CT METRO NORTH NEW HAVEN RAIL COMMUTER COUNCIL

 

MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 18, 2004 MEETING

AT SACIA OFFICES, ONE LANDMARK SQUARE

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

 

 

The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. 

 

Present were:  Members Rodney Chabot, Chairman, Jim Cameron, Vice-Chairman, Carl Leaman, Ed Zimmerman, Peter Marcuse, Joe McGee and Bob Jelley; Ray Cox and Mike Donnarumma from Connecticut DOT; Sergeant John Mullen, Metro North Police; John Longobardi, Jeff Watson and Peter Millard from Metro North Railroad; Lisa Mercurio from SACIA; John Austin, Fairfield Consumer Advocate; Christina Lewis, Press; Richard M. Stowe, Railroad Transportation Excellence Coalition; and Scott Crosby, Rolf Obin, Steven Moore and Donald Mumma, members of the public.

 

The Minutes of the January meeting were approved.

 

WINTER OPERATIONS

 

Ray Cox reported that Tuesday, February 17 was the first day that Metro North returned to a regular schedule after the two weeks of diminished operation caused by the severe winter weather.  Wednesday, February 18 was a good operating day. 

 

In answer to a question, he reported that rehabilitated M-2 cars were averaging 280,000 miles before breakdown, compared to 60,000 miles for non-rehabilitated cars. 

 

Ray Cox further reported that the DOT was amending its contract with Amtrak to provide that the Shore Line East trains will be maintained by Metro North rather than by Amtrak.  As a result, Metro North will take over the New Haven shop presently being used by Amtrak for maintaining Shore Line East trains.  At the present time, the Metro North shop in New Haven has 18 bays for maintenance of Metro North cars, and the Amtrak shop has 13 bays for maintenance of Shore Line East equipment.  Maintenance of Shore Line East equipment does not require that many bays.  The combined operation will give Metro North 31 bays, which will result in more bays available for maintenance of Metro North cars.  Ray Cox hopes that the takeover will occur by July 1. 

 

Ray Cox reported that some of the M-2 rehabilitation work was slowed down during the winter so as to provide space for repairing broken down Metro North cars.

 

A commuter, Steven Moore, asked why running a car without heat on the railroad was acceptable.  Cox answered that a cold seat was better than no seat at all.  Moore went on to ask why the DOT was supporting Shore Line East, with its relatively few commuters, as opposed to spending more on Metro North.  There was a general discussion about the fact that more rail transit was better than less.

 

In answer to a question, Ray Cox reported that 20 pairs of cars had been rehabilitated so-far as part of CDOT’s CSR (Critical Systems Replacement) program.  It had been hoped work would average 2 pairs per month but in fact only about 1 pair per month was being completed.  He stated that the State was spending $600,000 per car on rehabilitation. 

 

Several commuters talked of the need for the State to spend more money on trains and less on highways, and that the Rail Council ought to do a better job of selling rail transit to the Legislature. 

 

Ray Cox further reported that the DOT had decided that the new cars for the Metro North-New Haven line will be M-8s, as opposed to double-deckers and other alternatives that had been considered.  He explained that the Metro North yards were designed for trains with self-propelled cars, not locomotive-pulled cars, and that Metro North workers had 30 years of experience with self-propelled cars, which would be lost if a new type of car were chosen.  He added that there may be some locomotive hauled trains on some routes.  He said that there will be a 24-30 month period for designing new M-8s, and that money for the design process will be available.  He said that the new M-8s will be designed for service on third-rail, 15,000 volts overhead, and 25,000 volts overhead, thus providing the ability to operate into Grand Central, within CT and potentially beyond New Haven.

 

PROPOSED FARE INCREASE

 

Ray Cox reported that he believed that the 5.5% fare increase proposed by the Governor will indeed take place.  Joe McGee thought that there needed to be a 3 cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax to go into a fund dedicated for mass transit.  That would produce about $45 million per year.  A commuter proposed an electric utility tax instead but Joe McGee suggested that a gasoline tax works better. 

 

Joe McGee moved a resolution that the Council support a minimum of a 3 cent per gallon increase in the motor fuel tax, with the proceeds to be dedicated to capital improvements to the rail system.  Ray Cox reported that presently, there are $125 million of capital projects per year managed by DOT, with 80% of the funds coming from the federal government and 20% coming from the State of Connecticut.  The motion was carried, with 6 in favor, 1 opposed and 1 abstention.  The Chairman and Vice Chairman agreed to write an appropriate letter advising the Legislature and the Governor of the Council’s resolution.

 

SATISFACTION SURVEY

 

There was a general discussion of Metro North’s passenger satisfaction survey done in October, 2003.  None of the council members, except the Chairman and Vice Chairman, had seen the results of the survey.  Categories of response had been changed from the previous year’s survey, making comparisons difficult, but the Vice Chairman said that there was not much change from the results one year ago.

 

It was reported that the New Haven line operates 80,000 train trips per year, the Harlem line operates 60,000 train trips per year and the Hudson line operates 40,000 train trips per year. 

 

SWRPA TRANSPORTATION SUMMIT

 

Jim Cameron reported that a transportation summit had taken place on Saturday, February 14 in Norwalk.  About 100 commuters came.  15-20 commuter spoke for about 1-1 ½ hours.  Only three members of the Legislature’s 30-member transportation committee were there.  One legislator said that the Legislature had failed the railroad.  It was pointed out that something has to be done to get the rest of the State Legislature interested in rail transportation.  Bob Jelley reported that he believed that the proposed commuter rail operation between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield was something that ought to be supported, because that would cause many more of the House and Senate districts to be impacted by commuter rail, probably generating more support for a commuter rail in the Legislature. 

 

SHORE LINE EAST

 

There was discussion of the Shore Line East thru-trains to and from Stamford.  Ray Cox reported that the thru-trains had met only 2 of their 3 objectives as they had failed to capture as many thru-riders from Shore Line East stations to Stamford as had been hoped.  He also said that they cannot run down to Stamford in hot weather over 80 degrees, because the height of the diesel locomotives is too close to sagging catenary wires during hot weather, causing arcing and short circuits.

 

Mike Donnarumma reported that ridership for January, 2004 on Shore Line East was 1,544, up 4% or 5 % from January, 2003.

 

 

WATERBURY BRANCH

 

Mike Donnarumma reported that there was some bus substitution for January. It was also reported that the Governor’s budget proposal includes $2 million for a study of branch lines.  It was the Council’s view that further study was not needed, and that a letter ought to be written suggesting that the money might better be spent on branch line operations.

 

DANBURY BRANCH

 

There were no bus substitutions during January.

 

NEW CANAAN BRANCH

 

There was nothing to report.

 

MAIN LINE

 

It was reported that catenary replacement from the New York State line to Stamford was almost complete.  The Chairman asked for more information about the progress of the catenary project for the next meeting. 

 

Ray Cox reported that the taxi surcharge at Stamford station will indeed be $2.00, and that will begin March 1.  He also reported that the train monitor on the overpass from the new garage will be installed by the end of February.   Ray Cox reported that the Bridgeport garage will, as of April 1, be $40 per month, rather than $30.  The free lot will begin to charge $30 per month.  New bus terminal and garage construction will begin in the fall of 2004 or spring of 2005 and will eliminate the parking lot.  He further reported that the South Norwalk garage, which has been $650 per year will increase to $65 per month ($780 per year), the same as Stamford and New Haven. 

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

 

The next meeting will be at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 24 at the Bridgeport Railroad Station.

 

 

Bob Jelley

Secretary