The arguments of opponents to the the New Britain-Hartford busway have a ring of obstructionism and desperation in this Courant story by Don Stacom.
With news of $45 million in federal money for a busway to leverage other funds, the project may finally see a light at the end-of-the-tunnel. It's a little specious to oppose public transit because it will deny the DOT funds for highway and bridge repair. It would seem some extra recovery money might be found to keep the bridges safe and the roads paved. And it's not at all clear the busway will kill off the more ambitious, regional rail concepts that are only concepts at this point.
Blocking the busway now might doom this part of Connecticut to just more autos along the I-84 corridor for the foreseeable future. However limited putting a lane alongside the railroad bed is, the busway has reached a tipping point as a realistic way to move public transit forward in central Connecticut.
And not to be parochial but New Britain has suffered too much from the 9/72 highway that cut the center of the city in two in the early 70s. The busway is a start at making amends for that disaster and the highway mentality that brought it about.
