Minutes

November 14, 2001-- Danbury Station

 
1. Minutes of the October Meeting were approved.

OLD BUSINESS;

1. Except for a damaged Solari Board at Track 14, which is to be repaired,
the tunnel boards in New Haven station were all reported to be operational.
When this report was challenged by those who'd found boards not operating, it
was noted that the tunnel boards are not turned on until six minutes before
each train's departure.

2. No major service disruptions or bus substitutions were recorded in Shore
Line East service during the previous month. But a complaint was registered
that the DATTCO bus drops its passengers some distance from the Guilford
Station because it cannot readily turn around in the station area. This
matter will be reviewed. It was suggested that SLE stations be open more
than the present four hours daily, especially during winter when passengers
need their shelter. Harry Harris reported that bidding for the $30 million
stations project is being reopened, because initial bids were too high and
CDOT wants to award a single contract for all the stations.

3. There were no service problems during the month on the Waterbury
Branch Line.

4. Danbury Branch Line issues were again discussed against the backdrop of
CDOT's decision to seek new bids for the CTC signal system installation -
earlier bids being high due to estimates being based on the burial of wires.
Plans for expanded bus service to Harlem Division stations from Danbury line
communities drew fire due this action's potential impact on Danbury Line
ridership. Council members voiced hope that, to make ridership more
attractive, some mainline stops could be eliminated for through trains
between Danbury and New York City. Gene Colonese pointed out that, due to
essential equipment allocations, this would not be possible. The possibility
of having stations kept open longer for winter passengers was raised, but
this is a matter for local towns' action. It was reported that the proposal
to provide passenger service between Danbury and Croton on Hudson has been
dropped.

5. Work on the Stamford Station is progressing, Ray Cox reported. The
need to fully close down the existing Stamford parking garage for updating
after the new gar-age is completed was challenged, as this will mean that
there will be no real expansion of station parking for several more years.

6. Budget cutbacks for the coming year concerned Council members. Mr.
Harris said that there will be no cutbacks in key CDOT services, but that the
roster of CDOT expenses continues to grow, so some long-range projects will
have to be delayed.

7. Thirty-three Metro North coaches are currently out of service for
repairs, Mr. Cox reported. The Council voiced its concern that equipment
shortages are delaying needed extensions of service, creating potential
inconveniences for commuters, and creating a barrier to the forecast
expansion of ridership.

8. While budget restraints have lengthened the waiting time for any new
station between Milford and New Haven, Mr. Harris said that the issue of
1,000 new parking spaces at the projected station remains key to where the
station will ultimately be built, despite the feeling that the station will
be in Orange, rather than West Haven. The Transportation Strategy Board has
allocated $2 million for the design of that proposed station, and a beer
distributor has offered to build the station and lease it back to Metro North
for 99 years.

9. Mr. Cox reassured the Council that staff cuts and budget restraints will
not adversely impact SLE service in the year ahead.

NEW BUSINESS:

1. Mr. Cameron reported on expansive mass transit extensions proposed by the
Coastal Corridor TIA to the new Transportation Strategy Board. These
include through service from SLE points to Metro North New Haven Line
stations, rail commuter service to Hartford and Springfield and on the
Amtrak line into Queens and Penn Station, and broad expansion of both rail
and bus service.

2. The issue of canopies at the new State Street station led to a general
discussion of Metro North's failure to provide adequate passenger cover in
Stamford and at other locations. Chairman Chabot expressed his distress that
the Council's concern over gaps in passenger cover was not being taken more
seriously by the railroad. He challenged the contention that a few extra
yards of cover between platforms and stations would be too costly to consider.

3. Mr. Chabot stressed the need for improved lighting at some stations with
the shorter winter days in which many commuters go to and from work in the
darkness. In a few cases, he said, dark areas are created by unrepaired
lights or the need for addition of only one or two additional lights.

4. Mr. Cameron reported on complaints about rowdy students' conduct on the
2:51 p.m. train eastbound from Stamford. Metro North spokespeople said that,
while disturbing to other passengers, the students' exuberance did not reach
the level of criminal conduct or danger to fellow riders. It would be
difficult, they indicated, to re-strain such conduct or to bar the students
from the train.

5. Mr. Cox said that, despite the shortage of equipment, Metro North and
CDOT were adequately prepared for the coming winter. Barring a very severe
storm, he said, there should be no serious service disruptions.

6. Mr. Colonese reported on Metro North's new Customer Satisfaction Survey.
He is providing a summary of customers' comments to the Council.

OTHER NEW BUSINESS:

 Ed Zimmerman voiced his anger that Metro North had  again failed to give New

Canaan Branch Line customers notice of the planned substitution of buses for trains

 during the first three days of that week.  The reason was an-other round of brush

cutback along the line, an activity which clearly had to be scheduled in advance.

While Metro North spokespeople reported that buses had in all cases made

express connections in Stamford, the trains are not held for bussed passengers

and there is clear inconvenience in having to lug baggage on and off a bus, let alone the
possibility of missing appointments if buses do not connect. In this case,
Metro North had advised Mr. Chabot of the bus plan after business hours
Wednesday evening but, despite his request that The New Canaan Advertiser be
notified of this immediately, that notice was not provided until Thursday
morning - too late for that week's newspaper. Mr. Zimmerman has enlisted the
aid of First Selectman Richard Bond in seeking to make Metro North fulfill its
obligations when branch line operations are to be affected by the
non-emergency use of buses.

Respectfully submitted,


Edward H. Zimmerman
Acting Secretary

In Attendance

Rodney Chabot, Chairman

Jim Cameron, Vice Chairman

John Hogan, Metro North
Joe Kanell, Metro North
Harry Harris, CDOT

State Rep. Toni Boucher
Raymond F, Cox, CDOT

Jeff Maron, Council Member
Mike Donnarumma, CDOT

Bob Jelley, Council Member
Eugene J. Colonese, Metro North

Ed Zimmerman, Council member
Gus Meyers, Metro North