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Talking Transportation

Talking Transportation 2025
Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse

Did You Know …

By JIM CAMERON | May 19, 2025
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Over the 20 years I’ve been writing this column, I’ve come across some “fun facts” about transportation. Try dazzling friends at your next BBQ with some of these gems.

HIGHWAYS:

• The average distance driven on Interstate 95 in Connecticut is 11 miles. Some 180,000 vehicles drive all or part of the 112 miles that I-95 runs through our state. But even factoring in true interstate drivers (think Florida to Maine), the average distance driven in Connecticut is tiny. Why?

Talking Transportation 2025
truck burning oil

A Lot of Transportation Is Hazardous to Our Health

By JIM CAMERON | May 15, 2025
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Our air stinks. In fact, Fairfield County ranks in the top 25 of most polluted areas in the U.S., mostly due to ozone levels. And while much of those noxious gases drift our way from New Jersey and New York City, a large part of our pollution is home-grown: it’s due to heavy volumes of traffic, especially diesel trucks, which emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—key ingredients in ozone formation. Yes: I-95 is hazardous to your health. And all of this gets worse in the summer due to the heat which increases ozone production, often trapping it over our heads due to temperature inversions.

Talking Transportation 2025
On the train on the phone cell service on Metro North

Fumbling Media Coverage of Transportation News

By JIM CAMERON | May 5, 2025
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Don’t believe everything you read or see in the media. Sage advice on any topic, but especially when it comes to coverage of transportation. A couple of recent stories illustrate my point. Improved Cell Service on Metro-North
The governor and CDOT’s commissioner held a media event recently in Stamford to promote the fact that AT&T has improved its cell coverage along the New Haven line. That telco spent $6 million installing 30 high-powered macro towers and small cell nodes, some of them on CDOT land, in a public-private partnership.

Talking Transportation 2025
Highway congestion traffic congestion traffic jam

Solutions That Don’t Solve the Congested Traffic on I-95 and the Merritt, and Some Fixes That Help

By JIM CAMERON | April 21, 2025
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While I’m on vacation this week I thought I’d revisit a commentary I wrote in 2014. Judge for yourself how little has changed in 11 years. Everybody loves to complain about our traffic. And for some, the solutions are simple, if impractical. If there were easy answers to our woes, they’d have been implemented by now.

Talking Transportation 2025

Avelo Airlines: Neither Woke Nor Broke

By JIM CAMERON | April 13, 2025
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Connecticut’s favorite local airline, Avelo, is in trouble for making a strategic business decision: taking a long term contract with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to fly deportation flights for the Department of Homeland Security. Starting in May they’re dedicating three of their twenty 737 jets to fly from Mesa, Arizona, to destinations both in the U.S. and overseas (presumably flying over the “Gulf of America”), possibly even heading to El Salvador to deliver deportees to prisons there. The public reaction, while understandable, is misplaced. Avelo has enjoyed amazing success flying out of New Haven’s Tweed airport, growing from 50,000 passengers in 2019 to a current 600,000 happy flyers. They fly to 31 different destinations and have recently added flights from Bradley airport.

Cameron on Transportation
The City of Hartford Steamboat

How the Trip from Hartford to NYC Went From Several Days to 14-18 Hours to 5-6 Hours to 2.5 Hours

By JIM CAMERON | April 7, 2025
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Flashback 200 years. You have to travel from Hartford to New York City. How do you get there? Not by train (it didn’t exist yet) and certainly not by road (two to three days by stage coach on dirt roads). No, the best option was by boat.

Cameron on Transportation
U.S. Customs agent

Intrusions into Travelers’ Privacy and the Search for Illegal Immigrants — Interesting Times at the Border

By JIM CAMERON | March 31, 2025
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Last week’s column on the “Real ID” deadline to allow drivers licenses to be used to clear TSA at the airport struck a nerve. Among the many comments received, was this from Jan van Eck, who wrote:

“It is not, and never was, the purpose of TSA inspectors to go check identification papers a la East Germany: “papers, please.” Their function is to check for weapons being brought aboard an aircraft. That’s it. When (your column) counsels the citizenry to go get a Real-ID driver’s permit (and fork out an extra $30 for it), you are subtly encouraging the erosion of personal liberties, including the liberty to travel freely without some government bureaucrat questioning you.”

