Reliable, Expanded, Affordable Transportation

Connecticut's rail network was allowed to decay, and we have underinvested in our bus system where it is often unreliable for aspiring commuters. We should not be running public transit like a business that has to turn a profit. It's a public service, and as Governor I will invest in reliable, frequent rail services and bus routes, extending that service to the parts of the state that have gone without it for decades. I will also work with local leaders and DOT in designing streets that keep people safe without more surveillance.

The solutions:

• Expanded Bus and Rail Service

  • Increased Rail Frequency and Lower Prices: A $22 round trip on the Hartford Line will never compete with driving. Coupled with infrequent rail service, it is no wonder ridership is not meeting expectations. As Governor, I would increase the Hartford Line and Shore Line East service to 30-minute frequency. With increased ridership, we can work to lower the overall fares. 

  • Free Bus Fare Statewide: If we want to increase bus ridership in our state, then we have to make fares free and increase how often bus lines run. As Governor, I would invest in free, frequent bus service so commuters have reliable transportation. 

• Quiet Corner and Central Corridor Rail Expansion

  • Restore the Central Corridor: Bring passenger rail back to the existing New England Central freight line, connecting New London, Norwich, Willimantic, Storrs-Mansfield, and Stafford Springs to Massachusetts and beyond. 

  • Regional and express buses to areas of need: While rail is a longer-term build, fund frequent bus connections linking Putnam, Danielson, Willimantic, and UConn to Hartford, Norwich, and Providence.

  • Fund regional transit districts and on-demand microtransit: Bring flexible, on-demand service to rural stretches too spread out for a fixed route.

• Safe, Walkable and Bikable Streets and Road Design

  • Design Streets to Help Reduce Speeding: Speeding is a street design problem first and it's an enforcement problem second. Road designs that prioritize narrower lanes, roundabouts, and raised crosswalks slow drivers every hour of the day without a camera or an officer. 

  • Build real protected bike infrastructure: Fund more physically separated lanes in our cities and towns, so bicycle lanes do not contend with 45 mph traffic. 

  • Legalize walkable places: End local parking mandates and allow mixed-use development near transit, so homes, shops, and stations can sit next to each other the way they used to.

End Flock surveillance in Connecticut: Automated license plate readers have become a mass surveillance network that tracks every driver and shares data with federal agencies like ICE, with almost no public oversight. This slow creep of fascism in Connecticut outweighs any possible benefit they may have. As Governor, I would ban any new Flock cameras and end the current use of them statewide.