If Windsor Builds it, Will They Come?

Planning Bureau Chief of the Connecticut Department of Transportation Tom Maziarz delivered a presentation on planned improvements to the state's New Haven-Springfield rail line and the construction of a new train station in Windsor Monday night during a regular council meeting.

Among the benefits of the improvements Maziarz presented were four times the current amount of available train times, increased access to major metropolitan markets outside of Hartford and the opportunity for economic growth throughout the region.

However, council members questioned whether or not physical and service improvements to the line would lead to increase use of the transit system.

Recalling trips he took in his youth on the rail line from Windsor to Boston and Montreal, Councilor Donald Jepsen noted that service to the two major cities was terminated because "people stopped using it."

Plans for the current development do include developing rail lines that go through up through New Hampshire and to Montreal, but Jepsen's concern was shared by Councilor William Herzfeld, particularly with respect to the cost of travel.

Expressing his concern with increased traffic in town, especially around Windsor's corporate district, Herzfeld implied that the construction of a new station may not translate into increased use by those who commute to town for work.

"Amtrak just hasn't been price competitive," he said.

Because of the company's high prices, he added, commuters may decide that it may be cheaper to drive from here to New Haven or elsewhere in the region.

As currently planned, Amtrak's local ride fares will be adjusted, said Maziarz.

The service will "be a blend of inter-city service and community rail service," he added.

When riding locally, riders will be charged fares comparable to New York and Fairfield County's Metro North system, which are lower than Amtrak's, although Metro North is currently increasing prices.

If riders are taking a trip to New York, they will likely play fares similar to current Amtrak prices.

A round trip ticket from Windsor to New York's Penn Station on Amtrak currently costs $55.

With increased train frequency throughout the region, as the DOT has seen in other parts of the state, "ridership is expected to increase over time," Maziarz said.

Financially, Maziarz reported that the regional project currently has a price tag upwards of $600 million, and the DOT, thanks to three separate federal grants and $280 million of its own money, has two-thirds of the total funds needed.

The project is hardly modest in scale, requiring the laying of more than 45 miles of track along the 62-mile corridor.

Windsor, which currently has a single track, will need the track to be doubled, enabling multiple trains to pass through town simultaneously.

The proposed station, which would be constructed behind town hall, is planned to include a pedestrian bridge and a 260 spot parking garage, Town Manager Peter Souza said.

The investment in new infrastructure is meant to support the planned 25 daily round trips (there are currently six), and service every 30 minutes during peak hours.

At least five of those trains will provide service to New York and Washington D.C., Maziarz said.

Windsor was recently awarded $250,000 by the state of Connecticut for the planning and facilitation of the rail development project.

According to Maziarz, construction on the project could begin as early as 2014, and could begin operation in 2016.