Connecticut Friends, Nutmeggers, and Train Campaigners: lend us your ears! An enormous opportunity has arisen to tell our representatives that Connecticut wants trains.

SB 237, officially “An Act Concerning Public Transportation,” will be discussed by the Transportation Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly on Monday, February 23rd, starting at 10:00 AM. The Act’s exciting pro-transit provisions include:

• Restoring Shore Line East’s pre-COVID operational capacity.
• Establishing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system between Hartford and Storrs (Go Huskies!).
• Increasing bus frequency between the Naugatuck Valley and New Haven.
• Most importantly for us: The expansion of the New Haven Line’s Danbury Branch to New Milford

This would be a massive win. New Milford’s downtown is already well-suited for transit-oriented development, and plans to update its riverfront park would make a train station a popular destination, spurring local cultural and economic growth. Additionally, extending the Danbury Branch to New Milford is the vital first step toward restoring the Berkshire Line for passenger service, a long-standing goal of the Train Campaign.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. We need all hands on deck to show the Transportation Committee that there is widespread support for these initiatives. They are the beginning of a cleaner, greener, and better-connected Nutmeg State.

How You Can Help
We are asking all supporters to make their voices heard:

• Speak via Zoom: If you can join the meeting, click here and select “Register to Speak” to express your support for SB 237 personally.
• Submit Written Testimony: If you cannot attend, please submit written testimony! Click here, enter your name, and select the hearing time as “2/23/2026 11:00:00 AM”. Under Bill Number, select “SB00237 - AAC PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION” to ensure your testimony is directed correctly.
  Please submit your testimony before the committee meets this Monday! We know it’s a quick turnaround, so we have provided an exemplar template below to help you get started.

Note: Legislators prefer to hear directly from constituents in their own words rather than receiving scripted messages. Please use the points below as a guide, but personalize your message.

Testimony Exemplar: 

List your name, title/organization, where you live/work 

Distinguished members of the Transportation Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. 

[I/we] respectfully request that the Transportation Committee support S.B. 237 - An Act Concerning Public Transportation. 

These pro-transit provisions are desperately needed. Currently, our highways are clogged and our air quality suffers from congestion. The state should do everything in its power to expand and improve public transportation options.

• Shore Line East: Restoring pre-COVID scheduling is essential to rebuilding ridership. While some suggest de-electrifying these tracks due to current numbers, the better solution is restoring service frequency. Reliability and "headways" drive ridership, not the other way around.
• Hartford-Storrs BRT: This is smart policy. It better connects UConn students and employees to CTrail and CTfastrak, creating better mobility while reducing traffic on I-84.
• Danbury Branch Extension: Expanding service to New Milford is a game-changer. New Milford’s downtown is perfectly aligned with state goals for transit-oriented development. Furthermore, reaching this critical juncture makes future regional rail expansion much more feasible.

[Personalize your closing statement—Example below]

Thank you for your role in shaping a cleaner, greener, and better-connected Connecticut. Through your leadership, we can connect customers to businesses, workers to employers, and friends to friends conveniently and sustainably.

Sincerely, 

Your Name, Email/Phone Number