[goldenband]

In addition to high-speed rail, I'd love to see freight rail make more of a comeback. It's really pretty nuts that we're using trucks to ship a lot of this stuff cross-country; for many consumer goods and commodities, trucks should be a last-mile solution from the loading yard, not a point-to-point solution. I have a great deal of respect for truckers and their generally high level of professionalism, but there's no denying that if the number of trucks on the road were halved, it'd be easier all around. I realize it's not a solution to everything, but better to push freight rail than to build more lanes, IMHO.

Anyway, I live on Long Island at the moment and would use this bridge all the time if it were built, so you'd think I'd be the first to push it. But the more I've read about the issue, the more I agree with the naysayers. The Rye crossing makes some sense, but it would also be the least helpful. Meanwhile, in addition to cost and encouraging all kinds of ugly countercommutes, the Shoreham-New Haven crossing would also destroy what little is left of the agrarian/undeveloped side of Suffolk County. If building the bridge would mean turning more farms into subdivisions, you can count me out.

By the way, I've spent more time stuck in traffic on the NJT near NYC than on any other road including I-95 and I-84 in CT, so I'm bemused by the praise it's getting! It's a perfectly fine road for the most part, but there are some bizarre lane shifts and merges as you approach the city that can really mess things up, and I certainly don't think it's a model that should be emulated by CT.

[Thruway]

So then we should just keep I-95 three lanes in each direction....and for those who need to get from their subdivision to work...and for those who are coming from NYC/LI to New England......tough luck?

I see.

[Tin Knocker]

[quote=Thruway;11258001]I don't think more mass transit is an answer for CT...not in suburban area where people use cars at some time a

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Tin Knocker

Then go south instead of into CT. NJ has everything we do.
Far as I'm concerened nothing in eastern NJ compares to CT. IMO Fairfield county has lost its identity by & large because of its proximity to NYC. I still view it as New England & can find great sources of pride & history all around me, but to most its identified as a suburb of NYC. If building more lanes helps out those diminishing our individuality & identity then I hope it never comes about.

We have things we need to do for CT that should come first instead of people who are only here because Westchester costs more.

Very well said. Sorry i can't rep you right now.

[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Very well said. Sorry i can't rep you right now.

Thanks, but dont sweat the rep points, Its a nice gesture but I'm not trying to win a popularity contest.

[Lowerdeck]

Originally Posted by Thruway

So then we should just keep I-95 three lanes in each direction....and for those who need to get from their subdivision to work...and for those who are coming from NYC/LI to New England......tough luck?

I see.

I say if you live out in a new subdivision far away from everything, you become responsible for sitting in traffic and dealing with the lengthy commutes you signed yourself up for.

Yes, let's make the same mistake the rest of the country has made and become a sprawled out mess. Watch what happens when gas hits 6-7 dollars a gallon and people "drop" bricks because all of a sudden it becomes unaffordable to drive the SUV like a maniac 40 miles to work.

[JayCT]

Whether you like it or not, the decision has been made that I-95 in Fairfield County will not be widened significantly and that mass-transit is the answer. This decision is not just made by our top political leaders, it is made by local poticians, residents and planning organizations who all pretty much unanimously agree than more mass-transit is the way to go. Truth be told the answer is probably a combination of both of these but the pedilum has turned and except for the Q Bridge you will not see significant highway projects in the state in the next several years. Jay

[Lowerdeck]

And let's face it, the Q Bridge replacement is only getting done because that thing is in poor shape and noticeable. The Moses Wheeler Bridge between Milford and Stratford should be replaced too, but that'll just get patched up until it ends up in point of no return like the Q.

And then the redesign of the 95/91/34 interchange - that had been long planned out and started before the economy went to hell. Massive safety issues there, plus the Q Bridge problems, made this a priority compared to everything else in the state.

[GrotonMan]

Originally Posted by Lowerdeck

I say if you live out in a new subdivision far away from everything, you become responsible for sitting in traffic and dealing with the lengthy commutes you signed yourself up for.

Yes, let's make the same mistake the rest of the country has made and become a sprawled out mess. Watch what happens when gas hits 6-7 dollars a gallon and people "drop" bricks because all of a sudden it becomes unaffordable to drive the SUV like a maniac 40 miles to work.

Amen! Everytime you choose something you automatically accept the inherent consequences of that choice. Choosing to live in a suburb has the inherent consequence of the required use of personal automobiles. If you don't want to deal with the long commute, move closer to where you work.

Apparently the link that was provided was not read by this thread's instigator, but study after study has shown that latent demand is the killer of the benefits associated with increased road space. Encouraging a huge increase in carbon emissions is about the last thing that people want. Go ahead spout off a whole bunch of *shtick* about how CT people are being selfish and uncaring, but really there is only one person here that is demanding that people cater to their whims and desires. Improved commuter transit is the best sollution. Instead of spending huge amounts of resources to keep travellers heading into and out of NE off the of the existing highways, why not find innovative and sustainable ways of moving the people that travel that route everyday, off of the highways and onto fuel, cost, and time efficient modes of transportation. I actually started a blog a little while back, and haven't had a ton of time to update it on a regular basis, but a couple of the posts are quite relevant to this thread ectbuild.wordpress.com Maybe years of studying in the subjects of urban planning and engineering have left me clueless and out of touch about this subject ...

The hurdles associated with having such a decentralized area so densely populated are daunting, but necesity is the mother of invention, and Connecticut has a long beautiful history of great people doing great things.

I know this post is going to be attacked by a rabid person absolutely hell bent on the quest to convince people that CT needs the NJTP in order to remain relevant to NYC, so I'm not going to respond to ridiculous claims. If you legitimately have a question about anything I posted including citations please feel free to ask politely!

[toddb]

I'm not really sure why people are saying such wonderful things about the NJ Turnpike. I grew up in NJ and spent my first 25 years living there... and let me tell you - traffic is still miserable. It's been miserable for more than 15 years. And why? Because once you can fit more cars, and make it easier for people to drive to work, then more people move there. Now North and Central Jersey are FULL of people, and the nice open towns and greenery that used to be there are full of mcmansions on small plots of land, parking lots and strip malls. CT now is like central NJ was in the 80's - a lot of people, but still plenty of open space and character. I really loved where I lived growing up, and I dread that my child will have to experience the over-populating and overgrowth of suburban living should Fairfield County become the same way. Thankfully most of the towns have been pretty strict with keeping open spaces and higher minimum lot sizes, but it's only a matter of time until a town starts selling off bits and pieces to help bring in more revenue.