Tag Archives: transportation

Talking Transportation: Dangers of the Fall

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Jim Cameron

I love the fall. But I hate the leaves!

Sure, they look pretty as they change colors, but when those leaves are spent and fall to the ground, they present real problems for travelers.

Whether you rake your leaves yourself or have someone “blow” them for you, disposing of leaves is a hassle.

Growing up (many years ago) I remember we used to burn our leaves, heedless to the air pollution and health effects. A better alternative is to use a mulching-mower and just grind up the leaves on your lawn, providing much-needed nutrients to your soil. Or try composting them on your own property.

In most towns leaves must be bagged and left curbside for pick-up. In other towns, like Stamford, Middletown and Farmington, you can just rake the leaves into a pile at the curb, loose, and the town will vacuum them up … eventually.

Often however, the piles of leaves left curbside get rained on, creating a giant soggy mess, blocking parking and leading to slippery roads. At speeds of 40–45 mph, it can take up to three times longer to stop on wet leaves compared to dry pavement, with stopping distance increasing from about 80 feet to over 200–250 feet.

But the slippery, almost winter-like driving conditions caused by wet leaves also affect our trains. Their wheels also slip on wet leaves and the trains’ “brains” sense it and go into emergency braking. You’ll know this is happening when the trains suddenly “dump their air,” and brake quickly.

Usually it’s just a minute or so to reset the computer and you carry on. But as in a real emergency, braking and stopping distance are quickly diminished. Which is why railroads take a number of defensive steps to literally clear the tracks.

So bad was the leaf slime problem in years past that Metro-North would have 25% of its fleet out of service as the trains’ brakes locked the wheels to a stop, grinding flat spots on the wheels, requiring repairs.

This is especially a problem on the Danbury branch, a 397-foot uphill climb from Norwalk to “The Hat City.” Often, locomotive-pulled trains couldn’t get enough traction so that they had to skip stations like Cannondale just to keep momentum to climb uphill.

You see, on a diesel locomotive there are only eight traction wheels making contact with the rails. But on the electric M8 cars, every car is a locomotive, so contact with the wheels is spread across the entire train, increasing traction … another good reason to re-electrify the Danbury branch.

In years past the railroad used high-pressure water jets to blast the slippery leaf pectin from the rails. But now they have resorted to lasers. Metro-North’s Laser Train uses high-intensity lasers to remove this contaminated layer in a single pass at speeds up to 60 mph, allowing Metro-North to clean the entire network at least once a day. The train is a rare sight, usually operating overnight to clear the tracks in time for the morning rush hour.

Last year the Laser Train saw a 40% reduction in leaf-related “slip slide” events, leading to the lowest wheel-regrinding costs on record.

So enjoy the fall and the beauty of the foliage. But beware the dangers, whether driving or training, of “slip sliding away.”

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” won first place in the general column/commentary category in the most recent Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: The Folly of a Bridge to New York

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Jim Cameron

Why is much of Connecticut talking about a bridge from Bridgeport, across Long Island Sound, to New York State? How did we get sucked into a debate about a project that every transportation expert I spoke with said just won’t happen?

You can blame (or maybe credit?) Connecticut housing developer Stephen Shapiro for this distraction as he pipe-dreams way outside his area of expertise.

“A reporter from The CT Post called me to talk about housing,” he told WFSB’s “CT ‘25”. “I always liked the idea of a bridge. And now this thing has ballooned into a massive story.”

He even helped by generating a lovely artificial intelligence image of the structure, complete with red, white and blue towers, which was gobbled up by the media.

A 14-mile bridge, costing a guesstimated $50 billion? It’s a good thing Shapiro didn’t dangle the idea of flying cars to the reporter.

Shapiro has never built a bridge. His expertise is in affordable housing projects in cities like Bristol, Fairfield, Milford and Easton. That’s great, and certainly needed. But a bridge? Nah.

I asked CDOT about the idea of such a bridge and they said “None of the regional MPOs (regional planning agencies) have this in their long-range plans. It is not in CTDOT’s long-range plan for the state either.”

It’s not that our state’s planners lack vision … just money. They must focus on the feasible, not fanciful.

Shapiro says a cross-sound bridge would get Connecticut residents to the lovely Long Island beaches faster. But that’s hardly the justification for a $50B bridge. And anyhow, what’s wrong with Connecticut’s beaches?

As for the $50B estimated price … Shapiro says the new Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, the Mario Cuomo Bridge, cost $4B for its three-mile length. “If you prorate that out to 15 miles, it’s $20B,” he says. Factor in inflation and adding a train line on the bridge and you’re at $30B. Rounding upward, because things always cost more than planned, and he suggests a $50B price tag is reasonable.

But is that a fair calculation? Is that how Shapiro bids on housing development jobs?

And what would it cost to drive across this hypothetical bridge? Shapiro suggests a one-way toll of about $40.

Compare that to the one-way fare of about $75 for a car and driver on the Bridgeport–Port Jefferson ferry. That makes Shapiro’s bridge look like a bargain … except only those who take the ferry pay the fare. Build a bridge and all of us taxpayers pay for it, even if we never go to the Hamptons.

And if there were a bridge, wouldn’t that just worsen traffic in Connecticut with more New Yorkers going to New England?

The idea of bridging Long Island Sound has been studied by experts as recently as 2017. They concluded that there were serious environmental issues and maybe 10 or more state and federal agencies would need to be involved. Most concerning, the report said that tolls would cover only 22% of the debt service (with guess-who paying the difference) and that it would take five years to plan and eight years to build.

Meantime, our state’s housing crisis is happening right now. I wish Shapiro would focus on his real skill-set and not dangle unfeasible, bright shiny objects in front of a click-hungry media.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: Jim Cameron Finally Boards the NextGen Acela

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Jim Cameron

I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: This really is Amtrak’s train of the future.

But here are a few tips for making your next ride frictionless. These tips are mostly about riding Acela, but many hold true for slower Northeast Corridor trains.

WHAT’S A NEXTGEN ACELA? These are the new trains built by Alstom, previously known as Avelia Liberty. They hold 25% more passengers than the existing Acela trains and can, at least for 32 miles with fast, straight track in New Jersey, travel up to 160 mph compared to the old Acela’s 150 mph.

Just a few of the new trains are running so far but 26 are more on the way, replacing the older Acelas, which will be retired.

BOOK EARLY: We booked our Acela tickets about two weeks in advance and scored senior fares (10% discount) of “only” $204 one way from Stamford to Washington DC. Waiting at the station to board I heard the ticket agent startle a younger passenger seeking a ticket to DC by quoting her the same-day walk-up fare of $402 one way. A minute later the helpful agent said she could make the same trip a half-hour later (on the slower train) for half as much.

RESERVED SEATS: Seats on all Acelas are now reserved. But don’t trust the seating chart you’ll see online. When we boarded the train we found our seats faced backwards (not in the direction of travel) and had no window. But a helpful conductor found us better seats right on his phone. Consult a third-party seating chart to make sure you get the seats you want.

If you want the Quiet Car, be aware there’s only one car with 59 seats. Otherwise you’ll be enjoying the “finance bro” across the aisle making deals enroute by phone.

BOARDING ADVICE: The cars on the NextGen Acela are much shorter than the regular trains, so position yourself carefully on the platform to minimize walking once the train arrives. I noticed Amtrak staff at each station helping minimize “dwell time” for the train by getting passengers off and on as quickly as possible.

USE THE RED CAPS: If your train originates at your station, like our return from DC, get priority pre-boarding with the help of the Red Caps. Avoiding the throngs queueing to board is worth a tip, even with reserved seats.

HOW’S THE RIDE?: In a word, spectacular. All the Acelas run no faster than Metro-North in Connecticut, but south of NYC it’s a whole different railroad. True to its promise our train hit 159 mph on the straightaways in New Jersey and the ride overall was very smooth, unlike the 25-year-old Amfleet cars or the 50-year-old Amfleet cars on the slower trains.

SERVICE: Enroute the cabin cleaning staff came around to collect trash and Café Car items were available (credit cards only) from a cart moving between the cars. The Café Car itself looked great with self-serve windows displaying the food items. But there are no tables to sit down, just some counters where you can perch and munch.

The food offerings were “premium” and priced accordingly.

The on-board Wi-Fi was spectacular… truly 5G.

ON-TIME?: Like many Amtrak trains, even the super-Acela tends to run a few minutes late in Connecticut because of Metro-North traffic. We departed about ten minutes late from Stamford but, because the schedule is padded, were on time out of Penn Station NY and arrived early in Washington DC.

IS IT WORTH TRYING?: Yes, at least once. Amtrak has a lot riding on these new trainsets, so try one soon and you’ll see what the future will be like.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: Travel Now, Talk or Text Later

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Jim Cameron

How many of you remember “Car Talk”, the wildly popular NPR show with Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as “Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers”? Not only were they brothers, but both graduated from MIT. They were walking encyclopedias of automotive wisdom. And common sense.

To them, car safety meant more than just mechanics. It meant drivers should be smart about their motoring. Their popular bumper sticker read “Drive Now, Talk Later”.

They meant talking on cellphones, of course. But to update their mantra you could add “Text Later.”

That’s actually the law in Connecticut: All drivers must use hands-free devices for phone calls, and it is illegal to text or use any hand-held mobile device while operating a motor vehicle. If you’re under age 18 you’re not allowed to use any cell phone, hands-free or otherwise, while driving.

Last year’s “Put the phone away or pay” campaign in East Hartford and Manchester saw 365 tickets issued in a single month while State Police tallied almost 600 citations in the same period. And we’re talking a $200 to $625 fine.

But I see it every day … people can’t put down their phones. I’m behind a guy at a red light. It changes to green and he doesn’t move, obviously checking his phone. A slight tap on the horn (after a very patient 10 seconds) and he finally takes off.

