[BPt111]

Plans are underway for the state to acquire and demolish the Maritime Aquarium's IMAX Theater as part of the construction project on the nearby Walk Bridge.

Aquarium officials say they are working to bring a new theater experience to the aquarium as a replacement for the movie theater, which has been part of the Maritime Aquarium since it opened in 1988.

Officials say the problem is the theater's proximity to the Walk Bridge, which the Connecticut Department of Transportation is replacing because it keeps getting stuck and causing massive rail traffic problems.

Aquarium officials confirm the state will acquire the theater building and demolish it to make room for construction equipment. Officials tell News 12 that it will likely happen late next year.

However, they say plans are underway to build another theater experience at the Maritime Aquarium, which hopefully would be up and ready to go before the other building comes down.

Officials have not confirmed if it will be another IMAX theater, but they say there are lots of options being explored.

"A theater experience is a very important part of the Maritime experience and our goal is to be able to continue to provide those," says Tina Tison, Maritime Aquarium director of marketing.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by RunD1987

How do you all feel with the traffic re-design on I84 East in Waterbury? I am glad they are expanding the lanes. Think they didn't solve the issue with traffic. A huge issue is when RT 8 S/N & 2 on ramp exits merge on East causes a lot of influx of traffic. The lanes going from 3 don't really help. The biggest issue is Exit 23 on ramp. Use to be a cause of traffic back up with it being a short on ramp with heavy traffic flow into a heaby flow of traffic.

Now it's a short on ramp with another short on ramp. The biggest issue if going East Bound you can get on the Exit 23 off ramp that leads on to the I84 East on ramp causing more traffic.

Not sure how to fix it. Think a good idea would be Exit 23 be I84 East on ramp be it's own separate lane. Where it goes from 3 lanes to 2 lanes. Then has an on ramp on to it's ramp from Exit 24, 25, and 25A then that traffic goes to 1 lane then merges on the highway. Also make it 3 lanes from Exit 19 to 28. Should be a barrier for 8 South traffic merging on to I84 with their own off ramps.

The state is just beginning to plan for the replacement of the Route 8 interchange. It will be years before construction starts but I am sure they will address these issues. Jay

[BPt111]

No high speed rail coming

FRA to upgrade existing northeast rail tracks in Connecticut | WTNH Connecticut News

[BPt111]

Now they thinking to go Inland Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford coastline won't work because residents complaining. If go Inland it going spark major growth in Waterbury and Hartford.



https://ctmirror.org/2017/07/12/feds...nal-rail-plan/

[ayoskillz]

Wouldn't spark any more growth than what's already there.

[Stylo]

Rail Decision Hailed | New Haven Independent

A timetable of 20 years.

Track improvements need to be fast tracked (pun intended).

We have M8 commuter trains capable of 100 mph going 25 in spots because of 80 year old tracks. Trips are 10-20% slower than they were 10 years ago. It's absurd in one if the wealthiest metros in the world.

Here's where Trump could show he's different and make real infrastructure changes, fast. But he won't.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by ayoskillz

Wouldn't spark any more growth than what's already there.

What growth? Growth in that corridor Danbury - Waterbury - Hartford is stale or even worse.
Putting trains that way, you might see growth ala-Stamford, in Hartford for example. If you can reach Hartford in 90 minutes from GC, Hartford might be a different place. Waterbury and Hartford can gentrify after-all.

Looking at the blueprint of places that gentrified -- having a NYC-commutable public transportation place, and low RE values -- that's recipe for hope.

Some would say -- Newark NJ has quick access to NYC, major airport close-by, low RE -- well Newark has been gentrifying.

As opposed to Newark, Hartford has two things going for it:

1- Core of strong white-collar companies.

2- Excellent suburbs in the immediate vicinity. In Newark, the first ring around it -- that's bad too. Not the case with immediate Hartford burbs, such as West Hartford, Wethersfield, Glastonbury, or even parts of Bloomfield. In Newark, you have to jump through barricades of -as-bad areas to get to Westfield, Short Hills, etc.

In that regard, Hartford immediate suburbs have a much lower cost, and as good as schools.

Danbury in less than 60 minutes? I can see it grow a lot more.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Henry10

What growth? Growth in that corridor Danbury - Waterbury - Hartford is stale or even worse.
Putting trains that way, you might see growth ala-Stamford, in Hartford for example. If you can reach Hartford in 90 minutes from GC, Hartford might be a different place. Waterbury and Hartford can gentrify after-all.

Amtrak is going to go to NY Penn, not Grand Central Station. The fundamental problem in the Northeast is that the air routes are saturated. You need to be able to get from Boston to DC by rail in a reasonable amount of time to get people out of short haul airplanes. Connecticut has always been the problem. DC to NY Penn is a pretty quick ride and actually high speed much of the way. You don't need 200 mph rail service for commuter rail. Commuter rail needs to go 100 mph. You do need 200 mph and intercity trains to solve the airport and air traffic control problem. You want those departure and arrival slots for long haul flights, not narrow body jets flying between Northeast Corridor cities.

[GoHuskies]

Amtrak claims they own 75% of the NYC-DC market share and 55% of the NYC-BOS route. Even with inferior tracks the on time trips are usually more convenient by train because the stations are downtown and there is no TSA.

As a side note for the next few weeks (summer of hell) Amtrak has upstate NY routes terminating at Grand Central.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Henry10

If you can reach Hartford in 90 minutes from GC, Hartford might be a different place. Waterbury and Hartford can gentrify after-all.

90 minutes is too far for serious growth. And it would be an expensive Amtrak ticket and would go into Penn.