REALLY?

New Canaan Rail Commuters Risk Lives Crossing to Train Station [VIDEO]

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via YouTube

In our “REALLY?” feature, we observe those things that people do in New Canaan that make us scratch our heads. Today, we watched three sets of rail commuters—those catching the 7:12, 7:23 and 7:57 a.m. trains to New York City—cross at Elm and Park to catch the train, often entering the roadway despite motor vehicles with the right of way (green lights) bearing down on them. In nearly every case, the daring commuter had several minutes to spare. (Note: In the same span of time we saw several vehicles running red lights dangerously at this intersection, despite the pedestrian traffic.)

Prepare to see some close calls. For the sake of a better seat?

Around Town

New Canaan Commuters: A Chance to ‘Speak Out’ on Train Woes

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By Michael Dinan

Here are two Tweets that serve as good examples of the pain New Canaan rail commuters felt this week:
“Took one hour to get from New Canaan to Talmadge Hill”
“a 2nd train has pulled alongside us and we are literally stepping from one train over to the other”
No one enjoyed the snow, ice and sleet storms that brought New Canaan and surrounding towns to a halt, closing school for two days, shuttering local businesses, Town Hall and even the stalwart library, widely recalled as a safe haven during 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. Yet for Metro-North Railroad commuters, the inconvenience and frustration may well have felt like more of the same. The rail service brought in a new president at the end of 2013, a year that saw derailments, a collision on the New Haven line up in Fairfield and even deaths. On Feb. 18, rail commuters will have an opportunity to bring their concerns directly to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.