Commuter advocate and former NBC news anchor Jim Cameron will speak to the New Canaan Men’s Club Friday, February 18, updating members on how the pandemic has affected commuting, the status of highway renovation and financing plans and how the state’s economy has been affected by the significant shift in the workplace brought about by remote working.
The meeting begins at 10 a.m. with the speaker usually presenting around 10:40 a.m., after the business portion of the session concludes.
This week, the meeting will return to Morrill Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge, with members wearing masks when entering and in the hallways. Since attendees must be fully vaccinated, masks are optional in the meeting auditorium. The meeting will continue to be available on Zoom for those who prefer to remain at home or who are away.
Cameron, a long-time commuter advocate, has worked on and written about commuter and transportation issues for more than 25 years. He is well known for his weekly newspaper columns, his blog and his expertise on all things relating to the transportation issues important to Fairfield County and the state generally.
His talk is expected to delve into a series of questions, such as: When, if ever, rail commuting will return to the levels experienced before the pandemic? Who will pay to keep the trains running? Where will funds be found to maintain the state’s highways? And how will recent residential and household trends affect the overall state economy?
As a former news anchor and broadcast journalist in Boston, Hartford and New York, he is the recipient of a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for his work at NBC.
In 1993, he joined the CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council, where he served for 11 years as vice chairman and four as chairman. He is the recent author of a book, “Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant.” As 25-year resident of Darien, he serves as program director of the town’s TV station, Darien TV79. He also serves on the Merritt Parkway Conservancy and Darien’s Representative Town Meeting.
The men’s club has openings for new members. Residents 55-years old and above may email ncmens@ncmens.club for further information.