Stamford (CT) Advocate, 1/1/16:
Blumenthal: ‘A major step forward for rail safety’
Last month, Congress passed the FAST Act, the first major, long-term transportation bill in a decade, providing $3.5 billion for Connecticut’s roads and rails and ending a dangerously irresponsible era of patch and pray funding for our aging transportation system. While there is much to celebrate, the bill is far from perfect, rolling back some truck and rail safety provisions while also failing to address many urgent auto safety needs.
After years of kicking the can down our nation’s potholed roads with dozens of temporary and inadequate funding extensions, Congress has finally provided states the long-term certainty needed to begin necessary, major infrastructure investments. That work alone will create millions of jobs for construction workers across the country.
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Despite its flaws, this bill is a major step forward for rail safety and investment, incorporating many of the provisions I championed and authored following the cascading catastrophes that plagued Metro-North and Amtrak in recent years. Much work remains — this is not a mission accomplished moment — but these measures will undoubtedly save the lives of countless commuters and workers.
For the first time, passenger rail and rail safety are addressed in what has historically been solely a “highway” bill. It dedicates funding for Northeast Corridor rail distinct from the broader Amtrak network, a landmark recognition not only of the Corridor’s vital role in regional transportation, but its deteriorating and outdated infrastructure. It establishes the first ever national freight program, providing a vital lifeline to ports in Connecticut while reducing congestion on I-95.