The proposed bill, Substitute Bill No. 7059, mandates the Commissioner of Transportation to conduct a study on the feasibility of operating hybrid trains on the Danbury branch line of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad and the potential expansion of this line to include the town of New Milford. The findings and recommendations from this study are required to be submitted to the relevant joint standing committee of the General Assembly by February 1, 2026.

Additionally, the bill establishes a Connecticut Public Transportation Council, which will consist of fifteen members who are regular users of various state-funded transportation services. The bill outlines the appointment process for council members, their terms, and the procedures for meetings and vacancies. Notably, it includes new provisions for the council to prepare and submit its budgetary requests to the Department of Transportation, which must then incorporate these requests into its expenditure estimates. Furthermore, the Department of Transportation is tasked with creating a dedicated web page for the council to share information such as meeting schedules and reports. The existing statute regarding the former Connecticut Commuter Rail Council is repealed and replaced with these new provisions.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
TRA Joint Favorable Substitute:
File No. 404:
APP Joint Favorable: