Posted inTransportation

His grassroots rebellion stops a federal railroad plan in its tracks

Greg Stroud is a quiet, thoughtful academic with limited experience in civic engagement; but he transformed into a relentless community organizer and grass roots lobbyist after learning of a federal proposal that would route a high-speed rail line through historic Old Lyme. Using social media, he rallied his neighbors to get the plan changed — and he did not stop there.

Posted inPolitics, Transportation

Fed plan for Northeast Corridor rail includes new shoreline route

Updated at 5:20 p.m.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration on Friday released its ambitious vision for an overhaul of Northeast Corridor railroads, a plan that would create a new route through Old Lyme and other shoreline towns and upgrade the rail line from New Haven to Hartford and Springfield, Mass. Connecticut officials immediately vowed to fight realignment of the shoreline route.

Posted inTransportation

Opponents organizing to derail new route for high-speed trains

OLD LYME — As federal officials near a decision on a railroad proposal residents are calling destructive and wasteful, about 70 people from across the southeastern Connecticut’s shoreline gathered Friday with local, state and federal lawmakers at a forum at Old Lyme Town Hall to find out how they could help stop it “dead in its tracks.”

Posted inPolitics

Short week for Congress yields defense funding, railroad revival

The U.S. House of Representatives was out and the Senate had a shortened work week because of the Veterans Day holiday, but there was still plenty of activity in Congress. The Senate approved a final defense bill that authorizes billions of dollars in spending on weapon systems developed in Connecticut. The Federal Railroad Administration took a big step forward on an ambitious overhaul of the rail system in the Northeast Corridor.