On Monday, Governor Rowland of Connecticut embraced a congestion mitigation plan developed by the Coastal Corridor Coalition, of which the Campaign is a member, over Conn DOT's proposal. The coalition is made up of environmental civic and business groups. The plan will reduce congestion on the major southwest Connecticut roads by 5 percent, thus decreasing travel times and pollution.

The plan calls for: increased telecommuting, promotion of flexible work hours, attracting 1,750 new train riders, increasing carpooling by 2,400 people, increasing van pooling by 200 people, increasing bus use by 500 people, and establishing L.I. Sound Ferry Service to Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport for 250 people daily.

Communities near I-95, Route 1, and the Merritt Parkway will experience a decrease in air and noise pollution. People who use highways during non-rush hours will be able to make trips in 1/4 of the time. People who use the various transit will be able to stop spending hours in their cars. Taken together, these provisions will decrease auto use by 5% during rush hours, increasing average vehicle speeds from 25 mph to 40 mph for motorists still using the highway.

Aside from the ferry service, none of the program initiatives are new nor do any require major cost outlays. The Governor's office stated that, "there is more than enough money in the current DOT budget to pay for and implement each of the programs outlined as part of the overall package."

Newspaper and television accounts of the plan failed to grasp the central idea - that increased road capacity with its high price tag is not a solution to congestion. Instead, spreading auto traffic over a wider period of time and filling the empty seats on existing trains and buses will achieve the same goal for less money.

"This plan is exciting not only because of the auto reduction provisions but also because, for the first time, Connecticut coordinated its transportation systems. It mandates a major shift for the Dept. of Transportation which will now have to promote efficient use of existing systems rather than building new roads," said Katy Lee of CT Fund for the Environment.

"The final judgement, of course will be in the implementation of the project," said a spokesperson from SACIA. A nagging question is how fast the new space on I-95 will fill up with cars and trucks directed from other routes.