Oh, but that fun is just beginning, Jan, as you’ll find the next time you return to the US from overseas.

Talking Transportation 2025
Real ID Gold Star on License

You’ll Need a ‘Real ID’ on Your Driver’s License to Use It for Identification on Flights, Starting May 7

By JIM CAMERON | March 23, 2025
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Quick. Look at your Connecticut driver’s license! If you don’t see a gold star in the upper right corner, you’ll soon be unable to use that as ID to fly. By May 7, 2025, the familiar dance at airport security will change for Connecticut residents. That’s when the long-delayed Real ID requirement takes effect, and if you’re still flashing a standard driver’s license (without the gold star), you may find yourself grounded — literally.

Talking Transportation 2025
Aerial view of a parking lot

There Is No Free Parking

By JIM CAMERON | March 18, 2025
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As the housing debate rages statewide, one of the issues seldom addressed is that of “free parking.”

It’s one thing to increase housing density to hopefully bring us more affordable domiciles, but we have to remember that parking must be part of the equation, properly managed and priced. Critics argue that each parking space in a new development takes up about 325 square feet. That means two or three spaces could require as much land as a studio apartment or small store. And the cost of parking just adds to construction costs: as much as $10,000 per space on a surface lot, $50,000 on a parking structure and $100,000 in an underground lot. Consider Bridgeport, where as many as 200 homeless are living on the streets.

Talking Transportation 2025
Catherine Rinaldi Metro North president departing

Departing Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi Refects on a Sometimes Smooth, Sometimes Bumpy Ride

By JIM CAMERON | March 9, 2025
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“It’s been the job of a lifetime,” says Catherine Rinaldi, Metro-North’s first female president, who is set to retire at the end of the month. “It’s been just such an honor and a privilege to be able to lead this amazing organization… these heroes who performed the daily miracle [of running 700 trains] every day.”

Miracle? Hardly. But with such an aging infrastructure and so many moving parts, I’ve got to give Metro-North (and Ms. Rinaldi) credit for a job well done. Rinaldi came to the railroad in 2003 as a lawyer and helped run Metro-North (and the Long Island Rail Road for a while) through the dark days of COVID, when more than 100 MTA workers died, as the railroads kept service going — even as 90% of riders hunkered down in quarantine.

Talking Transportation 2025
Plow Trucks winter

What the Darien DPW Does to Keep Town Roads Safe

By JIM CAMERON | February 23, 2025
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So, how have you been enjoying this winter so far? We’ve already had eight inches of snow in Hartford, compounded by heavy winds, downed power lines and wind-chills in the single digits. February is the cruelest of months. But thanks to local and state road crews, our highways get cleared and we can, though bundled up, get on with our business. Before a storm hits local TV stations do the inevitable lame stories showing salt being loaded into trucks and road crews honing their plows.

Cameron on Transportation
Metro-North railroad train car New Haven Line

Lots of Connecticut Transportation News: Here’s the Good, the Bad and the Impractical

By JIM CAMERON | February 18, 2025
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There’s so much news to cover this week on the transportation front! The Good
Kudos to Gov. Ned Lamont’s budget team for promising to prioritize long-planned transportation construction in their proposed $55.2 billion, two-year budget. Despite President Trump’s promise to tie federal funding to states’ compliance with policies on masks, vaccines, tolls and immigration enforcement, the Connecticut Department of Transportation says their work will continue. Congrats also to CDOT for their planned $32 million rebuild of the Derby-Shelton train and bus station on the Waterbury branch. Ridership on that line is up significantly since more trains were added (a 47% increase) and there are several TOD (transit oriented development) projects underway in those two towns.

Amtrak 2025
Avelia Liberty Train Amtrack

Should Amtrak Be Replaced by AmeriStarRail LLC? And Could It Happen?

By JIM CAMERON | February 11, 2025
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As President upends the way things are done in D.C., I thought I’d revisit an idea I wrote about two years ago that he might just consider. Trump is big on privatizing government services (like the post office), so why not Amtrak, too? Why does the U.S. have only one serious passenger railroad? And given its monopoly and high fares, wouldn’t a choice of rail carriers bring better service and lower prices? Sure, Amtrak competes against the air shuttles (which are faster, but even more expensive), buses (much cheaper and slower) and, of course, cars (also slower).

