swrpa

IMPLEMENTING THE REGIONAL PLAN (2006-2015)

How forward thinking was this power project?
Dr. Lapp (l.) expains "value pricing" or "boothless technology" to legislators. Coordination begins on a new foot with CT DOT; Congressman Christopher Shays visits the district...and the offices of SWRPA.

"TOD" - how does it work in Southwestern CT?
Click here for PDF of Executive Director's article in "Stamford Business Outlook" (January 2008). Please add "energy efficient usage" to the last sentence of this article--these closing words the victim of over-zealous editing.

Development rolls with transit links: Conference looks at trends
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Mark Ginocchio, Staff Writer
Published September 19 2007

STAMFORD - When New Jersey Transit officials in the early 1990s approached suburban communities endorsing an increase in transit-oriented development around train stations, there was so much outrage that the agency's explanatory booklet was "banned" in Trenton, the state capital.

But now that transit-oriented development has helped revitalize communities such as South Orange, N.J., with a mix of housing and retail near a major railroad station, NJ Transit's philosophies are no longer blacklisted, and other states are looking at the Garden State for inspiration.

"I guess we were a couple of years ahead of the curve," said Mark Gordon, former real estate director for NJ Transit and current president of Urbana Associates, a New Jersey real estate consulting group.

Gordon was one of several speakers yesterday at the South Western Regional Planning Agency's transit-oriented development conference at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus.

More than 150 planners, elected officials and business leaders attended the conference and heard about development opportunities that are a comfortable five- to 10-minute walk from train stations and bus depots.

Gordon and Nedd Codd, manager of plan development at Massachusetts' Executive Office of Transportation, gave examples of transit-oriented development in neighboring states, while Connecticut state officials and developers from Stamford and Georgetown discussed progress throughout the state.

"We have to utilize our land more efficiently," said Joan McDonald, state commissioner of economic and community development and the conference's keynote speaker. "We can reduce sprawl, preserve open space and reduce traffic."

Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy talked about a number of projects planned and proposed for the city's downtown and South End.

Antares Investment Partners' 80-acre development in Stamford's South End will include a mix of housing, offices and retail, all within a 10-minute walk of the train station.

"You could probably go a whole week without having to get in your car," Ted Ferrarone, Antares vice president, said about the company's plan.

To improve access to the South End, the city has proposed raising the clearance of railroad underpass at Atlantic Street and widening the road underneath. The city also is also the Urban Transitway - a mile-long link between the city's East Side and its railroad station.

Stamford could be more accessible if a train station were built on East Main Street, between the downtown and Springdale stations, Malloy said.

"In essence it's the missing tooth," the mayor said of the station. "It would open up the area."

Though transit-oriented development is not a new concept, there are not a lot of finished examples for Connecticut to follow, said Floyd Lapp, SWRPA's executive director.

"That's because it's presumably the wave of the future," Lapp said after the conference.

The South Orange development was a major triumph that took years to evolve, Gordon said. When first proposed, the plans were unacceptable to state leaders in Trenton.

In 1996, 900 people used the South Orange station a day. But 10 years later, with a new retail development in place, ridership jumped to 2,600 riders.

The revitalized station has hundreds of additional parking spots, a neighboring performing arts center and busy retail shops, including a new Starbucks, Gordon said.

"A few years ago, South Orange was considered too edgy for Starbucks," he said.

Massachusetts is focusing on improving transit-oriented development in a suburban ring of communities around Boston, Codd said.

To do this, the state is looking to improve its regular bus service with better connections to train stations, and it's looking to deploy Bus Rapid Transit - express bus service that often makes inter-city stops, similar to a commuter railroad.

"The widely spaced stations create something that looks like a transit station, not just a bus stop," Codd said.

Planners of a new transit-oriented development near the Branchville train station discovered their plans had significant challenges.

While proposing to rebuild the 55-acre Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill site in Georgetown into a mixed-use commercial and residential development near the train station, developer Steve Soler discovered a major communications problem among state officials.

"We were going to meetings, and they were handing each other their business cards," said Soler, president of Georgetown Land Development. "That's not a good sign. That means they had not been talking to each other."

Agency promotes transit oriented development to planners, officials
Norwalk HOUR
Jerremy Soullierre
September 19, 2007

As plans are in the works for compact, mixed-use developments to be built within walking distance of train stations in a few of the state's communities, the region's planning agency Thursday looked to encourage area planners and officials to think about doing the same in their cities and towns.

The South Western Regional Planning Agency invited a panel of developers and state officials familiar with the building concept, called transit-oriented development, to speak on the topic at the University of Connecticut: Stamford Campus. The aim of the conference was to give the region's planners and officials an understanding of the benefits of such developments, said Floyd Lapp, executive director of SWRPA.

"We believe in transit-oriented development because there's not much more accessible land available in the state," he said before the conference. "We have to build more compact developments to save some space and promote many modes of transportation (besides the car) — the train, bikes, buses."

Transit-oriented development, which puts residences, stores and restaurants within a five to seven minute walk to a train station, works to reduce vehicular traffic in an area and dependence on fossil fuels, said Joan McDonald, commissioner of the state's Department of Economic and Community Development. It also helps revitalize neighborhoods, reduce sprawl, and increase affordable housing and business opportunities, said the conference's keynote speaker.

"Transit-oriented development is critical to this state," McDonald told the roughly 100 area officials and residents in attendance. "It will help us utilize land more effectively."

In order for such developments to succeed, however, she said, they need a good working relationship of public and private partners, including federal and state agencies, developers, municipalities, and chambers of commerce.

Mark Gordon, a former real estate director for New Jersey Transit who has helped establish transit-oriented developments in that state, said the ridership at the train station in South Orange, N.J., more than doubled after mixed-use development was established nearby in the late-1990's. The South Orange development, which took what once were empty storefronts in the downtown area near the station and created new retail spaces for new tenants, also gave new life to the neglected downtown, he said.

"Ten years ago South Orange was considered edgy for Starbucks — now it has a Starbucks, and it's a symbol of revitalization," Gordon told the crowd.

Also among the day's speakers was Ted Ferrarone, vice president of Anteres Investment Partners, which is working to transform 80 acres just south of the Stamford train station into a mixed-use development. Once finished, the development will offer six million square feet of residential space, Ferrarone said, including 4,000 housing units, a number of stores and restaurants and a hotel.

"Our goal is to build a 24-hour live, work and play destination," he told the conference attendees.

