METRO NORTH NEW HAVEN RAIL COMMUTER COUNCIL

(Established in 1985 under Connecticut Public Act 85-239, now Sections 13b-212b and 13b-212c of the Connecticut General Statutes)

 

MINUTES OF OCTOBER 17, 2007

CDOT OFFICES, UNION STATION, NEW HAVEN CT

 

 

Present were: Jim Cameron, Chairman, Sue Prosi, Terri Cronin, Stan Trybulski, Rodney Chabot, members of the Council; Gene Colonese and Peter Richter, CDOT; Joe Kanell, Scott Ornstein, and Jeff Watson, MNRR; Mark Ginocchio, Stamford Advocate; Roger J. Cirella and Kristan Tulp, Members of the Public.

 

The meeting began at 7:00 pm.�

 

CHAIRMAN�S REPORT

 

There wasn�t a report.� Also, the September minutes were approved but Sue Prosi abstained from the vote because she hadn�t read them yet.

 

REVIEW OF SEPT. OPERATING REPORTS

 

Scott Ornstein said ridership was up five percent.� There was one bus substitution on the Waterbury Line and two on the Danbury Line.� Rodney Chabot asked if there was much damage to the car on the Waterbury Line after the collision with the box truck.� Gene Colonese said it was a Bombardier car and that it was repairable.� As for the VRE cars, six cab cars are back and a total of fourteen VRE cars are now in service.�

 

Sue Prosi asked about the SLE train 1640 and why there are so many problems on that line.� Joe Kanell said that MNRR has run into problems lately with the SLE.�

 

FARE SURCHARGE/FARE HIKE-UPDATE

 

Jim Cameron said the Governor vetoed the Bond package.� Senator Andrew McDonald called Jim to ask the Council�s help to pressure the Governor to approve the package and Jim refused.� Jim said it looks like the Fare Surcharge will go forward.� Gene Colonese said that CDOT has put a notice in the CT Law Journal notifying the public of the Fare Surcharge per the statute.� All trips will be charged $1.00.� So a monthly ticket will be an additional $40 and weekly tickets would be increased by $10.� Jim asked if there was a 90 day notice to the public and Gene Colonese replied no.� Gene said there will be public information meetings and that there will probably be two or three of them.� Terri Cronin asked if the surcharge could later be removed but Gene said that a new law would have to be passed.� Stanley Trybulski asked if this was a one way street.� Can MNRR CT increase fares and not NY?� Gene said that our fares are still less than New York.� Sue Prosi questioned the implementation of the hearings and Gene said that CDOT is looking into press releases and also seat drops.� Sue asked if there would be any other notices and Gene said the first week of November.� Jim requested that the public hearings be scheduled at convenient times for the public.� Jim wants the public to understand why these increases are happening. Jim said that the public isn�t going to be happy.� Sue Prosi raised a motion to petition CDOT for a public hearing.� Jim said that there wasn�t any reason for that and there was no second for Sue Prosi�s motion.� Gene said that the hearings would be convenient for the public.�

 

Scott Ornstein said the fare hike for NY riders is scheduled for 03/01/08.� Scott said that there are hearings all over NY.� It is going to be 6.5% across the board for NY not CT.� Jim asked if NY fares are higher than CT and Gene said that NY fares are still lower than CT.�

 

MAIN LINE ISSUES

 

Terri Cronin said that the AM train #1433 from Fairfield had no surveys distributed.� Terri said that the woman with the surveys just keeping clicking the passengers as she counted them but would not give her a survey.� Terri said she called MNRR and spoke to Jeff Olwell and he said that two surveys were going on at the same time.� Apparently, consultants are checking consultants.� Terri felt that the surveys are skewed by their inequitable method of distribution.�

 

Jeff Watson said that there isn�t enough time to do surveys especially on an eight car train.� Scott said that the survey is objective, demographic data used to obtain federal funding.� The surveys are for inbound trains from 4:35am until 1:30am and that every passenger is offered a survey.� Terri said that the trains are usually packed.� Scott said that 80,000 surveys have been mailed in.� Scott also said that the annual Customer Satisfaction survey is subjective.� He also said that many passengers don�t want those surveys.� Jim said that passengers that complete the surveys are angry so they may skew results.� Rodney said that the conductors should make an announcement about the survey and Terri said that they did.� Scott said that one survey is handed out by MNRR and the other by a contracted group out of Vermont. �

 

