution to our housing and traffic nightmares. Thanks to HB 8002 and its transit-oriented development (TOD) provisions, towns are incentivized to build housing close to public transit stops, creating walkable downtowns and attracting new growth without increasing car traffic. Expanded passenger rail + TOD is a win-win for communities.
How YOU Can Help
Transit authorities like CTDOT often justify service cuts because they think nobody is paying attention. Let’s prove them wrong. On April 22nd, we’re heading to the public meeting to share our thoughts on CTDOT’s draft Connecticut 2055 plan. We want to show them thousands of signatures that say loud and clear, “We the people want more trains!”
If you envision a Connecticut with cleaner skies, cheaper homes, and less traffic, the Train Campaign humbly asks you to sign our petition today. (Note: this is the second iteration of the petition, as we moved from Change.org to Moveon.org, and the total signatures are approaching 700. We want to get to 1000!)
Donate: If you’d like to donate to our cause, you can click here to access our donor box.
Stay Informed: Learn more at traintime.substack.com and traincampaign.org.
All the best, Matthew R. Silber
Here’s how to find the transcript (in yellow), if you prefer to read a (rough) text instead of listening. You’ll see the Transcript link under every Train Time podcast. Look above for today’s episode
Some of our past episodes are on YouTube, too.
Credits
Music on the Train Time podcast comes from Two Bit Cowboys.
All content in Train Time is shared under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND):
Attribution (BY) – Always credit the author and Train Time as the original creator with a tag or link to https://traintime.substack.com.
Non-Commercial (NC) – Content cannot be used for commercial purposes.
No Derivatives (ND) – Content may not be modified, adapted, or repurposed.
