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MAlloy has only exacerbated FFC traffic issue by focusing on the Q-Bridge, Hartford busway and not being more aggressive in terms of M8 train deliveries and expediting the 7/95 interchange (painfully slow). He has actually contributed to the continued worsening as opposed to working on a solution. But if that makes you happy (are you ever?) then by all means he is the right man for the job.
Pretty much all of the projects you mentioned were well underway before Malloy took office. The Q Bridge has been under construction and scheduled for completion in 2018 for years now. The busway was also designed. The only thing he did was not kill the final funding for the project which would have been VERY stupid if he did. The M8's were ordered and their schedule for delivery was set by Rell. He maybe could have done more to move the I-95 project along but the rest were all started well before he took office. People need to realize that these projects don't just take a "wave" of the hand. There is a long process of planning, permitting, design and bidding before a shovel hits the dirt. Jay
What is his rationale for THAT?! I mean, he is from FFC after all. Doesn't he KNOW that it is #1 priority for traffic in the whole state?
What make's it the #1 priority? The traffic volume twice a day? The 3-4 lanes of travel? The relatively safe exits and entrances or the newer bridges? Most of I-95 along the shore has been improved, widened, and updated over the last 10 years and continues to be improved
The Mix Master is dangerous and nearing its end of life. It needs to be replaced. It's too narrow and has too many short entrances and exits on both sides.
I-84 in Hartford actual handles more traffic on a daily basis, has accidents almost every day, many very dangerous sharp turns, and left hand exit/entrances. Not to mention the viaduct is almost 60 years old with a life expectancy of 50 years. It is also carrying more than 3 times the amount of traffic it was designed for.
Most of I-84, with the exception of the section between the east end of Waterbury and Southington, has been existing as is for decades.
The busway wasn't a Malloy idea. That was started under Rowland and mostly approved by Rell. Planning started in 1999 and was approved March, 2002. Calling it was waste of state money is minimal. It is mostly federal funds set aside for new public transportation initiatives (you know, for stuff other than new train cars). The hope behind it is that it will take some of the congestion off I-84 during peak hours.
Highway work is rarely about easing congestion. It is usually about improving safety. I-95 for the most part is safe. I-84 was designed for a previous era.
Pretty much all of the projects you mentioned were well underway before Malloy took office. The Q Bridge has been under construction and scheduled for completion in 2018 for years now. The busway was also designed. The only thing he did was not kill the final funding for the project which would have been VERY stupid if he did. The M8's were ordered and their schedule for delivery was set by Rell. He maybe could have done more to move the I-95 project along but the rest were all started well before he took office. People need to realize that these projects don't just take a "wave" of the hand. There is a long process of planning, permitting, design and bidding before a shovel hits the dirt. Jay
Jay- I agree with your last statement but consistently witness much larger projects in other regions completed in a fraction of the time it seems to even lift the first shovel in the state of CT. We move at a glacial pace with huge overages.
The M-8s were supposed to be fully delivered well before Malloy's term was up -- but he applied no pressure to meet the deadline. Passive management. It's 2014 and about 25% of the fleet is still on older M4/M6 cars.
Please stop quoting the Q Bridge completion date as 2018. Numerous articles with the original timeline have been provided and summarily dismiss that fallacy.
As for the busway, I ask that you provide monthly ridership levels on a go-forward basis. Let's air the dirty laundry for all to see. That money would have served FFC (also the largest taxpayer) much more beneficially. What is the daily commuter volume on mix master section of 84?
What make's it the #1 priority? The traffic volume twice a day? The 3-4 lanes of travel? The relatively safe exits and entrances or the newer bridges? Most of I-95 along the shore has been improved, widened, and updated over the last 10 years and continues to be improved
The Mix Master is dangerous and nearing its end of life. It needs to be replaced. It's too narrow and has too many short entrances and exits on both sides.
I-84 in Hartford actual handles more traffic on a daily basis, has accidents almost every day, many very dangerous sharp turns, and left hand exit/entrances. Not to mention the viaduct is almost 60 years old with a life expectancy of 50 years. It is also carrying more than 3 times the amount of traffic it was designed for.
Most of I-84, with the exception of the section between the east end of Waterbury and Southington, has been existing as is for decades.
The busway wasn't a Malloy idea. That was started under Rowland and mostly approved by Rell. Planning started in 1999 and was approved March, 2002. Calling it was waste of state money is minimal. It is mostly federal funds set aside for new public transportation initiatives (you know, for stuff other than new train cars). The hope behind it is that it will take some of the congestion off I-84 during peak hours.
Highway work is rarely about easing congestion. It is usually about improving safety. I-95 for the most part is safe. I-84 was designed for a previous era.
If safety is the name of the game, I-95 in FFC is much more dangerous than any stretch of I-84.
I hate the cop out around life expectancy.... We should be overengineering roads/bridges/etc. The GWB is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge and built in 1931--- yet still receives an A rating for structural integrity.
Jay- I agree with your last statement but consistently witness much larger projects in other regions completed in a fraction of the time it seems to even lift the first shovel in the state of CT. We move at a glacial pace with huge overages.
