Infrastructure bill to bring needed changes

The state’s congressional delegation is understandably excited about the infrastructure package recently approved in Congress. That’s partly because there’s a lot of money and many worthwhile projects at play, but also because, given the way things look in Washington, it could be the last major legislation passed for some time.

Still, the accomplishment shouldn’t be ignored, and one of the biggest beneficiaries will be local rail service. With renewed emphasis on the need to cut emissions and transportation playing a major role in our state’s carbon output, encouraging people to get on trains should be a policy focus.

There’s no better example of low-hanging fruit than Metro-North’s Waterbury line, which goes up the Naugatuck Valley from Bridgeport. With stations in downtowns along the line and a series of communities in need of an economic boost, encouraging people to live locally and take the train to work should be an easy win.

But development has been hampered by service on the Waterbury line, which for years has operated on one track, meaning only one train could be in service in either direction at any time. That translates into hours between departures, and kills the frequency that is required to lure people out of their cars and onto the tracks.

That’s due to change thanks to the infrastructure bill. In addition to a two-way route, the 27-mile branch also will receive new trains and upgraded stations, with work completed by next summer.

It’s not just the Naugatuck Valley that will gain. Other train lines could see improved service with a goal of shaving precious minutes off commuting time between Connecticut and New York City, which helps not only traditional commuters but also people who make the reverse trip, living in New York and working in Connecticut.

It would be wrong, though, to think of the infrastructure package as primarily about mass transit. As is typical with federal legislation, much more money will be dedicated to highways and cars, which is, after all, how most people get around. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said at a news conference the legislation dedicates about $4 billion to roads and bridge projects, $1.3 billion for public transit projects, and $30 billion for Amtrak rail improvements in the northeast corridor.

What that will mean in practice is uncertain. It will be good for the construction industry, which has been enthusiastically in favor of the bill, and that will bring positive economic benefits for the state. But the exact outlay in terms of projects has not been specified.

Some bridges and highways are in need of repair, and work to fix them has been delayed too long. Whether the state goes ahead with other plans, such as widening highways, is uncertain, but many elected officials have shown interest in going in that direction.

That would be a mistake. Highways need to be kept in good shape, but added capacity is not going to solve our problems. Finding a way to get some people off the roads would do more for traffic problems than any expansion project we could devise.

Infrastructure spending on this magnitude only comes along so often. We need to get it right.

Finding a way to get some people off the roads would do more for traffic problems than any expansion project we could devise.