Some of the other transit-oriented developments in the early stages in the state include three in Norwalk — Wall St., West Ave., and the Reed-Putnam project in South Norwalk — and one on the former Gilbert & Bennett wire mill site in Georgetown.

Both the state Senate and House of Representatives, scheduled to meet this Thursday, will be voting on $267.5 million in transportation bond items proposed for 2008, which is expected to include roughly $10 million for transit-oriented development projects statewide, said Albert Martin, deputy commissioner of the state's Department of Transportation.

"What's being developed (in the state) are living, working and leisure time spaces within a walking radius of transportation hubs," he said between speakers. "We see this as a way of continuing economic growth and improving the quality of life."

Leigh Grant, a member of the Norwalk Planning Commission who attended the conference, said that building mixed-use properties near train stations is the planning "strategy of the future."

"We have to stop sprawl," she said during one of the conference's breaks.

However, transit-oriented developments should not simply demolish everything in their wake, Grant said. Planners need to ensure that properties with historical value are still standing after such developments are completed, she said.

"You can't just tear everything down," Grant said.

She also said municipalities and developers need financial incentives from the state to undertake such projects.

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, who also attended the conference, said he agrees there are benefits to transit-oriented development, but he also noted that the state doesn't have enough train cars for the passengers who are currently using the railways.

"There's tradeoffs," he said. "Everything just takes time. We need to take baby steps."

Facing Economic Turmoil, Fairfield County Seeks Resilience
Westport NEWS
By Gary Jeanfaivre
Article Launched: 09/14/2007 10:17:56 AM EDT

STAMFORD -- Traffic poses a problem to Fairfield County, both for the economy and general quality of life issues including the environment and personal time spent with family or otherwise. The ill effects can throw a whole day off.

As an example, The Fairfield County Economic Conference, held last Friday at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus, was forced to start nearly a half-hour late because a number of people were stuck in traffic on the infamous stretch of Interstate 95.

Traffic has become so bad that, along with a reputation for beautiful coastal communities and pristine wooded areas divided by stonewalls and rivers, as well as a bubbly melting pot of social and cultural offerings, Fairfield County is equally known as traffic alley.

"Congestion adds to the cost of doing business," said Joan McDonald, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). "It's something we have to grapple with."

Yet traffic is only one of many challenges facing the county, and in turn, the state economy.

According to the Connecticut Business and Industry Association's Blum Shapiro survey, released a day before the conference, Connecticut's companies see the overall cost of conducting business in the state as the greatest challenge before them. And for the fourth straight year, the rising cost of healthcare benefits was ranked the top cost concern among respondents to the survey.

Other significant cost concerns include payroll (26 percent), energy (11 percent) and workers' compensation (9 percent).

It is no surprise, too, seeing as Connecticut is among the most taxed states in the nation, that taxes are also a major concern for businesses, with executives surveyed stating that they don't see enough value in the money paid to the government.

The cover illustration of the Fall 2007 issue of The Connecticut Economy, a University of Connecticut quarterly review, features a stack of three hardback books floating on an all-white background with bindings reading: Housing, Traffic, Immigration. Stated below the books: "Hot Titles for Fall: Traffic Nightmares, Housing Pangs, Immigration Angst."

National and international impacts -- from the U.S. Labor Department's report of a loss of 4,000 jobs in the month of August to an all-time high number of foreclosures, on to unrest in countries controlling key markets and massive toy and food recalls -- are also felt in the county.

Delos R. Smith, a principal of Delos Smith & Associates, focused on foreclosures and oil prices during his remarks, drawing laughter from the 75 to 100 business people in attendance when he said the only qualification mortgage lenders had when approving home loans was "their ability to breathe."

Of particular importance, the panel of economists said, is that there is still a massive amount of unannounced debt, accumulated by hedge funds and other financial market risk-takers that bought the bundled debt of foreclosures from mortgage companies as an investment. The losses are likely to be felt in the county.

"We can have issues here even if the nation doesn't," said Rae Rosen, senior economist and assistant vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

While there may be no shortage of challenges ahead, spirits are still high and state and county businesses are poised for future prosperity. Most Connecticut companies were profitable in 2006 and are optimistic about their prospects for 2007, the Blum Shapiro survey found.

Aerospace, chemical and metal manufacturing sectors are "bright spots" in the state and county economies, experts said, citing the importance of fostering entrepreneurship to supply two of the state's key companies, Pfizer and Sikorsky.

Companies are also reinvesting profits, hiring new employees and actively seeking savings, with 75 percent of respondents to the Blum Shapiro survey undertaking steps to reduce energy use -- through the replacement of older light bulbs and HVAC systems with new, energy-efficient ones -- up from 50 percent two years ago.

"It's possible to be pro-environment and pro-business," McDonald said.

On hand to discuss the critical role that energy plays in today's high tech world was Raymond P. Necci, president and chief operating officer of Connecticut Light & Power Co.

"Electricity powers this state's economy," Necci said. "Unreliable is unacceptable."

And so the utility giant is investing heavily in upgrading the distribution system in the county, funded in large part by rate increases to customers, who can expect an additional $5 to $7 tacked on to monthly bills. Necci cited the power upgrade from Bethel to Norwalk as one example of a critical improvement.

And he said that surveys have shown that reliability is more important to businesses than price, and that investment in distribution should remove some federal congestion charges from customers' electricity bills.

Necci said it's easy for folks to oppose a rate increase, yet he feels the case for investment and rate increases is compelling. "There's really no other alternative," he added.

A graph showing the energy investment's correlation to jobs and economic growth revealed a somewhat negative impact initially followed by long-term prosperity.

Charting the path forward, many economists view collaboration between business and state universities and colleges as a key component to creating a qualified workforce to replace the retiring baby boomer generation. It was no coincidence, then, that the conference was held below "edgelab," a unique graduate program where students work with General Electric professionals and professors on real business projects.

Highlighting the successes of edgelab were Christopher Kalish, GE director and chief technology officer of edgelab, and James R. Marsden, head of the Department of Operations and Information Management at UConn and the director of edgelab.

Traffic, Housing and Immigration

"Traffic is a consequence of economic growth," said Steven P. Lanza, executive editor of The Connecticut Economy.

Posing a question of whether the effects of traffic are such that it places a "chokehold" on the economy, Lanza answered, "The evidence doesn't seem to suggest that."

Nonetheless, one way to deal with traffic is to work from home, and more and more businesses are offering employees the opportunity to do so, thanks to technology and a potential cost savings that is beginning to be documented.

