Talking Transportation 2023
Fireworks over Highway July 4 2019

Readers Comment on the Woes of Interstate 95

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Last week’s column (“Why We Love To Hate I-95”) apparently struck a nerve, generating a lot of comments, some of which I thought I’d share here. Carolanne wrote “I-95 needs to be re-paved. Ever notice how uneven the interstate is? It’s very unsafe. As for (lack of State) police, thank you Democrats (for defunding law enforcement.)”

Commenting on the highway’s condition, Pam from Darien said “I need to follow up with CDOT about the claim I put in for $350 for repairs to my car after driving on freshly laid pavement this summer.

Talking Transportation 2023
Highway traffic congestion Stamford Interstate 95 I95

What’s Wrong With I-95? Let’s Count the Ways

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Someone recently described me as “the Lewis Black of transportation” — angry, cynical and sarcastic. That’s high praise, in my view. So imagine my surprise that when Lewis performed recently in Waterbury and New London he riffed on the highway we love to hate: I-95. “I lived in Connecticut for five years,” attending the Yale School of Drama he told the crowd. “There’s nothing more joyous than driving up I-95.

Cameron on Transportation
CDOT I-95 Westport bridge replacement 2023

Appreciate the Wonders of Engineering Around Us

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As a young man I wanted to become a civil engineer and design the railroads of the future. So I went to one of the nation’s best engineering schools, Lehigh University, only to find out in my freshman year that I’d need calculus, physics and chemistry. So I ran quickly to the Arts College and studied sociology. Still, my admiration of the work of engineers in designing and running our transportation network has never diminished. Here are a few recent examples:
CDOT & ABCs
As we rebuild our crumbling interstate highways, the CDOT deserves credit for learning its ABCs — “accelerated bridge construction.” Over two recent weekends they demolished and replaced two three-lane bridges at Exit 17 in Westport with, considering the enormity of the tasks, minimal impact on traffic.

Cameron on Transportation
Offshore wind farm windy

How’s Connecticut Gonna Rock Down to Electric Avenue? An Electric Car Mandate Would Need More Electricity

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There’s way too much news. I’m a like thirsty man trying to drink from a firehose. Every day I read three daily Connecticut newspapers, several Connecticut news sites, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and then catch the evening news on BBC, France24, Deutsche Welle and PBS. (I don’t even bother with the commercial networks or the ‘terror-tainment’ on the cable channels). But while drowning in content, I sometimes find disparate news items that present a pattern, often disturbing.

Cameron on Transportation
Warning Signs CDOT Work Zone Speed Cameras

Here’s Hoping Work Zone Speed Cameras Give More Protection to Highway Workers Than Some Orange Cones

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Visit the headquarters of the Connecticut Department of Transportation in Newington and inside the front lobby you’ll see a strange memorial: orange safety cones draped in black. It’s a tribute to the nearly 40 men and women of the CDOT who’ve been killed in recent years doing their jobs maintaining our highways. On any given day there may be more than 1,500 CDOT staffers and hundreds of other private contractors in highway work zones. Some are fixing guard rails or picking up litter. Others could be engineers surveying the site for needed improvements.