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Affects Just About Every One

The state’s planned 15 percent then 50 percent reduction in funding to local transit districts including our own 9 Town Transit and those providing important connecting services such as Middletown and Southeast Area Transit in Norwich/New London should be alarming to anyone who lives, does business, or works in this area.

For those of us who seek progress in conservation, fresh air, and sustainability, the need for public transportation is patently obvious. For those of us who may no longer feel comfortable driving or who have medical issues or family members who do, public transportation can make the difference between a fulfilling life of self-care, work, community involvement, and social interaction or complete reliance on another person, who is then limited in what he or she can do, or hopeless solitude.

For those of us in business, a loss of or substantial diminution in public transportation means a loss of potential clients, customers, and employees. For those of us who work, it limits our opportunities.

In short, it affects just about every one of us in one way or another. For those reasons, I urge everyone in our community to take action to oppose planned cuts in funding for local public transportation that will hurt people, towns, and regions and any chance of improved economic vitality in Connecticut.

Loraine Cortese-Costa

Old Saybrook