The phenomenon is called telecommuting, and approximately 9 percent of employees in the state are participating. In the last five years alone, there has been an 86 percent increase in telecommuters in the state, which is the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road, according to telecommutect.com.

Yet people can't work from home in Fairfield County if they can't afford one. Despite a fairly cold national real estate market, housing prices remain high in the county. In terms of median housing costs, Connecticut is ranked the eighth highest in the nation. That ranking drops to 14, though, when related to income.

Rosen, gesturing to charts displayed on a large screen, said there has been a net out-flow of approximately 51,000 domestic households within the state. "It's that many of our children can't afford to live here," she said.

While many municipalities offer density bonuses to developers that build affordable housing units, creating the much-needed stock is not always easy. Houses may sell for less if property taxes were higher, while property values would likely increase if property taxes are reduced. "It's sort of a tricky business," Lanza said.

Immigration is also a complex business, with a great deal of uncertainty floating about as reform is debated on the national level. The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is estimated at 11 million, and given Connecticut's close proximity to New York City, the state certainly has its share.

There has been a recent surge in immigrants to Connecticut, both legally and otherwise. "We're seeing it at historic levels in Connecticut and throughout the nation," Lanza said.

Instead of posing a problem, though, the state's immigrants could be part of the solution to businesses' demand for employees. Lanza said immigrants in Connecticut tend to be better educated than in other parts of the country. "They're coming here to work," Rosen said.

Income inequality was another topic of discussion last Friday. Connecticut currently stands in the middle ground when it comes to income inequality, with a ranking of .48. Zero is perfect equality and 1 is perfect inequality.

Lanza said the inequality was not because the poor people are doing worse, it's because "the rich are doing extremely well."

Looking to the future, Lanza said his best guess is that the economy will slow down through next year, and then begin to pick back up again thereafter.

"All's fair in love, war and economic development," McDonald said of the highly competitive market. "We're never standing still. We can't. If we stand still, we lose."

University of Connecticut is a good background link for economic aspect of planning: http://ctsdc.uconn.edu/

Connecticut Population Is Declining; 17,000 loss recorded in the last two years
DAY
By Associated Press
Published on 2/5/2007

Hartford (AP) — Connecticut is once again losing residents to other states, ending a brief period of more robust population growth.

The state lost almost 17,000 more people than moved in between 2005 and 2006, according to the latest Census estimate. An influx of about 14,300 residents from Puerto Rico and foreign countries helped keep Connecticut from a net loss in population, as happened in the early 1990s.

The Census Bureau estimates that Connecticut's population of 3.5 million grew by 4,108 in the year that ended last June 30. State officials, who say the federal estimate understates the birthrate, pegged the increase at more than 9,000.

The two numbers represent a continuing decline from annual growth estimates in the mid-20,000 range from 2000 to 2003.

“The 2006 number was a confirmation of a significant trend,” said economist Ron Van Winkle of West Hartford. “We may not see significant growth in jobs or population in the state of Connecticut for the foreseeable future.”

The Census estimate does not track the source or destination of people coming and going, but data compiled by the Internal Revenue Service indicate that the largest share — about 40 percent — of those who leave Connecticut head for the South. The next most common destination is elsewhere in the Northeast, followed by the West and Midwest.

Two age groups appear to be most severely affected by the declining population growth: those who are in their late 20s and 30s and those who are in their late 60s and 70s. Both groups dropped in number during between 2000-2005.

Fairfield University economics professor Edward Deak said that for workers in their prime earnings years, 35 to 55 or 60, Connecticut's high cost of living is offset by the availability of well-paying jobs, particularly in the financial and scientific areas.

“At the other two ends, as people retire they tend to leave the state, and as young people graduate from college they find more attractive opportunities for entry-level positions elsewhere,” he said.

The decline in the younger group also is due in part to what Van Winkle called “a demographic wave” resulting from a drop in the birthrate nationwide through the 1970s. It produced similar reductions in the number of 20-somethings during the first half of the 1990s and in teens a decade before that.

That demographic trend was more pronounced in Connecticut than in the rest of the United States, Van Winkle said.

Economist Stephen Coelen, co-author of a report released last year examining New England's work force in 2020, says the total working-age population will probably decline in coming years in Connecticut and most of the rest of New England. In addition, fewer young people entering the work force will have four-year college degrees, he said.

“The situation for Connecticut and the whole Northeast is fairly dire,” Coelen said.

Boothless tolls:
Agency ponders extra fee for peak drivers
Greenwich TIME
By Mark Ginocchio, Staff Writer
Published January 13 2007

NORWALK -- Lower Fairfield County lawmakers yesterday said they were open to studying electronic highway tolls, but were unsure of how much they would cost to manage and how they could reduce traffic.

South Western Regional Planning Agency board members told lawmakers that the method they want to study -- called "value pricing" because it would charge motorists different rates based on peak and off-peak travel times -- could help reduce traffic and increase state revenue.

"Other than getting cars off the road, it provides a new source of money," said Floyd Lapp, SWRPA's executive director. "If we want to get to (Interstate) 95 at 8 a.m. and take up space, we should have to pay a price."

Value pricing would use "boothless technology" and allow drivers to continue at highway speeds by depending on electronic sensors similar to EZPass, Lapp said.

Similar systems are in operation in some U.S. cities and countries such as Singapore, SWRPA members said.

SWRPA and the state Department of Transportation are pursuing federal grants to study value pricing and are looking to get other regional planning organizations involved to evaluate how the system could work statewide, Lapp said.

The state Transportation Strategy Board has endorsed a value-pricing study.

Legislators said they needed more information about electronic tolls before they could support it.

"We know the technology exists, we know it can create revenue, but what we don't know is the results," said state Rep. James Shapiro, D-Stamford. "I can support any system that reduces traffic, but will this reduce traffic?"

State Rep. Claudia "Dolly" Powers, R-Greenwich, said there are many misconceptions in other parts of the state about electronic tolls.

One bill co-sponsored by several legislators upstate would build new toll booths on the highways, which is not what SWRPA or DOT officials are looking to study.

"What we're familiar with is EZPass," Powers said. "But there are others that are talking about installing booths again. I don't think the (lawmakers) who proposed this would know EZPass if (they) stepped on it."

Toll booths were removed from I-95 and the Merritt Parkway more than 20 years ago after a runaway truck with a sleeping driver at the wheel plowed into three cars lined up at the I-95 toll plaza in Stratford, killing four women and three children.

