Shore Line East a top priority for NL council

New London - Advocates for more commuter trains are hoping the voices of elected officials will get more attention than grass-roots efforts have garnered over the past few years.

On Monday, the City Council adopted a resolution that calls the Shore Line East expansion proposal "a top economic development priority'' for the city.

"I see a lot of people saying we should be doing this, and it makes sense,'' said City Councilor Adam Sprecace. "But that hasn't been getting us very far. We need to counter arguments rather than simply promote it."

Sprecace was part of a unanimous council vote Monday night supporting the extension of Shore Line East service to New London.

Councilor John Russell brought the resolution to the council days after the state Department of Transportation announced the expansion project will be delayed once again, this time because of objections from the Connecticut Marine Trades Association.

"It's just so silly we're not doing this," Russell said Tuesday. "It's an absolute incredible bang for the buck. I'm really on board for Shore Line East."

Russell and Sprecace said they want to bring all sides into one room and discuss the issue.

Last week the DOT blamed the delays on the marine trades association, which questioned the overall benefit and cost of expanding the rail service. In a letter to the DOT, the association, which is a boating-advocacy group, called the plans "too onerous, too aggressive, too impacting, too expensive and too damaging to an existing and viable recreational marine industry."

The association is concerned that the additional bridge closings that will allow more trains to pass will delay boats from coming and going into Long Island Sound from the Connecticut River, the Niantic River and Shaw's Cove in New London.

Sprecace said the way to address the association's concerns is with information, like the number of boats that will be affected by a new bridge schedule and how many people from the eastern end of the state are using commuter trains out of Old Saybrook.

"Simply stating the obvious, we need to attack from another angle,'' he said. "Let's show how adding trains won't be a hindrance to boaters. We need to gather information and diffuse their arguments."

Todd O'Donnell, a member of the Shore Line East Coalition, was one of several members who appealed to the City Council Monday night for help and offered to gather statistics to bolster the project.

"It will help make New London a boomtown,'' he said. "Please call the governor and tell the state we want them to follow through. It's just good public policy."

William Cornish, also a member of the coalition, said the coalition is not interested in closing the railroad bridges to boaters but is focused on train passengers as potential customers for city businesses.

"I suggest you have an open forum and invite them all here,'' he said.

"We have to make New London's voice heard in Hartford,'' agreed Sandra Chalk, head of New London Landmarks and a member of the coalition.