5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty met with state lawmakers and the head of a regional planning group Thursday in Danbury to talk about improving roads and rail.  She says there are places for agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and areas to work together with President Trump. 

She has a new leadership role on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  Esty is now a Vice Chair, a new position created this term. 

While in Danbury, Esty discussed the Northeast Corridor rail area.  She says the estimates are $3 trillion to move the country's infrastructure into the 21st century.  Esty also talked about the benefits of and the challenges for bringing high speed rail through the 5th District.  She notes that the current path is along the shoreline, but the shoreline lawmakers don't want it there.  The coast is complicated for high speed rail because of the curves and expensive real estate. 

Even if the Danbury Line of Metro North was electrified again, officials from the Danbury Railway Museum said the ride to connect with the New Haven Line in South Norwalk would only be 6 minutes faster. 

WestCOG Executive Director Francis Pickering says infrastructure projects have been delayed so long, that reviving them has led to soaring inflation costs.  He notes that Governor Malloy's "Let's Go CT" plan is laudable, but with the state's economic problems, it doesn't seem feasible.  While the Interstate 84 Waterbury expansion project is nearing completion, and the I-84 Danbury project is in the pipeline, that just moves the traffic chokepoint into New York.  Pickering called for working with New York lawmakers to also make improvements. 

As for the Danbury branch line, Pickering says it would be great to improve it, but then the main line won't be able to handle the increase.

Wilton state Representative Gail Lavielle and Brookfield Representative Steve Harding were also on hand for the event.