State’s public transit riders take another one on the chin

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy started the year pushing his 30-year, $100 billion plan to revamp an under-performing and outdated transportation system. But the year may end with the same old same old for commuters — forking over a whole lot more money but not get

Malloy’s vision appears to have become cloudy in his new “economic reality” as he proposes a 5 percent hike in fares for Metro-North and Shoreline East trains, as well as raising Connecticut Transit bus fares a quarter — from $1.50 to $1.75. If approved, the fare increases would go into effect Dec. 1.

The governor also proposes scaling back the hours of highway rest stops. Under his proposal, seven would be closed overnight and the Westbrook welcome center would be closed.

All of this is an effort to make up for the $19 million in cuts to the road and bridge program and the reduction of $18 million in public transportation funding in the 2016-17 budget.

The 5 percent Metro-North hikes will bring in $5.9 million. That’s in addition to an already scheduled 1 percent increase to pay for the M8 railroad cars that began rolling on the tracks in 2011. The state Department of Transportation also would reduce overtime on Metro-North’s New Haven Line and cut maintenance costs, among other savings.

Malloy says while the fare hikes are not desirable, they are necessary to avoid significant reductions in service and to shore up infrastructure — and he lays out a strong argument to support his proposal: Nearly half the state’s roads are in less than good condition, 334 bridges and one tunnel are rated in poor condition and four bridges on the New Haven Line are more than 100 years old.

Those are sound reasons — but not enough to sway Jim Cameron, chairman of the Commuter Action Group.

He said Malloy has offered no explanation why fares are being increased without other funding alternatives — such as a vehicle mileage tax, which Malloy broached but legislative leaders of both parties rejected — being explored. He says Connecticut residents are already forking over more money toward the cost of a ride than any other railroad in the United States.

And even as the governor pushes to raise fares to maintain current levels of service, transportation officials in Bridgeport are using code words such as “efficiency” to sell their plan to reduce service, eliminate routes and cut hours. If Bridgeport gets its way, some people getting off work late in the evening will walk up to half a mile to get a bus. A fare hike along with a reduction in service is not a winning combination.

Some headway has been made to modernize the state’s transit system — including the CTfastrak busway and the addition of 405 new M8 rail cars to Metro-North’s New Haven line. But there is so much more needed.

Raising fares may be a necessary evil, but it’s particularly troubling coming in conjunction with significant budget cuts. For tens of thousands of commuters in Connecticut, Malloy’s proposal simply means the same old same old — higher prices for a transit system that fails to meet the demands of its ridership.

It’s beyond past time for the state’s leaders to get serious about public transportation.