Hartford Line CtDOT New Haven-Springfield - NHHS (Before Launch of Service)

Fairfield Metro and West Haven are free parking on weekends and have a pay per day scheme (West Haven has a machine, Fairfield Metro you either pay at the gate or supposedly get left a bill on your windshield - once I showed up at about 6pm after they stop charging for the day and was planning on coming back at some point the next day. It took 5 attempts to call them and that was the story I was told. I never ended up getting anything left on my windshield when I got back, so I got a free day and a half out of them instead I guess.) Since those are the last two stations CDOT opened, I would assume that's probably how it's going to work on the Springfield line - but I'm sure it also depends on who actually has ownership of the lots. I would think Berlin would have to have some area reserved for paid non-permitted parking, otherwise that's ridiculous.

The Amtrak page for Berlin says there is free short term and long term parking available.

They really need to update their blurb though...

Passengers board from the platforms next to the historic depot, considered one of the best-preserved in Connecticut and featuring prominent quoins and stained glass windows.

Looking at the NHHS program website, and a document on the town of Berlin's website, there is mention of a new 220-space parking lot at Berlin, but I can't find any answer anywhere as to whether or not they will charge for parking.

"Parking fees are expected to be $2 per day/$20 per month, with free parking on weekends/federal holidays."

Source: http://pl.pbcommentsense.com/pbcs/files ... -Final.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks - I saw that today.
I am assuming the signs saying only permit parking 5am-10am are wrong or need to be changed.

Central street in center of Windsor CT has been placed in (last crossing they had left to do for the first phase) but they then tarred over it with 6 inches of new tar. Seems to me they are going to be waiting to springtime to finish the double track here. So from Island road (Loomis/Chaffee crossing ) heading North to the bridge that crosses rte 159 the second track has not been laid and looks like it might not be for the foreseeable future. Also there is the switch right at that bridge that takes track from one to two heading north is in question, not sure if it will stay or go at this point. The bridges (3 of them but only two in service) over rte 159 could also use a good makeover. Does anyone have any information on this small section of rail not in place yet?

Preliminary fare structure announced: http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol- ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Public comment on the proposed fares runs through 11/27.

Here's the PDF version of the proposed fare schedule: http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/CTrail_Ha ... 192017.pdf.

Embarrassing. They're spending two-thirds of a billion dollars on this line, and then sabotaging ridership with high fares. The one-way fares are about 4 times higher than the equivalent price of gas, and even the monthlies are twice the price of gas. If the point of the line is actually to reduce congestion on I-91, then it's going to fail.

The EGE wrote: If the point of the line is actually to reduce congestion on I-91, then it's going to fail.

I understood that the point (in the short term) is to give an alternative to/through Hartford while the I-84 viaduct is torn down and replaced (in the early 2020s, during which Hartford's highway traffic is going to be crazy-bad always and everywhere, with I-84 being hobbled directly and I-91 being hobbled by people trying to avoid I-84).

Once I-84 starts getting torn down and diverted onto temp roads, there will be a lot of people who choose the train on a value-of-time and quality-of-life basis (I don't think cost of gas will be as big a factor).

The EGE wrote:Embarrassing. They're spending two-thirds of a billion dollars on this line, and then sabotaging ridership with high fares. The one-way fares are about 4 times higher than the equivalent price of gas, and even the monthlies are twice the price of gas. If the point of the line is actually to reduce congestion on I-91, then it's going to fail.

I really hope they hear this and lower prices. I was hoping to use this often to head down to New Haven to spot but now I’m a little concerned.

prices are less than 1/2 the Amtrak fare .

Here in Florida the stations on the Tri-Rail line that have Amtrak trains stopping at them and Amtrak agents on site can and do allow Amtrak passengers free and pretty much unrestricted parking while using Amtrak trains. The Amtrak agent gives the passenger a permit with an expiration date for their front dash to display. Amtrak has some choice parkiing spots at Fort Lauderdale reserved for this purpose. I don't see any reason they couldn't do this at Berlin and other stations on the Hartford Line as well and it would provide Amtrak passengers the same parking that they have been able to use for the past years. This works in Fort Lauderdale and could work in Connecticut as well. Last I knew Amtrak owns this property and they should have a say in it use as well.
Noel Weaver

$8 To New Haven: DOT Announces Proposed Fares For Hartford Line

http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol- ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The state Department of Transportation Monday announced proposed fares for the Hartford Line commuter rail that will begin service in May.

A one-way trip between Hartford and New Haven will run $8. A trip along the entire length of the rail line — Springfield to New Haven — will cost $12.75....

Fares don't seem that unreasonable to me.

What will be interesting to see is whether the schedule will have a disclaimer regarding the NB Amtrak shuttles. Last we heard they were being retained, but any NB shuttle has to wait for its NEC counterpart in NHV to arrive to make connections. Now let's say the train is 1 hour late. And Joe commuter is looking to board train 4## in Berlin to reach Hartford or Springfield. He's gonna be pretty pissed to find out his train is an hour late because of something that happened off the radar of Hartford Line service.

Fares are slightly above Metro North RR fares. Also MN uses M8's which are new.
Perhaps they could reduce some by 3 to 5%.

Also, Metro North gives a 15% discount to ten trip rides. This is only 10%.
They should just base it on 0.20/mile instead.