RIDESHARING SERVICES

Publicly subsidized ridesharing services are provided by Metropool, Inc. The service area combines southwestern Connecticut (including the Housatonic Valley Planning Region) and nearby counties in New York State.

This long established ridesharing service offers both employers and employees a wealth of information and services to find the best and most economical way to work.

Metropool services include car, van and shuttle formation, ride matching services, on site technical assistance, guaranteed ride home programs, how-to guides and other related aids. Metropool, Inc. can be contacted at One Landmark Square, Stamford, CT, 06901, at 1-800-FIND RIDE, and via the web link above.

COMMUTER PARKING LOTS

For those area residents seeking to reduce the expense of daily commuting, the alternative of carpooling from a commuter lot is attractive. These lots also serve as pick-up points for commuter vans and HART bus services.

Since 1973 the Connecticut DOT has been establishing state maintained parking lots adjacent to the more important roadways throughout the State.

Currently nine of Connecticut's well maintained commuter parking facilities are located in three of the communities of the Housatonic Valley Region, as follows:

1. Danbury: 160 spaces on Route 6 near I-84 Exit 1
2. Danbury: 112 spaces on Route 6 near I-84 Exit 2
3. Danbury: 50 spaces on Segar Street near I-84 Exit 7

4. Danbury: 171 spaces on Miry Brook Road at Route 7
5. Danbury: 115 spaces on Route 805 - Federal Road
6. Danbury: 75 spaces on Route 840 - White Turkey Road

7. New Milford: 87 spaces on Pickett District Road

8. Newtown: 53 spaces on Route 25 near I-84 Exit 9
9. Newtown: 78 Spaces on Mile Hill Road at I-84 Exit 11

In 2000 the Housatonic Area Regional Transit District completed a detailed assessment of conditions and needs at each commuter parking lot. This report is available at HVCEO.

Adding additional spaces to the regional inventory is now the goal. But there are clear constraints to further progress, however, as lot development is tied to the presence of state owned land in suitable locations. Further suitable state properties appear to be limited.

Conn DOT leasing of properties could then become the primary method by which the amount of commuter parking space is further expanded. But this process will be more costly per space developed than for those built on state properties to date.

Note that some of these problems have been successfully addressed by CT DOT and HART for commuter shuttles to the Harlem Line passenger rail service from New Fairfield, Danbury and Ridgefield.

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

During recent years much has been done to promote the efficiency of transportation systems through modern electronic tools. This area of technological innovation is known as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

Traffic congestion and accident surveillance systems, live traffic cams for public and management use, highway advisory radio, clearinghouses for traveler information, and signal system interconnections are all major strategies to wring more capacity out of existing facilities.

Private enterprise is developing personal information services on the Internet that meet this need as well. Consider that pooled data from smart phones reporting their geographic coordinates as on an expressway but moving at a crawl has commercial value.

To enhance the public's ability to read and use intelligent transportation systems, all federally funded initiatives must conform to the National ITS Architecture Consistency Policy.

In Connecticut, ITS strategies for the largest urban areas and for the Interstate 95 and Interstate 91 corridors have been priorities. Initiation by Conn DOT of activities for the I-84 corridor and mid-sized regions such as the Housatonic Valley are following. A summary of ITS activities in this planning region:

CT DOT I-84 and Route 7 Video Cams: The traffic camera images accessible below are updated approximately every five minutes. To refresh the image, refresh your browser.

--- I-84 Newtown eastbound east of Exit 9 - Tunnel Road
--- I-84 Danbury westbound east of Exit 6 - Rockwell Road
--- I-84 Danbury westbound Exit 6 - Rt. 37 (North Street)

--- I-84 Danbury eastbound Exit 5 - Starr Avenue
--- I-84 Danbury eastbound Exit 4 - Lake Avenue

--- CT 7 Danbury northbound south of I-84 - Park Avenue

CT DOT I-84 Variable Message Signs: In 2009 CT DOT installed five portable variable message signs with closed circuit television and two without closed circuit. The devices were installed on concrete platforms located along I-84 in the Greater Danbury area.

CITY of Danbury Video Cams: The leading municipal intelligent transportation system in the region is that maintained by the City of Danbury. Live traffic can be monitored on a citywide video cam system.

City of Danbury video cam
locations at high volume intersections.

HVCEO Signal Coordination Studies: Improved signal coordination has been pursued via HVCEO regional signal system coordination plans.

--- HVCEO Traffic Signal Coordination Handbook

--- Signal Coordination Plan for Backus Avenue in Danbury

--- Signal Coordination Plan for Bridge Street in New Milford

DEMHS - HVCEO - COGCNV I-84 Traffic Diversion Plan: This study will be completed late in 2011 in cooperation with CT DEMHS, CT DOT, COGCNV and local emergency management officials.

It will serve as the guide during I-84 traffic emergencies. Diversion plans for other expressways in Connecticut are available from the CRCOG Diversion Plans page.

Danbury Branch Electronic Signal Control
A Centralized Train Control (CTC) signal system is now being installed on the Danbury Branch.

Currently, the Danbury Branch has no signal system and trains operate under a system known as a manual block. Multiple train movements on the branch are limited by the blocks established. Switches at Norwalk, Wilton and Branchville must be manually operated by a train crew member.

The CTC signal system includes a remote control of train movements and switches from Metro-North's Control Center in Grand Central Terminal and will enable staff at GCT to monitor train movement on the branch.

Centralized train control viewing screen.

The sidings at Norwalk, Wilton, Branchville and Danbury will function as fully automatic control points. Signals at these sidings will operate in the same manner as signals on the New Haven Mainline. These signals indicate to a train to stop or proceed based on the on-board cab signal indications. Also the signals and switches are interlocked for positive control of train moves.

