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Connecticut Commuter Rail Council

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The Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is an independent state board that acts as an advocate for commuters on the Metro-North and Shore Line East railroads.

The board holds regular, public meetings once a month (except in the summer) with Metro-North and state Transportation Department officials to discuss concerns of commuters. The council also solicits complaints from riders, issues annual reports on rail service and lobbies on behalf of commuters before state boards, offices, the governor and the Legislature.

Most board meetings are held in Stamford, although the board also meets in other communities with commuter railroad stations.

The Connecticut group is distinct from the Metro North Rail Commuter Council in New York state. By law it must send its annual reports to that body as well as the management advisory board of the office of the inspector general of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York.[1]

Membership

From the Connecticut law establishing the commuter council (Sec. 13b-212b. Metro North New Haven Rail Commuter Council established):[1]

The Governor shall appoint four members, the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint three members, the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint three members, the minority leader of the Senate shall appoint one member, the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member, the chairmen of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation shall each appoint one member and the ranking members of said committee shall jointly appoint one member.
Each member shall serve for a term of four years. Any vacancy shall be filled by the original appointing authority by appointment for the unexpired portion of any term. Members of the council shall serve until their respective successors are appointed and approved by the General Assembly.

Here is a link to current members and their contacts. [3]

2006 Annual Report

In January 2006 the council issued its annual report, calling rail service "short on parking, seating and adequate climate control", according to a news report.[2]

"The council is not a cheerleader," Jim Cameron, chairman of the council, told the Associated Press. "Our goals are to reflect the concerns of commuters. We're nonpartisan and realistic."[2] The report said the state's commuter rail system is plagued by a lack of available parking for commuters at many stations, with most towns having waiting lists for parking as long as four years, even as some holders of monthly parking permits rarely use their spaces. The 30-year-old rail cars are often decrepit and dirty, and commuters on the New Haven line pay some of the highest fares in the country.[2]

To read the full report, click here[4].

Notes

  1. ^ a b [1] Web page titled " Sec. 13b-212b. Metro North New Haven Rail Commuter Council established.", reprinting Connecticut state statutes which created the commuter council, at the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council Web site, accessed March 17, 2007
  2. ^ a b c [2] Associated Press report, "Commuter council issues report card on Metro-North", January 16, 2007, as reprinted at the Web site for The Hartford Courant, accessed March 17, 2007

See also

  • [5] Web site of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council


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