mission

Connecticut Rail Governance Study

Mission Statement

To Develop a Governance Policy and Financial Policy which Improves Current Conditions and Offers Improved Quality of Service for Our Riders

Work Plan

The study is separated into three phases. These are Self Evaluation, Governance Options, and Final Report Development. Each phase is broken down into tasks which examine specific issues with regard to stations and parking facilities in the study area. The following sections present each phase and a description of the associated tasks. The reports and deliverables associated with the work plan can be seen on the reports page.

Phase One: Self Evaluation

Phase One of the study is an in-depth evaluation of the conditions at all of the stations in the study are, as well as the collection of input from various public audiences. The tasks in Phase One are summarized below.

Task 1: Survey Connecticut Station Stakeholders
Task 1 concentrates on efforts to solicit public opinion at the outset of the study process. Stakeholder interviews will be performed to gain insight from local officials, transportation professionals, station tenants, station managers, transit providers, and ConnDOT staff. Customer opinion surveys will be performed to gather an understanding of the current ridership on the rail lines. In addition, study team staff will review recent survey efforts performed through other sources.

Task 2: Parking Inventory
Task 2 provides an overview of various facets of parking policy at the stations in the study area. This task will review parking capacity, utilization, and rates. Task 2 also includes the development of parking facilities diagrams and layout, which will provide an understanding of the physical parking facilities involved in the study.

Task 3: Condition Survey
Task 3 provides an assessment of the physical condition of the parking lots and/or garages, station buildings, and platform structures in the study area. Work in this task includes the collection of data and the development of assessment measures prior to a physical assessment of the locations. Inspection will provide a very detailed engineering assessment of the station building and structures, platform, and parking lot. Task 3 will also include a regulatory and code review, and a cost estimate for deficiencies.

Task 4: Operational Review
Task 4 provides an overview and assessment of parking and station operations. The work in this task includes a legal and contractual review, a financial review, and operations review, and a station operations evaluation. The result of this task will be the development of initial strategies for improvement at all stations.

Task 5: Evaluation of Connecticut’s Existing Governance Method
Task 5 provides a summary of the first four tasks in phase one, and provides an evaluation of the governance method(s) that are employed for rail stations in the study area. This task will identify issues facing station and parking governance in the study area and present opportunities that may be applied in the future.

Task 6: Phase One Report
Task 6 will be the development of a report that provides a summary of all of the work completed in Phase One of the planning process. The draft version of the report will be widely circulated for public input and input from all affected groups and organizations. Comments from these groups will be included as an addendum.

Phase Two: Goverance Option

Phase Two of the study consists of the development of an understanding of rail station and parking governance in the study area. This phase reviews and analyzes related to the governance issues facing ConnDOT throughout the New Haven line and its branch services. Phase Two consists of three tasks that will result in a second report for the study.

Task 7: Survey of Industry Practices
Task 7 is a survey of industry practices with regard to regional/commuter rail governance. A survey will be developed, and operators selected for a thorough review of common industry practices. Interviews will be performed and material developed to provide an overview of practices of all interviewed operators.

Task 8: Presentation of Alternative Methods of Governance
Task is the development of two to three alternative methods of governance for Connecticut rail stations to be considered by ConnDOT. Alternatives will be developed from Task 7 interviewees, with best practices of each combined for the various governance alternatives. This task will also consider the political and social realities that are particular to the transportation setting in the State of Connecticut.

Task 9: Phase Two Report
Task 9 is the development of a report that combines the findings in Tasks 7 and 8. The draft version of the report will be widely circulated for public input and input from all affected groups and organizations. Comments from these groups will be included as an addendum.

Phase Three: Final Report

A final report will be developed that combines all work performed during the study process and will represent a plan for rail station and parking governance in the study are for ConnDOT. This will be considered Task 11 of the study The draft version of the report will be widely circulated for public input and input from all affected groups and organizations. Comments from these groups will be included as an addendum.

Other Task

There are three public involvement tasks that are not included in any of the three phases of the report and are considered as separate efforts. The following tasks represent the public involvement efforts for the study. This is considered Task 10 for the study
• Newsletter
• Informational Meetings
• Internet Availability