Talk of bringing back toll booths would make the idea "dead on arrival," Lapp said.

Another potential problem with value pricing is it could financially hurt commuters who need to drive to work during peak hours, but might not be able to pay a toll every day.

"We need to talk about the equity," said state Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford. "Maybe our version of value pricing would focus less on commuter traffic and more on trucks. Because we are the gateway to New England, we do get a disproportionate number of trucks passing through the state."

Commuters also will not be impressed with the alternatives to using highways, said state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk.

"What are we forcing them on to?" Duff said. "Onto trains that don't have enough seats? Or to buses that don't run frequently enough? We need to tackle fixing the alternatives first, because what we have right now won't be able to handle more."

SWRPA members said they would provide legislators with more information about their study and how value pricing is used elsewhere.

The legislative Transportation Committee might discuss tolls during hearings later this month, though House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said this week that toll talks were premature.

In addition to the toll discussion, SWRPA members presented their list of legislative priorities to lawmakers. They include increasing funding for the agency, more investment in Norwalk Transit bus service, and new sound barriers along I-95 in Fairfield County.

Questions surround restoring highway tolls
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Mark Ginocchio, Staff Writer
Published January 13 2007

NORWALK - Lower Fairfield County lawmakers yesterday said they were open to studying electronic highway tolls, but were unsure of how much they would cost to manage and how they could reduce traffic.

South Western Regional Planning Agency board members told lawmakers that the method they want to study - called "value pricing" because it would charge motorists different rates based on peak and off-peak travel times - could help reduce traffic and increase state revenue.

SWRPA had its annual legislative breakfast yesterday.

"Other than getting cars off the road, it provides a new source of money," said Floyd Lapp, SWRPA's executive director. "If we want to get to (Interstate) 95 at 8 a.m. and take up space, we should have to pay a price."

Value pricing would utilize "boothless technology" and allow drivers to continue at highway speeds by depending upon electronic sensors similar to EZPass, Lapp said.

Similar systems are in operation in some U.S. cities and countries such as Singapore, SWRPA members said.

SWRPA and the state Department of Transportation are pursuing federal grants to study value pricing and are looking to get other regional planning organizations involved to evaluate how the system could work statewide, Lapp said.

The state Transportation Strategy Board has endorsed a value-pricing study.

Legislators said they needed more information about electronic tolls before they could support it.

"We know the technology exists, we know it can create revenue, but what we don't know is the results," said state Rep. James Shapiro, D-Stamford. "I can support any system that reduces traffic, but will this reduce traffic?"

State Rep. Claudia "Dolly" Powers, R-Greenwich, said there are many misconceptions in other parts of the state about electronic tolls.

One bill co-sponsored by several legislators upstate would build new toll booths on the highways, which is not what SWRPA or DOT officials are looking to study.

"What we're familiar with is EZPass," Powers said. "But there are others that are talking about installing booths again. I don't think the (lawmakers) who proposed this would know EZPass if (they) stepped on it."

Toll booths were removed from highways more than 20 years ago after a runaway truck with a sleeping driver at the wheel plowed into three cars lined up at the Interstate 95 toll plaza in Stratford, killing four women and three children.

Talk of bringing back toll booths would make the idea "dead on arrival," Lapp said.

Another potential problem with value pricing is it could financially hurt commuters who need to be to work during peak hours, but may not be able to afford to pay a toll every day.

"We need to talk about the equity," said state Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford. "Maybe our version of value pricing would focus less on commuter traffic and more on trucks. Because we are the gateway to New England, we do get a disproportionate number of trucks passing through the state."

Commuters will also not be impressed with the alternatives to using highways, said state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk.

"What are we forcing them on to?" Duff said. "Onto trains that don't have enough seats? Or to buses that don't run frequently enough? We need to tackle fixing the alternatives first, because what we have right now won't be able to handle more."

SWRPA members said they would provide legislators with more information about their study and how value pricing is used elsewhere.

The legislative Transportation Committee may discuss tolls during hearings later this month, though House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, said this week that toll talks were premature.

In addition to the toll discussion, SWRPA members presented their list of legislative priorities to lawmakers. They include increasing funding for the agency, more investment in Norwalk Transit bus service, and new sound barriers along I-95 in Fairfield County.

Transit ideas rule at SWRPA breakfast
By ROBERT KOCH, Hour Staff Writer
January 13, 2007

NORWALK — Making motorists pay to drive Interstate 95 during rush hour wasn't on the menu of the South Western Regional Planning Agency's Annual Legislative Breakfast at Norwalk City Hall Friday morning.

But the concept, which is known as congestion pricing and is aimed at easing traffic congestion, generated plenty of discussion.

"If anyone gets on I-95 at eight o'clock in the morning ... they should pay the price," said SWRPA Executive Director Floyd Lapp, explaining the rationale behind congestion pricing, also known as value pricing. "Not only can this be done. It has been done. It's boothless technology."

In its 2004 report "Vision 2020," SWRPA recommended evaluating congestion pricing for busy roadways and transit services. An application was filed last year with the Federal Highway Administration to allow congestion pricing on Interstates 95 and 84, as well as Routes 7, 8 and 15. While that application remains pending, an interregional consortium is putting together a "coordinated application" to hedge its bets, Lapp said.

Weston First Selectman Woody Bliss, South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization chairman, was among several elected officials to vouch for the technology — similar to the EZ Pass system. He said congestion pricing has worked in Singapore for 20 years.

Others, however, questioned its operating costs and fairness.

One speaker said boosting the gasoline tax slightly would generate revenue without incurring administrative costs. Another predicted congestion pricing would hit less wealthy persons who, he said, are less able to alter their work and commuting schedules.

State Rep. Jim Shapiro, D-144, said results must be the foremost issue.

"We know the technology exists. We know it would create revenues," Shapiro said. "The real question is, what results have the people who introduced it received?"

State Sen. Bob Duff, D-25, said existing mass transit, including trains and buses, must be improved before moving forward with congestion pricing. "We really have to tackle the alternatives first before we tell people to get out of their cars," Duff said.

Bliss said SWRPA members discussed studying congestion pricing further.

In another transportation matter, Norwalk Transit District Administrator Louis Schulman updated lawmakers on a statewide bus transit study slated for completion in February. He described bus transit as the inadequately funded leg of the three-legged transportation stool, which also includes roads and rails.

More than three-dozen people, including state House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-142, and other lawmakers, area first selectmen and Norwalk Mayor Richard A. Moccia attended the legislative breakfast.

Daniel A. Wilder, SWRPA board of directors chairman, outlined the agency's legislative priorities for 2007: Boost funding for regional planning organizations and local aid programs; push sustainable growth initiatives, such as transit-oriented development; address eminent domain; alter state law to protect zoning enforcement officers against personal liability; and repeal measures for unfunded mandates.

Evonne Klein, Darien first selectwoman, outlined the South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization's priorities: Maintain the local real-estate conveyance tax and other local aid programs; institute a sound barrier program; and provide the Norwalk Transit District $12.5 million in capital funds and an annual $2.3 million subsidy, as well as $703,500 over the next two fiscal years to maintain services mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Moccia described that last request as a priority that doesn't carry a big price tag.

"This is so important to so many people in our area," Moccia said.

SWRPA director looks to relieve congestion
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Mark Ginocchio, Staff Writer
Published September 10 2006

STAMFORD -- Less than a week into his new job, Floyd Lapp has already experienced the traffic problems plaguing lower Fairfield County.

Lapp, who took over as executive director of the South Western Regional Planning Agency on Tuesday, had a 5 p.m. meeting scheduled in Bridgeport -- 20 miles away from Stamford on the map but potentially hours in travel time depending on Interstate 95 traffic.

"I left here at a quarter to 4," Lapp said during an interview Friday. "And God was over my shoulder. Traffic congestion seemed to break up like the clouds giving way to the sun somewhere around Exit 21. I arrived right on the dot at 5 o'clock."

Lapp, 64, who has worked in planning and development for more than 40 years, primarily in New York and New Jersey, knows he won't always be so lucky during rush hour. That's why developing ways to improve congestion on I-95 is one of his top priorities.

"The Garden State Parkway, which is the major spine of central New Jersey, works," the Rockland County, N.Y., resident said. "We really have to weigh in on what do we do with I-95. It's much more sophisticated than increased capacity."

But Lapp will focus on more than just I-95. In his first few weeks at the helm, Lapp wants to reach out to planning officials in all eight SWRPA municipalities.

"I'm a hands-on person, and I'm big on outreach," Lapp said. "There's nothing like a guided tour of planning and development and what the issues are. Regional planning shouldn't only come from on high."

The 22-member SWRPA board is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss a housing and development study, Lapp said. They also need to work on updating the region's long-range transportation plan, he added.

A big challenge for lower Fairfield County is the "introduction of transit into a low-density area," Lapp said. Most municipalities in the region don't have enough transit options to support the population, so looking ahead, SWRPA must "invent transit in these places to get cars off the road."

One possible method is "Bus Rapid Transit," which has been used extensively outside the United States, Lapp said. Bus Rapid Transit typically mirrors a commuter railroad, providing frequent express service over long distances. However, service comes cheaper than the rail and offers more flexible routes and schedules.

SWRPA also will continue to examine reinstating tolls, though it must be done "in a sensible way," he said. Earlier this year, SWRPA applied for a Federal Highway Administration grant to study a tolling method known as "value pricing," in which motorists are charged fares based on the time of day they travel.

Tolls were removed from I-95 and the Merritt Parkway more than 20 years ago, and Lapp said some politicians may be reluctant to bring them back. But with new tolling technology, it's something to consider, he said, but "it must be done gradually."

In addition to installing tolls on bridges and tunnels, state governments should look at using them in other high-density areas, such as Midtown Manhattan, he said.

"It should cost you and I more to travel there at 5 o'clock than it would be to travel in the South Bronx, northern Manhattan or Staten Island," he said.

Lapp started his career working on land-use data with the Tri-State Transportation Committee in 1963 and the Westchester County Department of Planning in 1964.

He became the supervising planner for the New Jersey State and Regional Planning Division in 1965, where he helped to create the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission.

He worked for 10 years as director of New York City Planning's Transportation Division and served as a representative of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council -- an agency that has coordinated with SWRPA on many regional projects.

Since 2001, Lapp has taught planning and transportation courses at Columbia University and Pratt Institute.

After four decades in the field, Lapp has watched many colleagues retire, but he said he's happy to continue his career with SWRPA.

"I'm saddened that many of my colleagues packed it in years ago, and they're actually playing shuffleboard somewhere in Florida now," he said. "That's good, but not as life's work. This is a full-time job and I enjoy the work, and I'm glad I'm able to do it and still get excited about it."

2006 SOUTH WESTERN REGION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - Friday, February 3rd, 7:30-9am, Norwalk City Hall - planning underway for 2007!

The South Western Regional Planning Agency and the First Selectmen, First Selectwomen and Mayors of the Region’s eight member municipalities are pleased to present our “2006 South Western Region Legislative Priorities” for your consideration.

These priorities were developed with full understanding of the ongoing fiscal challenges faced by the Governor and the General Assembly. With that in mind, we urge you to maintain your vigilance in ensuring that the South Western Region retains its economic vitality and outstanding quality of life.

Please do not hesitate to call on the chief elected officials, SWRPA’s Board members or the Agency’s staff whenever we can be of assistance to you.

The following three legislative priorities were established by the Legislative Committee of the South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization:

•    Secure $210,000 in State funding to replace the loss of federal operating assistance for services in Norwalk and Westport mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

•    Secure $130,000 in additional state operating assistance to compensate, in the current fiscal year, for the increase in the cost of diesel fuel for all Norwalk Transit District services.

•    Assess a $10-25 surcharge to all traffic tickets and remit the full amount of that surcharge to the municipality in which the ticket was issued.

The following legislative priorities were established by the Board of the South Western Regional Planning Agency:

Maintain sustained State funding for critical local aid programs:

o    Secure annualized funding for regional planning organizations as a line item in the Office of Policy and Management’s budget.
o    Maintain annual support to regional planning organizations to reflect increased role in regional emergency management, evacuation and public health planning.
o    Maintain funding for the Town Aid for Roads Program (TAR).
o    Maintain funding for the Local Capital Improvements Program (LoCIP).
o    Maintain funding for the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP).
o    Maintain funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) programs.

Provide municipalities with additional support through the enhancement and/or implementation of State municipal revenue sharing programs, including sharing traffic enforcement fines with the municipalities in which such fines were collected.

