1. Chairman Chabot called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Minutes of the

June meeting were approved.

2. Stephanie Harwood reported that the unofficial opening of the North End

Access to Grand Central Terminal had occurred in August without fanfare, and

that commuters are making growing use of this project, which provides greatly

improved terminal access for those working at or going to locations north of

the terminal. Except for some minor flooding during the disruptive August 26

storm, all aspects of the access seem to be working well, she said.

Gene Colonese noted that the improvement, while as yet used by only about 20

percent of riders, is creating better distribution of passenger loads, with

less front end crowding and fewer complaints about inadequate seating on

trains (invariably as rear coaches travel with scores of open seats).

Joe McGee raised the issue of proposed Long Island Railroad access to

GCT, noting growing sentiment that any implementation of this plan should

also be broadened to give New Haven Division riders service into Penn Station

via existing Amtrak trackage. Council members agreed with Chairman Chabot’s

contention that Connecticut has no representation in this issue, and that

the plan to give LIRR access to Grand Central appears to be "a done deal."

He noted that hearings to date have been under-publicized and thus poorly

attended, giving proponents the grounds for alleging that there is no

opposition to the plan.

The spokesperson for the concept has been invited to meet with the

Council, but has used schedule conflicts as her explanation for being unable

to do so. It was suggested that she be asked to attend the October meeting,

scheduled to be held in New Haven.

3. Jack Reidy stated that the Stamford Station expansion is proceeding on or

ahead of schedule, except for a delay which will occur due to the erection of

a second pedestrian bridge to the garage (this the result of some delay in

finalizing the garage construction plans).

4. Inoperative escalators and other evidence of shoddy station maintenance

on the part of the City of Stamford were again a meeting topic.

Vice-Chairman Cameron stressed that the station’s condition clearly gives

visitors to Stamford and those with business at the new Swiss Bank an

unfavorable impression of the city. Mr. Chabot said that his conversations

with both the Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and Herb Cohn, the station’s

supervisor, suggest that they are largely inattentive to problems such as the

escalators. Mr. Cameron noted that Stamford is happy to scoff up parking

garage profits, but then wants CDOT to pay as a capital expense the cost of

escalator repair and renovation.

5. Harry Harris provided an update on the status of CDOT’s contract with

the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for Metro North’s operations. CDOT

wants to work within terms of the contract, he said, but a system exists by

which it must notify MTA/MN by mid-August of the prior fiscal year of

concerns and impending problems CDOT has in continuing to function under the

contract. It has such problems with the Year 2000 contract, he explained,

and these add up to a $7 million deficit, with the option of a fare increase

to cover the deficit unavailable due to a 1999 Legislature resolution. The

deficit does not cover M2 overhaul plans or other administrative needs, he

added.

6. Mr. Harris and Jack Reidy provided an update on the status of the free

com-muter parking lot in Bridgeport, which is being turned over to the city.

A new lot with space for 450 cars is being established east of the station,

using fencing and lighting from the original lot, which will be the site of

an ice hockey facility. The City of Bridgeport will build a multi-level

garage serving both the hockey facility and the Bluefish stadium, and

offering free commuter parking as well.

7. Negotiations for adding a third Fairfield station are continuing, Mr.

Harris explained. The former UPS building site, under consideration, has

been found to have access problems, he added, which would require either a

tunnel through an area with potential water level problems or a widening of

the Black Rock Turn-pike bridge over the railroad. He does not expect

further progress by the time of the next Council meeting.

OTHER OLD BUSINESS. Mr. Chabot asked what is being done about the

construction site adjacent to the re-opened New Canaan station. Previously a parking

lot, this area has not been cleared to permit its renewed use, he said.

Jerry Carney reported that the area has now been re-paved, and will again

become a metered lot in the near future.

1. Mr. Cameron presented a dossier of website complaints about air

conditioning problems during the July heat wave. He said such complaints

were more extensive than in recent years, and – conceding that the status of

M2 coaches may have caused them to contribute to many failures -- wondered

whether there had been a cutback in maintenance or repair efforts.

Metro North spokespeople offered these explanations: (1) this was the

hottest July on record, but air conditioning complaints dropped sharply

during the far cooler August, (2) the air conditioning systems are not

designed to bring temperatures down into the 70’s, but merely to make them

comfortable, (3) a sampling of records showed that in only 3 percent of all

coaches were air conditioning shortcomings detected, (4) the new North End

Access tunnels do adversely affect air circulation in the terminal somewhat,

and this makes cars heat up more while they are in the terminal, and (5) M2

units did contribute disproportionately to this summer’s numbers.