Talking Transportation 2025

Some Good News For Commuters: Faster NYC Traffic; More Trains on Time, Happier Riders

By JIM CAMERON | February 3, 2025
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There’s just too much news. Trying to keep up with everything that’s happening is like drinking out of a firehose. But I’m not going to write about the horrific plane crash last week in Washington, D.C. Unlike President Trump, I’ll wait to hear from the experts on what happened and why. Nor am I going to write about the president’s threats to cut funding for already-approved transportation projects in Connecticut, tying that money to immigration enforcement, marriage and birth rates, vaccination and mask rules. My colleagues at CTMirror have already covered that well.

Talking Transportation 2024

Upcoming ICE Raids May Lower Public Transportation Ridership

By JIM CAMERON | January 26, 2025
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Imagine that. A politician who keeps his word. However you feel about our new president, he is doing exactly what he pledged he would do — and quickly. He is fulfilling promises that got him elected, so nobody should be surprised. Scared, perhaps.

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Sat 13

When Teens Turn to AI for Advice — What Parents and Other Adults Need to Know

September 13 @ 10:00 am - September 23 @ 11:00 am
Sat 13

When Teens Turn to AI for Advice — What Parents and Other Adults Need to Know

September 13 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Sun 14

Library Annual Meeting Includes Review of Past Year, Announcement of ‘Developments Ahead’

September 14 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Fri 19

Post-Game Friday Night Lights Party for DHS Students at The Depot

September 19 @ 9:30 pm
Sun 21

Darien Road Race to Benefit Community Fund of Darien

September 21 @ 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Sun 21

Donate Your Teens’ Unwanted Clothes to The Depot’s Teen Fall Fashion Clothing Drive

September 21 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Mon 22

Celebrate the Autumnal Equinox with Free Coffee and Apple Cider Doughnuts at the DCA

September 22 @ 9:30 am
Sat 27

Last Household Hazardous Waste Event This Year Will Accept Darien Waste in New Canaan

September 27 @ 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thu 02

Sustainable Fashion Show at DCA to Feature ‘Premium and Contemporary Brands at Thrift Shop Prices’

October 2 @ 6:30 am - 9:00 pm

Darien CT Weather

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Past Month's Most Read

  • Waterbury Trio Accused of Stealing Groceries from Multiple Supermarkets, Including Lobsters and Steaks
  • Police: Man, 30, Stole Credit Cards from a YMCA Locker, Then Used Them to Charge $11,206 at a Store
  • Man Arrested on Fraud-Related Charges in Darien, New Canaan and Norwalk
  • Police Arrest Man, 27, Accused of Passing Counterfeit Bills at Old Kings Market Shopping Plaza in 2022
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  • I-95 Closed Through at Least Monday, Schools Delayed Friday for 2 Hours, Police: Avoid Unnecessary Driving
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  • Do You Know Any of These Eight DHS Students Just Named National Merit Semifinalists?
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  • Police: Man Acts Belligerent with Supermarket Customers, Walks Out With Beer Without Paying
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Animals

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    Four Tips to Keep Your Pets Calm and Safe Over the Fourth of July

    Food. Fireworks.

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    Dog Licensing Begins June 1. After June 30, You’ll Pay More — And Here’s More Dog Rules for You to Follow

    Dog Licenses are available beginning June 1, and it will cost dog owners more if they don't get a new license by June 30, the end of the month, according to an announcement on the Darien government website. (more…)

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    What Goes on in the Minds of Our Canine Friends? Find Out at New Canaan Library Thursday

    Alexandra Horowitz, a dog researcher and author of "The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves," will share her knowledge and insights in a presentation at New Canaan Library on Thursday evening, May 23. (more…)

  • Adopting Dog Adoption
    With Dog Deaths in Shelters Up 30% in 2023, National Rescue Dog Day Highlights Need for Adoption

    May 20 is National Rescue Dog Day, and it comes at a time when animal shelters and rescue groups across the country are overflowing with dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes. (more…)

  • ‘Turtle Odyssey 4D’ Short Movie at Maritime Aquarium

    Journey below the surface of the ocean and experience life through the eyes of a sea turtle in the awe-inspiring “Turtle Odyssey 4D” now playing at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk along with “OCTOPUS: Blue Planet II 4D Experience.” (more…)

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