Start Building the Busway!

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NEW BRITAIN: It's past time to start building the NB busway....

Why doesn’t senator Donald DeFronzo want to see the city of New Britain progress? That was the question from one Herald reader after learning that her state Sen. New Britain’s Donald DeFronzo, had criticized the state Department of Transportation, charging that the agency shifted funds from other projects to cover the escalating cost of the proposed busway between New Britain and Hartford.

The DOT needs to be held accountable for what appears to be an insidious strategy” of redirecting general federal highway and transportation money that could be used for other projects across the state, to cover the costs of the busway without legislative approval, he stated.

According to the memo, when the legislature “initially identified the New Britain-to-Hartford Busway as a project to be authorized for funding” in 2006, the cost was estimated at $300 million to $325 million, supported with $275 million in federal funds.

Others dispute this, saying that, in 2006, the project was estimated at $458 million. Moreover, they say, in a difficult economy with construction jobs scarce, bids on the busway are more likely to come in 30 to 40 percent lower than estimated in the boom times of 2006.

Our concern is that DeFronzo’s comments will stall an improved transportation system for bus riders and for the drivers who share the road now with commuters who’d take the bus if the option were available to them. Central Connecticut State University officials, in particular, have emphasized that this type of mass transit would be a boon to their students.

But, as we’ve said before, it would also be a boon to the region, providing economic rejuvenation, creating badly needed jobs. We’d hate to see comments by DeFronzo, co-chair of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, jeopardize already authorized federal funding. And for what? For those “other projects across the state”? The pipe dream of a rail system somewhere down the road? One that couldn’t even begin for 10 years?

Frankly, we believe that killing a job-creating busway would be a horror not just for New Britain, but for all of Central Connecticut, including Bristol.
We need this project now. It’s time to see shovels in the ground as we are seeing on the New Britain police station and expect to see soon on the Renaissance project in downtown Bristol.

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Posted by Anonymous to Frank Smith Says NB at December 19, 2010 12:18 PM