The M-8s were supposed to be fully delivered well before Malloy's term was up -- but he applied no pressure to meet the deadline. Passive management. It's 2014 and about 25% of the fleet is still on older M4/M6 cars.
Please stop quoting the Q Bridge completion date as 2018. Numerous articles with the original timeline have been provided and summarily dismiss that fallacy.
As for the busway, I ask that you provide monthly ridership levels on a go-forward basis. Let's air the dirty laundry for all to see. That money would have served FFC (also the largest taxpayer) much more beneficially. What is the daily commuter volume on mix master section of 84?
This is all I found about the mixmaster
Quote:
WATERBURY ("MIXMASTER" INTERCHANGE): In 2007, ConnDOT issued a final study on the "mixmaster" interchange (EXITS 19-20) where I-84 is expected to handle 127,000 vehicles per day by 2030. The interchange handles approximately 102,000 vehicles per day (AADT), and is expected to handle 127,000 vehicles per day by 2030. In the 2001-2004 study period, there were 1,491 accidents within one mile of the interchange. A preliminary study released in 2005 found entrance and exit ramps were spaced too close together, and that ramps placed on opposite sides of the highway created dangerous weaving conditions that often required motorists to cross three lanes of traffic at once. The recommended alternative suggests the reconstruction of the "mixmaster" as a conventional four-level stack interchange (similar to the I-84 / CT 9 interchange in Farmington) where the eastbound and westbound roadways of I-84 do not cross each other; it also suggests moving the alignment of the northbound lanes of CT 8 east of the Naugatuck River in the area of the interchange. This alternative is estimated to cost $1.3 billion and is targeted for completion by 2020.
Like I said previously. It isn't about volume and making commutes easier. Its about ensuring safety and preventing highway deaths. The mixmaster is very narrow, with many closely spaced exit and entrance ramps with no shoulder.
I see the bus way keeps getting mentioned and it should be noted that about 2/3rds of its cost was covered by the federal Govt. Malloy nor anyone else in CT Govt dumped 600 million on this project.
I think the CT Govt kicked in 170 million on the bus way.
I was also looking at the proposed route for the New Haven - Hartford - Springfield commuter rail line and it looks like Newington will have a stop/station on both the bus way and rail line. Seems like overkill, but lucky if you live near this stop.
I think the CT Govt kicked in 170 million on the bus way.
Correct, I re-phrase to say dumped in $170M, which is no drop in the bucket. Also remember we, CT taxpayers, are responsible for the yearly cost/maintenance of it (cost forecast of right now is between $15m and $20m per year). It will be expensive and as mentioned on here before, ridership does not pay the yearly operating cost, it will be subsided which means more cost to everyone in the State.
The study was completed in 2002 and plans were in 70%engineering status until 2010 or so.
Malloy released the funds and ticked people off because they look a lot of land from people.
Jay- I agree with your last statement but consistently witness much larger projects in other regions completed in a fraction of the time it seems to even lift the first shovel in the state of CT. We move at a glacial pace with huge overages.
The M-8s were supposed to be fully delivered well before Malloy's term was up -- but he applied no pressure to meet the deadline. Passive management. It's 2014 and about 25% of the fleet is still on older M4/M6 cars.
Please stop quoting the Q Bridge completion date as 2018. Numerous articles with the original timeline have been provided and summarily dismiss that fallacy.
As for the busway, I ask that you provide monthly ridership levels on a go-forward basis. Let's air the dirty laundry for all to see. That money would have served FFC (also the largest taxpayer) much more beneficially. What is the daily commuter volume on mix master section of 84?
Part of the problem in Fairfield County has to do with the regional planning agency. They set priority for funding projects and highway improvements are not high on their list of ways to spend money. They believe mass transit is the only answer so getting major highway projects approved by them takes a very long time. Again local leadership does not seem to have a plan or vision for fixing I-95 so they just seem to ignore the problem.
I stand by my comment on the schedule for the Q Bridge. The 2018 date for completion has been the date for years, certainly since construction has started.
As for the busway, it remains to be seen whether ridership numbers will be met. This is the first mass-transit project for Hartford so it is hard to say how well it will be accepted. Remember though that the Shoreline East rail service was slow to get started too and Rowland tried to kill it at one point. He couldn't do that because the rail service was tied to key agreements on the reconstruction of I-95 and the Q Bridge. Same will likely happen when the state begins to tackle reconstructing I-84 through Hartford. Jay
Correct, I re-phrase to say dumped in $170M, which is no drop in the bucket. Also remember we, CT taxpayers, are responsible for the yearly cost/maintenance of it (cost forecast of right now is between $15m and $20m per year). It will be expensive and as mentioned on here before, ridership does not pay the yearly operating cost, it will be subsided which means more cost to everyone in the State.
The study was completed in 2002 and plans were in 70%engineering status until 2010 or so.
Malloy released the funds and ticked people off because they look a lot of land from people.
If mass-transit had to pay its own way without any government subsidy, there would be partically no mass-transit in this country or most of the world. This goes for both bus lines and rail service. The costs to operate and maintain these exceed what the public is willing or able to pay. I doubt anyone would want to completely eliminate these. Jay
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