House Republican Press Release

March 14, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. D’Amelio: Projects Benefiting Greater Waterbury Move Ahead

Projects Include Transportation Center; Designs for I-84 Widening Between Waterbury and Danbury

Legislation authorizing funding for the Waterbury Intermodal Transportation Center and the completion of preliminary designs and engineering for the widening of I-84 between Waterbury and Danbury has been approved by the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, state Representative Anthony J. D’Amelio, who serves on the committee, said today.

The measure (Senate Bill 1401), which also authorizes other major transportation projects around the state, was approved unanimously by the Transportation Committee at a meeting Wednesday, said Representative D’Amelio, R-71^st District, who cosponsored the bill.

“The Transportation Committee’s unanimous approval of this measure brings the Waterbury Intermodal Transportation Center one step closer to becoming a reality for area commuters,” Representative D’Amelio said. “While the bill still has several hurdles to clear before it becomes law, the fact that it received the Transportation Committee’s unanimous endorsement bodes well for its chances of being enacted into law this year.”

“When the transportation center is completed, Greater Waterbury residents will be able to board a train or bus to get to work or transfer from one transportation mode to another quickly and easily,” Representative D’Amelio said. “It will be a state of the art facility specifically designed to make mass transportation more convenient, comfortable and reliable than has been the case in the past. It will encourage more people to get out of their cars and into trains and buses and reduce our dependence on imported foreign oil.”

“Anyone who has driven on I-84 between Waterbury and Danbury knows just how inadequate this highway has become over the years,” Representative D’Amelio said. “During rush hour, it is one of the busiest stretches of highway in Connecticut. Widening the Waterbury-Danbury I-84 corridor will significantly enhance traffic flow and improve safety conditions for the thousands of motorists who use it every day. Enactment of this legislation will pave the way for this long-overdue project.”

The bill also authorizes:

• The rehabilitation of rail passenger coaches for use on Shore Line East, the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line and the branch lines.
• Funding for capital improvements on the branch lines, not to exceed forty-five million dollars.
• Funding for parking and rail station improvements on the New Haven Line, Shore Line East and the branch lines, not to exceed sixty million dollars.
• Improving bicycle access to and storage facilities at transportation centers.