Develop and promote incentive-based strategies to promote sustainable growth:

o    Require state infrastructure and development grants issued by quasi-public agencies such as the Connecticut Development Authority and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to be consistent with the Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut, 2005-2010 (the State plan).
o    Promote and provide project-based support for the following: acquisition of conservation land and open space; affordable housing that is consistent with local zoning and community character; remediation and redevelopment of brownfield and grayfield sites; adaptive reuse of older properties in urban neighborhoods; and transit-oriented development.
o    Provide incentive and/or performance grants to local governments that implement land-use policies that promote transit-oriented development; encourage development of affordable housing that is consistent with local zoning and community character; create local housing trust funds to support construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing options; and encourage persons to live and work in the same community.

SWRPA drops ball on the case for the new Route 7
Norwalk HOUR editorial
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

The Southwestern Regional Planning Agency chose discretion over valor when its committee took a neutral stance on the value of extending the new Route 7 from its Norwalk terminus to Danbury. Its committee report attempts to be all things to all people — it could be a good thing for the region, but there's no money to build it and besides, we need another study.

Unless we are mistaken, at one point SWRPA had endorsed the concept of the limited access highway. We can understand where Wilton First Selectman William Brennan and State Rep. Toni Boucher are coming from in opposing any hint of extending the road. In Wilton, a new Route 7 is the third rail of politics. If you want to be a candidate, you'd better oppose it.

Rep. Boucher is quoted as saying that SWRPA bowed to political pressure in taking the "neutral" stance it has. There may have been political pressure, but in our view, it was coming from those opposed to the highway and wanted SWRPA to back off from any approval.

SWRPA admittedly is a regional association and doesn't have a lot of clout when dealing with matters that cross its members' borders. In the past, however, it has supported the new Route 7 concept without equivocation.

We don't accept that widening portions of the old Route 7 and improving service on the Danbury branch of Metro-North's commuter line are the answers to the Norwalk River valley's transportation problems. We have contended that the widening might even contribute to the accident rate, rather than lessening it. We certainly agree about expanding and improving rail service on the branch railroad line, but that's only one piece of the puzzle.

Although the political leaders in Wilton may not admit it, there are residents of Wilton who actually favor construction of the highway. Obviously, none of them will ever seek public office.

SWRPA takes the middle lane on Route 7 plan
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Mark Ginocchio, Staff Writer
Published January 28 2006

The controversial Super 7 expressway will likely not be part of a regional development and conservation plan, despite mounting pressure from supporters to include it.

Robert Wilson, executive director of the South Western Regional Planning Agency, said Super 7 would be referred to as an "unfunded need" for the state, and it would not be actively endorsed or denounced when the agency votes on its Fourth Plan of Conservation and Development next week.

The middle-ground stance is consistent with the Metropolitan Planning Organization's long-range transportation plan, Wilson said, which is drawn up by the region's eight municipal leaders.

"I know the opponents of (Super 7) will probably not be too happy, but the proponents won't be either," Wilson said of the agency's decision. SWRPA reviewed the final draft of its plan last week and expects to vote on it Friday*, Wilson added. The plan looks to control sprawl by focusing development in areas with the infrastructure to handle it.

The decade-long fight about Super 7, a proposed super-highway connecting Norwalk to Danbury and Interstate 84, came to a head again late last year when Norwalk officials advocated inserting pro-Super 7 language in the SWRPA plan.

The proposal angered Wilton officials, who have been the primary opponents of the highway since it was conceptualized more than 50 years ago. The SWRPA board delayed its vote on the plan to give elected officials more time to review the draft and make suggestions.

During that time, some Norwalk legislators continued to push for an outright Super 7 endorsement. Wilton officials said the expressway plan should be taken off the table because it lacks funding, has not received Gov. M. Jodi Rell's support and will likely never be completed.

After learning of SWRPA's decision, state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said he understood the agency's compromise but was disappointed that there wasn't more of a push for Super 7.

"It would have been a bigger disappointment if Super 7 was taken off the table completely," Duff said. "There needs to be more of a concerted effort to do what's right for the region and not cave in to one or two communities."

Duff said transportation between Norwalk and Danbury must improve to accommodate the increasing economic development and population in the Route 7 corridor.

Wilton First Selectman Bill Brennan said he and other opponents will continue to fight off the calls to build Super 7.

"It's clear there wasn't a consensus to put it in this plan," Brennan said. "It doesn't belong in the conservation plan, and it doesn't even belong in the long-range plan."

As of last week, Brennan said he was unsure whether Wilton's representatives to SWRPA would be advised to support or reject the conservation plan.

NOTE: *Monday, February 6, 2006 is the date of SWRPA vote.

Super 7 highway at center of contention

Hour Staff Writers
By ANNA GUSTAFSON and PATRICK R. LINSEY
Friday, January 6, 2006

REGION — An upcoming transportation study is unlikely to please anyone in the debate over the so-called Super 7 highway, the director of a regional planning agency predicted Thursday.

The South Western Regional Planning Association's updated transportation study will likely not even mention the proposed highway, according to Robert Wilson, executive director of the organization. SWRPA will likely defer to the views of a long-term transportation plan, which cites an unfunded need for Super 7, in a "Fourth Plan of Conservation and Development 2005-2015."

"Essentially (it's) saying yes, we need Super 7, but there's no money for it, and it's implicit that it's unlikely that it will be built," Wilson said. "Nobody will be completely happy with our decision. Wilton wants us to come flat out and say we will never build Super 7, and Norwalk wants us to emphasize in the plan that we need Super 7."

SWRPA, which is slated to make a decision about the plan after its extended comment period ends Jan. 17, has received numerous comments about Super 7, including from Wilton's First Selectman William Brennan and state Sen. Bob Duff, D-25. Brennan voiced his opposition to Super 7 in a letter to SWRPA that cited negative environmental effects of construction and exorbitant project costs.

The proposed highway would run from Norwalk to Danbury and link Interstate 95 with Interstate 84. The state acquired the land to build the highway, but the plan has been on hold.

While some Wilton town residents and officials have been against the highway, other residents said they applaud SWRPA for taking another look at Super 7.

State Sen. Judith Freedman, R-26, deemed the Super 7 plan backward and said she disagrees with Duff's promotion of Route 7. Duff recently wrote a letter to SWRPA as well, stating that Super 7 would play a crucial role in the region's development.

"I believe that the economic viability of the region and the ease of access to southwestern Connecticut towns depend on (Super 7's) completion," Duff wrote. "We need to stop kidding ourselves that Route 7 can exist as something other than a major thoroughfare through the region."

But Freedman said the Route 7 corridor is already being improved, without the construction of a costly and unpopular highway.