Are we all so addicted? I honestly wonder what parents with an SUV full of kids are thinking when they drive down busy streets juggling a latte in one hand and a cellphone in the other.

Once, when stuck in crawling traffic on I-95, I actually saw a guy reading a book. I’ve seen other drivers shaving or putting on make-up. Give me a break!

But I’d carry that message of attentive commuting to other travel environments as well, especially on the train.

Several years ago, while serving on the CT Rail Commuter Council, I tried to persuade Metro-North to establish “Quiet Cars” on their trains … cellphone free environments where riders seeking peace wouldn’t need to hear some self-centered hedge-fund dealer yelling at his trading desk in a voice that carries through the entire car.

“Hey. It’s me.” Who cares? “I’m on the train”. Yeah, I know. “Just thought I’d check in on that last trade.” I wish I could check out.

Years after Amtrak and other commuter rail systems adopted “Quiet Cars,” Metro-North finally agreed to give it a try in 2011. But they never enforced the rules and dropped the plan, using COVID as the excuse.

If we used to have smoking and non-smoking cars, why can’t we have “Quiet Cars” as well? The problems of annoying chatter persist. A ticket on the train buys you transportation, not the right to annoy your fellow passengers with a recitation of your woes.

A friend on Metro-North says she was seated next to a woman on the phone complaining to a friend about her day and a splitting headache. When she hung up my friend asked if she needed a Tylenol. Cell-lady gave her a “Hrumph” and accused her of eavesdropping.

What’s the proper etiquette for cellphone use on the train?

Try to make the call short and at a low speaking volume, and cup your hand around the mouthpiece. If a longer call is necessary, get out of your seat and talk in the vestibule. And to make sure that incoming calls don’t bother anyone, leave your phone on vibrate.

It’s just a matter of consideration of your fellow riders.

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Talking Transportation: Experiencing Woodstock While Working on the Tappan Zee

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Jim Cameron

Continuing our summer reprise of some older columns, here’s an update on memories of years past …

This week marks the 56th anniversary of the grand-daddy of all rock festivals … Woodstock. I was in my teens the summer of 1969, but couldn’t get off from my job to join the swarms of rock fans. But I did see most of them.

That summer I was as a “temp seasonal” toll collector on the Tappan Zee Bridge, joining Westchester and Rockland counties across the mighty Hudson River.

Most days life as a toll collector on the Tappan Zee was a delight, as I was usually assigned to the far outside lane, also known as “the country club” because of its green vistas and views of the mighty Hudson River.

There were two things I learned in that job: how to roll quarters and how to listen to the radio. The tiny toll booths lacked air conditioning, but I could bring a fan or a radio. My portable FM entertained me eight hours a day as I listened to both the music and the FM DJs … a job I eventually earned at Long Island’s WLIR after college graduation.

New York’s FM stations were buzzing about Woodstock for weeks, and that Friday and much of Saturday, it seemed that every kid in the tri-state area was heading for Yasgur’s Farm. Most weekends were pretty crazy in my toll collecting job, because in those days tolls were collected in both directions … 50 cents north-bound and 50 cents coming home. (Today the toll is $6.75 roundtrip, if you have an E-ZPass).

Busy as it was on summer weekends on that bridge, nobody expected a half-million people would show up heading to Woodstock, especially not the folks at the NY Thruway Authority. But after the rock fest was well underway, the Thruway brass realized the mobs would eventually be heading home, clogging the bridge. Because the music was expected to end late on Sunday, many of us temp-collectors worked overtime into the wee hours of Monday morning.

Late into the night we had five toll lanes open southbound, most of us enjoying some handsome overtime. However, traffic was so light, they sent us home by about 1 am. But I was due back in the booth five hours later.

Of course, the music didn’t end until early that Monday morning, meaning that the usual morning rush hour carried as many burned-out hippies as it did regular business commuters. I remember one station wagon that pulled in to my toll lane, caked in mud up to the windows and stuffed with a dozen zonked-out kids.

“Hey man,” said the driver with bloodshot eyes that struggled to focus. “We don’t have any money (to pay the 50 cent toll). How about these instead?” That day, his Tappan Zee toll was an orange and a warm Coke.

Later that summer, after being reassigned to the New Rochelle toll barrier on the New England Thruway, I learned about the “exact change” lanes. As folks threw their change into the basket, the coins went into a machine with rotating discs and holes the size of nickels, dimes and quarters. As the coins fell though the holes, their value was totaled and the driver could pull away.

What I didn’t know was the people threw more than coins into those baskets.

One day, while inside the booth removing change buckets, I heard a car stop in the lane outside followed by an ominous thump. Not the clinking of change, but a thump.

Imagine my horror as I watched an entire orange work its way down the change chute, hitting the rotating discs like a food processor, spewing orange juice and peel everywhere over the machinery, the buckets of coins and me.

Oh, for those days back in “the country club lane” back on the Tappan Zee!

Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state.
ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.