Jim went on to discuss the Station Repairs and read the e-mail from Jeff Steele.� The e-mail detailed the many repairs that need to be done at the Fairfield train station.� The lights are out and the conduits for the electrical are being used to lock bicycles.� An engineering firm was hired to do the work but their certification expired.� Gene said that these firms have to have safety training and the number one concern is safety.� The e-mail went on to request safety-striping on the platform edge and Gene said that they are working on all those requests.�

 

Sue Prosi inquired about the Stratford station and Gene said that improvements will occur in Stratford.�

 

Kristan Tulp discussed the incident on 9/27/07 with SLE train 1640.� No announcements were made when the train broke down between Norwalk and Westport.� One of the passengers even went on the intercom looking for a conductor.� Kristan said that the conductor was hiding.� Sue Prosi said that it was a �Comedy of Difficulties�.� Joe Kanell said that it was a four car SLE train.� MNRR couldn�t get a back up engine out of Stamford.� He did say that communication was a problem.� There is one conductor for four cars and that conductor was later reprimanded by Joe Kanell.� Joe apologized to everyone.� Joe said that the conductor didn�t respond properly.� Jim asked if the riders had remained calm despite the three hour delay and Sue said yes.�

 

Rodney Chabot asked about the Talmadge hill phone installation and Gene said that they are still working on it.�

 

Roger Cirella, a Waterbury Line Rider, asked about additional diesel locomotives on the line.� Gene said that they are expecting two brand new diesel locomotives next month.� Roger asked about adding an additional morning train from Waterbury in April and not eliminating the current train.� Gene said that an additional train would be added and that the current schedule would remain.�

 

Sue Prosi inquired about the Danbury Line and the gaps in service.� Gene said that they realize there are a number of gaps in service.�

 

STAMFORD GARAGE UPDATE

 

CDOT Deputy Commissioner Martin couldn�t make the meeting and Peter Richter mentioned that there are meetings next week.� The discussions are continuing.� Jim asked if the developer is going to move on.� Peter didn�t have any details but he said there are substantive discussions occurring now.� Bond Bill 1501 isn�t very promising right now.� Sue Prosi said that this bill is delaying a lot of projects and that there are major consequences.�

 

GOV�S COMM. ON CDOT REFORM

 

A meeting was held in Bridgeport and Gene Colonese said it was sparsely attended.� Jim Cameron said he wasn�t sure if the Council should take a position on this. Recommendations are due December 1.� Sue Prosi said there is now a Whistleblower Hotline for anything relating to DOT.� DOT employees are also being surveyed on their job satisfaction.

 

REPORT ON SWRPA T.O.D. CONFERENCE

 

Jim Cameron did attend.� Sue Prosi said that a developer in South Stamford is planning on building four thousand housing units in the South-end.� The plan calls for a high rise building five to ten stories.� The concept is to intensify development near transit hubs.� Developers say it is difficult to get through the regulations.� Location is going to be important.�

 

Black Rock, West Haven and Orange are now hot spots for this plan.� Jim Cameron said that New Rochelle has two skyscrapers and that New Rochelle has its own skyline.� Development is now occurring around trains.� The state is making progress in transportation.� People�s Bank is also investing twenty-five million for a TOD plan in Bridgeport and the state is going to match it.�

 

NEW M8 RAILCARS

 

Jim asked about the updates on the M8�s and Scott Ornstein said they are on schedule.� Terri Cronin and Stan Trybulski are going to the NY Commuter Council meeting 10/18 where a presentation will be made on the M8 design.� There is concern over the sixth seat near the vestibules. Terri asked if there was going to be a seat drop regarding this issue and Gene Colonese said that it was going to be at the end of October.�

 

MEET THE COMMUTER DAY

 

Jim Cameron said that there were not enough people at the meeting to move forward with further plans for Meet the Commuter Day.� He will revisit the idea again next month.

 

OTHER APPROPRIATE BUSINESS

 

Sue Prosi asked about train 1556 6:01 and train 1560 6:48 and the forty-seven minute schedule gap.� Gene said that he would look into it for the schedule change in April.

 

Jim Cameron read an e-mail from a passenger, Thomas Keane regarding busted seats and the no feet on seats rule.� Peter Richter said that the October issue of the MNRR flyer �Mileposts� addressed that concern in the Courtesy Corner of the flyer.�

 

Rodney Chabot pointed out the unreliability of the M-4s compared to the other cars.� Gene said he would visit that issue next time.�

 

Rodney motioned to adjourn at 8:50pm.�

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Roger Cirella

Acting Secretary