• Ferry Service Opens Up New Choice for Commuters to NYC
  
  
• MetroPool Announces Staff Appointment.
  
  
• Fairfield Company Finds Four-Wheeled Stress Reduction Tool.
  
  
• Pre-Tax Deduction Cutting Commute Costs for Aquarium Employees.
  
  
• Transportation Organizations Joined Forces To Reach Commuters.
  
  Summit Laid Foundation for New View of Transportation Options.
  
  
• "Transportation and Jobs: Overcoming Obstacles" --a successful collaborative effort in Ulster County, NY.

Metropool provides free services with the support of the Connecticut and New York State Departments of Transportation.

Summit Laid Foundation for New View of Transportation Options

The Connecticut Transportation Summit, held September 28, 2000 in East Hartford, brought scores of transportation decision-makers and stakeholders together for a groundbreaking round of discussions about the state's mobility challenges. The summit - officially entitled "Strategic Solutions: From Gridlock to Growth" - attracted business, community, and legislative leaders who all agreed that Connecticut's future hangs on the state's ability to improve the movement of people and goods, and that some hard decisions toward that end must be made soon.

As a participant in the summit, MetroPool welcomed the recognition voiced by many at the event that transportation options are key to Connecticut's economic vitality. "We're encouraged that there is so much positive attention being paid to the issues that MetroPool works on every day and to which it helps provide solutions," said Marsha Gordon, President, MetroPool. "The business community and the community at large see this as a top priority, and we can get the work done if it's at the top of their agenda."

In addition to Gordon's participation, Rex Howland, Corporate Manager of Safety and Workers' Compensation, UST, Inc., and a MetroPool Board member, was in attendance. Howland sees transportation issues from an employer's perspective. "Most of our people have to commute from a significant distance," Howland noted. "UST is located near an I-95 exit, so it's a crucial link, along with the train, for our employees to get to work."

"The summit was an important first step in bringing together politicians, the corporate sector, and organizations concerned with transportation," said Howland. "The summit was a momentum-building event. It was very evident that there is no one magic solution that will solve the problem. It will take a series of different programs and projects that can make an impact on transportation in the state. The responsibility belongs to the corporate sector, the state government, communities, and even neighborhoods. Everyone has to work together."

In both word and tone, Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland and summit-organizer House Speaker Moira Lyons (D-Stamford) demonstrated that the highest levels of the state's government realize transportation problems severely threaten residents' quality of life and businesses' ability to thrive and compete. No glossing over of the problems could be heard at this event - a hopeful sign that everyone involved understood the importance of transportation to our region's health.

"To be able to recruit and retain the best workers, we have to address transportation issues," observed UST's Howland. "Those issues may be the reasons people choose not to work here. It is an issue here, so the implications go beyond the politics of this issue."

The summit also reminded everyone that forging transportation solutions requires a major investment of funds, of creativity, and of cooperation. Improvements throughout the state's multi-modal transportation system will likely require billions of dollars. And new approaches to getting from point A to point B will certainly be needed, requiring changes in both attitudes and actions by commuters, businesses, and state and local government decision-makers.

Moreover, the summit pointed out that to successfully address Connecticut's mobility challenges, coordinating with the state's neighboring jurisdictions will be important. "We need the cooperation of other bordering states, so we'll have to work together to have the greatest impact," said Howland. "There was a tendency in the past to think that we could tackle the problem by ourselves, but we've realized there is only so much we can do unilaterally. I hope more cooperation from cities, communities, and regions comes out of this summit."

The summit organized participants into a variety of working groups, which then generated recommendations for improving transportation. Those recommendations included expanding train service, encouraging employers to offer employees transit incentives, expanding commuter parking availability, exploring highway tolls and smart technology for toll collection, among other measures.

What happens next? Governor Rowland and House Majority Leader Lyons formed a 12-person Transportation Strategy Board October 2 to make recommendations to the governor and the Legislature by February 2001 on the "governance of state transportation policies," according to the governor's announcement. The board will include representatives from both the state's executive and legislative branches and the private sector.

"MetroPool sees this as an opportunity to follow up with businesses and build on the momentum created by the summit to help both employers and commuters make the most of non-drive-alone transportation options," said Gordon. "I invite companies to work with MetroPool in expanding their employees' use of carpooling, vanpooling, transit, and other efficient commute options."

For more details, contact MetroPool at 203-324-6700, or click on www.metropool.com.