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New Haven, Conn., Mayor Calls for State Funds for Harbor Rail Access and Ferry

Posted on: Saturday, 2 July 2005, 00:00 CDT

Jul. 1--New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. on Thursday reopened what a maritime industry expert called a contentious issue, asking for $20 million in state funds to create rail access to the harbor and a new ferry service.

DeStefano called for state funding while announcing that two businesses will occupy the former U.S. Steel factory and the New Haven Terminal warehouse on Wheeler Street at Connecticut's busiest port.

New Haven Harbor handles about 75 percent of petroleum products shipped into the state and 95 percent of manufactured goods that come directly into Connecticut via the sea. The former factory has stood empty for two years and is undergoing about $5 million in privately funded renovations, according to DeStefano's office.

RoadLink USA, a trucking company that specializes in intermodal freight movement, will move from its East Shore Parkway location to Wheeler Avenue, bringing with it 50 employees. RoadLink is a national company with more than 50 locations.

The other business, CT Portable Storage, is a new warehousing operation and expects to hire 15 workers when it moves into the facility in 2006, the mayor said.

DeStefano said in a statement that he wants at least $20 million to improve harbor access and to start the ferry service.

But Donald Frost, former president of the Connecticut Maritime Association and a maritime industry consultant, said that, technically speaking, New Haven Harbor already has rail access.

About 15 years ago, New Haven cut a deal with the state Department of Transportation to connect the old pier tracks through a new bridge, Frost said. What happened, however, is that the DOT connected the pier rails to the new ones at about a 90-degree angle, he said, leaving no room for trains to make the turn onto the piers.

Frost said that was "a real nasty" confrontation and that he thinks it's unlikely the state will revisit the issue.

Any funding will have to be approved by the Legislature and Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Of Connecticut's three deep-water ports, only New London has rail service at the harbor. Bridgeport is the other deep-water port.

As for a new ferry service, Frost said there has been talk about starting a New Haven-to- Port Jefferson, N.Y., service for some time but that it wouldn't replace the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson service.

"They're two different markets," Frost said. He said Long Island residents who want to jump on Interstate 91 to go skiing in the winter might be the primary users of the New Haven service.

The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Co. tested possible New Haven service in June 2004, making the run in about 90 minutes.

It would use the vessels that it uses for the Bridgeport service, which carry about 850,000 passengers and 440,000 vehicles a year between New York and Connecticut.

Frederick Hall, the company's vice president and general manager, was unavailable for comment Thursday.

DeStefano said a site has been selected for a ferry terminal.

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Source: Connecticut Post

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