Lastly, the branch will be electrically segmented into approximately 1 mile long blocks which provide the cab signal indication based on conditions of the track ahead. Once completed, the Danbury Line signal system will be consistent with the New Haven Main Line.

Future Intelligent Transportation Systems:
For future ITS, one possibility is for electronic information signs at the Downtown Danbury HART Pulse Point, if city sign regulations can be met.

Also, bus signal preemption in certain corridors may be a future regional strategy.

GOODS MOVEMENT BY TRUCK AND RAIL

It is generally known that the freight transportation industry in the United States has undergone dramatic changes in the last twenty years.

Developments in “containerization”, shifts in the manufacturing industry to “just-in-time” delivery, the deregulation of rail, trucking and aviation industries, and the development of new trading patterns in a global economy have led to consolidation and restructuring of freight transportation modes.

The development of expressways such as I-84 and I-95, the trend toward larger and heavier trucks, more time-sensitive shipping requirements, increasing competition, and railroad branch line reductions have contributed to the trucking industry attracting a large market share of goods movements.

But, while the number of truck trips is increasing, the average length of such trips is decreasing. On the national scene many shippers are using more cost-effective rail, air or water transport for the long-haul portion of freight delivery, with trucking firms supplying only the pick up and delivery portion of trips rather than supplying end-to-end service.

Thus truck/intermodal traffic has increased dramatically in recent years and should continue to increase.

According to Conn DOT Connecticut, because of its small geographic area and its close proximity to some of the nation’s largest ports, intermodal rail facilities and airports, can expect to continue to see primarily the trucked end portions of more lengthy intermodal freight trips.

Also according to Conn DOT, most rail shipments entering Connecticut fall within a limited range of bulk commodities such as crushed stone, lumber, rolled paper, steel, chemicals, and waste products.

The manufacturing and distribution companies currently receiving these goods by rail accept significantly longer shipment times than would be required for shipment by truck of their low-value, non-time-sensitive raw materials and products.

The following freight issues update was provided to the CT FHWA office in October of 2010:

- Region's UPS Center in Brookfield now well served by nearby Route 7 Expressway Extension.

- Primary MPO freight focus is on rail freight issues. The current UPWP has funds for a consultant to update the rail freight section of the Transportation Plan.

- Annual roadway corridor traffic studies make use of largest truck movement design templates for turning radius, etc. prior to development of geometric recommendations.

- Legal truck heights in Connecticut and truck type by height examples posted on a separate HVCEO web page and linked throughout the site where needed.

- Current I-84 diversion plan in progress includes separate truck routing in some locations.

- Low railroad bridge on West Street in Danbury may emerge as a freight barrier issue.

- MPO supports rail freight as mode for municipal solid waste removal from Danbury.

- MPO supports short term I-84 Exit upgrade plans designed to facilitate greater capacity for all vehicles; will assist trucking interests.

- MPO has FHWA approved agreement with NYS and NJ MPOs to cooperate on improving planning, including coordination of various freight issues.

Also see the current Rail Freight in the Region report.

See a map of the Housatonic Railroad service area.

TRAVEL BY BICYCLE

A detailed HVCEO report on bicycle planning and criteria was adopted by the Council in 1996.

This was used successfully to insure sufficient shoulder width for bicycles in the Route 7 Danbury - Ridgefield roadway widening project and as an input to municipal plans of conservation and development.

See also the Connecticut Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.

See also the very interactive CT Statewide Bicycle Map site!

AIR SERVICE

Danbury Municipal Airport
Danbury Airport has no regular public air passenger service. The exception is Cape Cod and related tourist destinations in the summer.

The following description was excerpted from the 2002 Danbury Plan of Conservation and Development:

Danbury Municipal Airport is the base for corporate air fleets, a flight school, and a number of aviation services, and consists of two intersecting runways and a control tower.

The airport is used exclusively for private flights and is protected from land use intrusions by the Airport Protection Zone in the zoning regulations. This zone is intended to reduce hazards in the approach and transition zones by controlling building area and height.

Danbury Municipal Airport

The 1995 Danbury Airport Master Plan offers three land use and zoning recommendations to further the protective envelope:

(1) The City should acquire land or easements along the residentially zoned portion of Miry Brook Road to control the height of vegetation;

(2) Permitted land uses around the airport should be restricted to avoid new land use conflicts; and,

(3) The Airport Protection Zone regulations should be updated to conform to current airspace standards. The airport has no plans to expand its current boundaries.

The airport's greatest negative impact on the community is the noise associated primarily with the flight school. This is especially severe during summer weekends and has its greatest impact on the Wooster Heights neighborhood.

To minimize this negative impact, many airports around the region institute noise abatement policies that impose curfews during those hours when noise is most likely to disturb residential neighborhoods, policies that could be considered by the Airport Authority.

Candlelight Farms Airport
As for the small Candlelight Farms Airport in western New Milford, it has two turf runways and no control tower.

The largest runway is 2,000 feet, aircraft parking is via tiedowns, and there are about 33 aircraft based at this field.

Source: The Kathryn Report

Candlelight Farms Airport in New Milford

Stewart International Airport
The international airport options for Greater Danbury can be viewed by size. Kennedy Airport has 42 million passengers annually, La Guardia 23 million, Bradley 6.7 million and Stewart 300,000.

Early in 2007 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns Kennedy and La Guardia, purchased Stewart Airport. The Port Authority goal is to shift some air traffic north to Stewart.

As Stewart Airport in Newburgh, NY is about 40 miles west of Danbury, our area is part of the diversion market. A direct exit to Stewart Airport off of I-84 is also planned.

Air service development at Stewart Airport serves our interests.