"The fact that we're widening the current Route 7 will address the current issues that people have. The DOT has taken Super 7 off the drawing board. The future is other means of transportation, such as trains," Freedman said. "Road-building is passé. I'm really surprised that Mr. Duff would want to bring this issue up again and go back in time. SWRPA already made a decision a long time ago about their position on Super 7, and they should remain with that position."

State Rep. Toni Boucher, R-143, agreed with Freedman and said Super 7 is "untenable" and all efforts should be focused on the New Haven Line's Danbury branch. The branch has also recently come under heat from residents who have said it does not provide enough trains for commuters traveling to New York City.

Opponents of the highway have pointed to planned improvements of the Metro-North branch and the widening of Route 7 already under way as more practical alternatives.

"This improvement of the Norwalk/Danbury branch is a mutually beneficial issue," Brennan said. "It's been neglected, and the service needs to be improved. I'd like to work with Bob (Duff) on that," Brennan said. "Recently I read that Virgin Atlantic is moving out of Norwalk, and one of the reasons they gave for moving to Stamford is to give employees greater access to the trains."

Unlike the rail improvements, Super 7 is unlikely to find state or federal funds, Brennan added.

"Super 7 is a pipe dream," Boucher said in a recent interview. "There is absolutely no money for it anywhere and DOT will tell you that. There's no way they could ever be granted an environmental permit, and there's a massive amount of opposition from Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding, Weston, Danbury, and parts north. This [Super 7] is some politician's cause of the day without being realistic."

But, having suffered hours in traffic tie-ups, many residents in these towns do support Super 7, Duff said in an interview Thursday.

"I believe there are people in Wilton who were opposed to it who now favor it, because the current Route 7 is now a bottleneck," Duff said. While he supported the improvements on Metro-North's Danbury branch, Duff said modernizing the region's transportation infrastructure should not be an either/or proposition.

Those improvements do "nothing more than try to just placate and put a Band-Aid on something that really needs a much better approach," he said.

While Wilson labeled Super 7 "pretty much a dead issue" politically, Duff said he is not discouraged.

"There is a feeling out there that this will never get built, so there is a sense that 'Why even try?'" Duff said. "I'm not going to be part of the defeatist attitude that says that we should give up ... I think in order to build this you need to have a partnership between the state and the federal government."

And as much as a limited access highway is needed for convenience and economic growth, Duff said safety is also a factor.

"There has been a number of accidents on the old Route 7," Duff noted. "In my opinion, if you build Super 7, it would decrease the kind of accidents you see now. You have truckers and you have people who are going from Norwalk to Danbury. And then you have everyone else — people who are using Route 7 as a local road."

Indeed, some Wilton residents have spoken out in favor of Super 7, including Barbara Quincy, chairman of the Committee to Extend Route 7.

"I think it's an archaic view to say everyone in Wilton wants to dismiss the highway," Quincy said. "I've gotten letters from lots of commuters, and residents in general, who say that the road would help them. Even if you doubled the ridership on the railroad, you wouldn't make a dent in the traffic. SWRPA did a courageous thing by putting it back on their list."

Quincy said renewed public support has prompted her to consider holding new meetings of CER7.

"A lot of people have moved to Wilton in the past five or 10 years and don't really have a concept of the road and how close we were to having it," she said.

Meanwhile, support for the highway from Norwalk officials is undiminished. Planning and Zoning Director Michael Green said the highway would benefit Wilton and Norwalk.

"There wouldn't be as many traffic jams on Route 7," Green said in a recent interview. "With growth in jobs, people need houses, but there's a severe limit on affordable housing in our region, so people will have to commute to work. Right now there's I-95, but it's crowded, and the railway system to the north has limitations."

By reserving judgment on the need for Super 7, Wilson said SWRPA would be effectively passing the issue to the South Western Connecticut Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO consists of the chief elected officials from SWRPA's eight municipalities and a representative from the region's three transit agencies.

The MPO's long-range transportation plan refers to Super 7 as an unfunded need, Wilson said. "There's a consensus that Super 7 should be built, but there's no money committed to it."

Wilson is resigned to the fact that neither supporters nor opponents of Super 7 are likely to be pleased with SWRPA's decision, but added perhaps that is for the best.

Said Wilson: "Maybe the fact that both of them will not be completely satisfied means we struck the right balance."

SHAYS AQUARIUM
By CHRIS BOSAK Hour Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2005
NORWALK -- U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, wearing a blue suit and yellow tie, waded knee deep into Long Island Sound at Calf Pasture Beach on Friday morning. His hair and clothes remained completely dry, despite a steady light rain. In fact, Shays did not have to leave the cozy confines of the Olin Technology Lab in the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk to experience the walk into the Sound. He did all this in real time vicariously through Joe Schnierlein, an educator at the Aquarium. Schnierlein, an intern and a video cameraman, caught horseshoe crabs and small fish near the Coast Guard facility in Norwalk as a way of demonstrating the Aquarium's "distance learning" educational project.

Shays, who would be instrumental in procuring federal funds for the Aquarium, toured the attraction for the first time in years and was amazed at the progress made since his last visit. "There's a great deal of energy here and I'm thrilled to see so many people utilizing the facility," he said. "This just illustrates the energy of Norwalk."

Shays, R-4, visited the Aquarium briefly during the annual Red Apple Dinner in April and suggested to new Aquarium president Jennifer Herring that they get together for a tour. "This was just the first step," Herring said about what she hopes are continued discussions with Shays about federal funding. On June 15, the board of trustees of the Maritime Aquarium approved a new mission and vision statement. Part of that mission includes protecting the Long Island Sound through education in the form of living exhibits, marine science and environmental education. Those exhibits will also be more sharply focused on the Aquarium's mission of helping people recognize the Sound as a valuable resource.

The Aquarium is considered for entertainment and educational funds, according to Shays. On Friday, the Aquarium used the opportunity to show off its state-of-the-art educational tools. The Aquarium is already using its "distance learning" tool at area schools. Students may sit at their desks in school and watch an Aquarium educator perform live demonstrations from a remote area.

Norwalk Mayor Alex Knopp stressed during the presentation that the Aquarium and all Norwalk schools will be linked by the upcoming fiber optic municipal area network, that will also include the police and fire stations and City Hall. Knopp added that science will soon become part of the Connecticut Mastery Test and the Aquarium's distance learning may be an integral part of the science curriculum at Norwalk schools. On Thursday, Schnierlein displayed just-caught aquatic animals and gave descriptions and histories of them as Shays, Knopp, Herring and about a dozen other people watched television screens on the third floor of the Aquarium.

