State Rep Gail Lavielle (R-143) and Wilton’s first selectman Lynne Vanderslice joined US Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and US Representative Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), along with other area legislators and first selectmen, for a ride on Metro-North’s Danbury Line last Friday morning, April 1, to speak with Metro-North commuters about service on the branch line and ways it can be improved. Following the ride, the group addressed the media at the South Norwalk station about the importance and urgency of investing in infrastructure upgrades to the Danbury Branch.
“Commuters on this line have waited long enough for frequent, reliable through-train service,” said Lavielle. “While I am encouraged that state-level attention is being devoted to a 30-year plan for a full-scale overhaul of Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure and systems, I want to stress that the Danbury Branch Line is not on the list of state investments slated for the next five years. During that period, there is no plan and no authorized state funding for the line’s electrification, the essential next step for improving speed and frequency and the prerequisite for extending the line to New Milford and perhaps beyond. So I thank Sen. Murphy and Rep. Esty and my fellow state and local elected officials for this show of support for the Danbury Line. And I implore the members of our federal delegation to do everything possible to secure federal funding for these critical investments.”
Also present at the event and speaking were CT Department of Transportation commissioner Jim Redeker, Bethel first selectman Matt Knickerbocker, Redding first selectman Julia Pemberton, State Senators Bob Duff (D-25) and Toni Boucher (R-26), and State Reps. David Arconti (D-109), Bob Godfrey (D-110), and Fred Wilms (R-142).