To members’ questions (and an issue raised by State Senator William

Nickerson), Metro North spokespeople said that they are working to find ways

to bring down summer temperatures in the terminal access areas.

2. Gene Colonese said the Metro North schedule for the New Haven Division

will contain few changes (none in rush hours trains) when released in

October.

3. With meetings slated to be held on the third Wednesday of each month, Mr.

Chabot listed the meeting schedule for the balance of the 1999-2000:

4. Mr. Cameron cited prolonged delays and instances of passengers stranded

on trains in connection with the August 26 thunderstorm and cloudburst.

George Walker said the sudden volume of water and apparent blockages in the

city water drainage systems south of the Melrose station precipitated the

crisis. Direct current electric systems in coaches’ undercarriages make them

inoperative in water. Drainage was slow following the storm, he explained,

and necessitated both sending some trains back to their points of

origination and backing one train to Melrose for unloading. His associate,

George Okvat, noted that Metro North had recorded 11 complaints tracing to

the storm, but also had received 12 commendations for crews’ conduct and its

services under duress. In the wake of this episode, Mr. Walker detailed Metro

North’s plans for the approaching Hurricane Floyd, including the necessity of suspending

service if winds exceeded 50 miles per hour.

5. Dennis Bloom and his wife, Barbara, with their son, attended the meeting

to ask that fencing be placed along the Danbury branch line in the vicinity of a

Bethel youth center. Two weeks before, their 14-year-old son had been killed

by a train while going to or from a function at the youth center. Mr. Bloom

presented photos of the site and the path used by youngsters in reaching the

facility.

Mr. Bloom was upset that someone at Metro North had hung up on him when he

attempted to present his request for the fence to Metro North by phone. In

the wake of his tragedy, he said, no one at Metro North had contacted him;

nor had anyone, except for the shaken locomotive operator, voiced

condolences over the tragedy.

Mr. Harris and Mr. Reidy noted that trackside fencing is the responsibility

of CDOT, and that it cannot be erected everywhere it is requested. They

cited the state’s investment in the Operation Lifesaver program to educate

adults and children about the dangers inherent in crossing or walking along

tracks.

6. Mr. Harris reviewed the projected delay in the start of high-speed

northeast corridor service due to excessive wheel wear on Acela (sm) coaches.

Tests of the newly installed catenary with current Amtrak equipment will

begin in October, and high-speed travel via that same equipment will begin in

November, he said. CDOT is meeting with Amtrak, he added, to assure that the

service will not interfere with Metro North service or facilities.

OTHER NEW BUSINESS. A public hearing on design of the new State Street

station in New Haven will be held in January, Mr. Harris reported. In reply to

an inquiry by Josh Geballe regarding the possible expansion of Shore Line

East service to weekends, Mr. Harris stressed that deficits from the

operations preclude any expansion. He indicated no expansion of Shore Line

East service will be possible until the Q Bridge renovation is completed, but

that Shore Line East delays associated with the electrification of the line

are over. Mr. Harris noted that a public hearing on the LIRR’s access to

Grand Central Terminal will be held Thursday, October 7. Jeffrey Maron, a

Stamford commuter, suggested that the electronic monitor at the head of the

eastbound escalator in Stamford Station would better serve riders if its

typeface was enlarged. Squinting commuters cause a backup on the escalator,

Mr. Maron said. It was also noted that the underground train indicators in

the New Haven station now operate properly.

Respectfully submitted,

Edward H. Zimmerman

Secretary

In Attendance

Rodney Chabot, Chairman

Jim Cameron, Vice-Chairman

Stephanie Harwood, Council Member

Joe McGee, SACIA and Council Member

Edward Zimmerman, Secretary

Jim Mohs, Council Member

Harry P. Harris, CDOT

Josh Geballe, Council Member

Jack Reidy, CDOT

Carl Leaman, Council Member

George F. Walker, VP, Op's MN

Ben Thompson, Council Member

Jerry Carney, Station concessions

George Okvat, Metro North

Jerry Maron, Stamford commuter

Moe Kiniry, Chief Transportation Officer, MN

Tom McFeely, The Advocate

Scott J. Ab, WICC News, Bridgeport

Eugene Colonese, Metro North

Dennis Bloom, Sandy Hook, CT

Antonio Sorbin, CDOT

Barbara Bloom, Sandy Hook, CT