The connection was made possible by a transmitter located on a stack at Manresa power plant. Jack Schneider, animal curator at the Aquarium, led the discussion at the Aquarium while Schnierlein answered questions at Calf Pasture Beach. Schneider said the program can have a lasting impact on school children as the Aquarium "establishes a rigorous scientific protocol so it has real meaning for kids."

Shays, without needing to hold a microphone or wear a headset, fired off a few questions to Schnierlein. "Can we see Peach Island?" Shays said. Schnierlein obliged and directed the cameraperson to pan over to show Shays a glimpse of the small island in Norwalk Harbor that was recently added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge system. Herring led Shays on a tour of the Aquarium following the distance learning demonstration. The rainy day and scheduled summer camp visits had the facility packed with children. Herring showed Shays the popular shark tank from above and then directed him to the rare albino alligator, which is a summer resident at the Aquarium.

"There are real financial needs and good educational programs going on," Shays said. "We have to figure out how the federal government can be more helpful. The education and science-based research adds to the credibility in the request for federal dollars."

"I think he was impressed," Herring said of Shays. "Half a million people visit here each year. The people experience the wildlife of Long Island Sound. We help people better connect with nature and hopefully get them interested in preserving the Sound for future generations." More federal funding will only help that cause.

Was the same meeting where Westport did this...
Municipal leaders want a more user-friendly DOT
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Martin B. Cassidy, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/28/2008 03:00:46 AM EDT

NORWALK - Leaders of Fairfield County towns and cities Monday said the state Department of Transportation must be more open, cooperate more and cut some of its bureaucracy.

Wilton First Selectman William Brennan summed it up.

"Why does everything have to take so long?" Brennan asked DOT officials during a meeting of the South West Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization held at the Norwalk Transit District.

Wilton wants the DOT to move on proposals to spruce up and reopen the Metro-North Railroad station. But a vendor who hopes to maintain the building and run a newsstand is delayed by contract procedures, Brennan said.

"Why can't it be, 'Get this done and get the station reopened?' " Brennan asked DOT Commissioner Joseph Marie. "We've got engineers who would be able to do it, but it takes a long time to get through the bureaucracy."

Marie said he was reorganizing the DOT to be more responsive and efficient in dealing with towns and cities.

"While no relationship is perfect, we realize we haven't always met expectations in the past," Marie said. "We've been making sure we have the right people in the right places. I'm committed to long-lasting and meaningful change at the DOT."

Municipal officials asked Marie about projects that may be at risk because of the weak economy. Marie was not specific but said spiraling construction costs and a projected shortfall of $1 billion in the 2009-10 state budget might stall some work.

"The further out from a project's start we are, the lower the confidence about the eventual bottom-line cost will be. It would be disingenuous of me to say that everything can get done," he said. "One good thing about hard times is it forces everyone to think about doing things better and faster."

Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia said DOT engineers sometimes fail to move fast enough to seize money-saving opportunities when working with towns.

Several years ago, Norwalk offered to repave the East Avenue overpass during a larger road improvement project, but DOT engineers rejected the idea, Moccia said.

"There seemed to be a lack of respect for local engineers when we offer to help," he said. "Now we have two wonderfully paved sections of East Avenue, and the bridge is still badly in need of repair."

Marie said the additions of Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey Walker to oversee the New Haven Railyard Project and Al Martin to handle transit and rail station projects should improve relationships with municipal officials.

The New Haven project remains a priority - despite spiraling cost estimates - because a repair yard is needed, Marie said. The project was estimated to cost $300 million when it was proposed in 2005, but the amount has quadrupled to more than $1.2 billion.

"Not upgrading the rail yard would be a mistake and leave us unable to deal with the growth that we see ahead," Marie said.

Weston First Selectman Woody Bliss, chairman of the planning organization, asked Marie when the DOT might resume an effort to replace the Merritt Parkway-Route 7 interchange in Norwalk.

Work on the long-awaited project to connect the parkway to Route 7 was halted in 2005 after the Merritt Parkway Conservancy, a preservation group, won a verdict that the design violated federal preservation laws.

Marie said the DOT continues to work with the conservancy to design a project it finds acceptable.

Bliss, Moccia and others said communication from the DOT has improved dramatically in the past year.

"I've met with him twice and found him to be a very knowledgeable guy," Bliss said of Marie. "He has some culture changes to make, and some of that is to take some of the bureaucratic aspects of the department away."

Floyd Lapp, executive director of the planning organization, said the meeting offered municipal officials a chance to meet Marie and explain the difficulties they have had working with the DOT.

"It was like the first day of school, which generally comes down to good things," Lapp said. "There will be follow-up meetings in a few months, where people will begin talking to him more specifically about issues."

Future Council of Governments in Southwestern Region?

WWHD new Executive Director
The First Selectman of Southbury to take job in a month. Weston meeting on Emergency Management here.

Westport Weston Health District Names New Director
WestportNow

The first selectman of Southbury, Mark A. R. Cooper, today was named public health director for the Westport Weston Health District.
Mark A. R. Cooper: First Selectman of Southbury has health background.

The District’s board’s appointment of Cooper, effective next month, is subject to approval by the state Department of Public Health. Cooper succeeds Sue Jacozzi, who has served in the post since August 2005. (See WestportNow Aug. 29, 2005)

At today’s board of directors meeting, Westport First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff praised Jacozzi for her service to the District and said he looked forward to working with Cooper.

“Sue has gone above and beyond on so many occasions,” he said. “We very much appreciate her efforts and wish her well.

“I especially look forward to working with Mark Cooper because of his experience as a fellow first selectman.”

Cooper, who has a background in public health, has been first selectman of Southbury, a town of about 19,000 in western New Haven County, since December 2001.

Prior to becoming first selectman, he served for 15 years in the Newtown Health District, first as director of environmental health (1986 to 1993) and then as director of health (1993-2001).

He holds B.S. and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Connecticut.

In Southbury, he has also served on the Southbury Water Pollution Control Authority and the Inland Wetland Commission.

He is a former chairman of the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley and serves as a director of the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority.

Posted 10/09/2008 - our note - at 05:01 PM

Unrelated, older item...now more Aquarion towns (specifically Greenwich and Darien).

Bridgeport Hydraulic towns in Connecticut - from their own WEBsite (2/1/02) .