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DOT Announces Potential Service Reductions to Shore Line East

For commuters already suffering through a series of delays and cancellations on Shore Line East (SLE) this year, the news just got worse. On Jan. 30, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a series of public hearings to discuss a range of price increase and service reductions on SLE and other transportation services starting July 1, 2018.

The DOT sent out a press release explaining the public hearings and the potential changes that are on the horizon.

“If approved, a rail fare increase would take effect in three phases—10 percent on July 1, 2018, 5 percent on July 1, 2020, and 5 percent on July 1, 2021, for a cumulative total of 21.28 percent,” the press release states. “A 14.3 percent, or 25-cent, bus fare increase would take effect on July 1, 2018. Rail service reductions would also take effect on or about July 1, 2018; no bus service changes are proposed at this time. A $1 increase in the car fare for the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury and Chester-Hadlyme ferries is also proposed, for which public information meetings will be held.”

According to DOT, the proposed rail changes include “significant” reductions in the number of trains scheduled on the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branch lines on the New Haven Line, and on SLE. The rationale behind the cuts and price hikes leads back to state finances.

“These actions are necessary due to an estimated $60 million budget shortfall for transit and rail accounts,” the press release states. “The implementation of any service and fare changes are subject to public input and contingent on action by the General Assembly to ensure the long-term solvency of the Special Transportation Fund (STF), which is supported by the gasoline tax and other revenues, and pays for DOT operations.”

STF was created a few decades ago to provide financial investments in the state’s transportation system as well as cover the costs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the services it provides—including SLE. In December 2017, Governor Dannel P. Malloy released a statement warning officials that revenues for the fund are drying up and unless something is done, the fund will soon be insolvent, forcing the cancellation or deferral of numerous projects over the coming years.

That same month, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and DOT released a report highlighting a “grim scenario” for transportation if nothing is done to fix the fund.

“If we do not take action to increase revenues in the STF, the Connecticut Department of Transportation would be forced to significantly revise its operating budget and its five-year capital program. It would significantly reduce highway, rail, and bus services for the public, and reduce the capital program by over $4 billion over the next five years,” the report reads.

The projections suggest there could be a 50 percent reduction of SLE service by fiscal year 2019 and an elimination of the capital plan to replace rail cars on SLE.

Shoreline legislators have been largely opposed to any reduction to SLE. A press conference, organized by State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-98) is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the Guilford Train station to discuss the proposed cuts. Legislators and first selectmen from shoreline towns ranging from Branford to Old Saybrook are expected to attend.