WASHINGTON – After hearing directly from Connecticut commuters about why they’re ‘Fed Up’ with the dire state of Connecticut’s roads and rail lines, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today called on U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to collaborate with him and Connecticut’s commuters to secure federal investments in Connecticut’s failing transportation infrastructure. In the effort to shorten commute times, enhance productivity, and improve quality of life for Connecticut residents, Murphy sent Foxx the 450 responses he received from commuters all across Connecticut, and asked Foxx to take note of each constituent’s personal story as he fights for investments in transportation that support economic development and job creation throughout Connecticut. 

“Earlier this month, I launched my ‘Fed Up’ campaign to draw attention to the state of infrastructure in Connecticut and to solicit feedback from people about their commute. The response I received was overwhelming. Enclosed are 450 responses. As you will find, they range from frustrating to heart-wrenching.” Murphy wrote, “A barber commuting from Waterbury to Bridgeport has to choose between serving customers from the after-work rush and making it home for dinner because there is a four-hour wait between trains. A parent in Trumbull has missed kids’ little league games, recitals, and family dinners. I promised my constituents to take their stories to Washington. It’s my hope that you will heed the stories of my constituents and take note of their proposed solutions. Together we must fight for smart, safe, and transparent investments in transportation that will work for us and for future generations.” 

Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, launched the new ‘Fed Up’ campaign earlier this month to hear from Connecticut residents about their commutes and learn how he can help improve them. As part of his listening campaign, Murphy also launched an online survey to hear from Metro-North passengers about their experiences along the Waterbury Branch Rail Line. 

The full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Anthony Foxx
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary Foxx:

On October 15, 2015, I launched my “Fed Up” campaign to draw attention to the dire state of infrastructure in Connecticut and to push for more federal transportation investment. As part of that campaign, I solicited feedback from people about their commute and what they would do if they had back the time they lose every day to traffic. The response I received was overwhelming. Enclosed are over four hundred responses from the survey I conducted.

As you will find, the responses range from frustrating to heart-wrenching. The survey clearly tapped into an emotional and human element that is often missing from our discussion of transportation in Washington. Traffic, congestion, and delays—the terms we often use to discuss infrastructure—are detached words that do not accurately reflect what transportation means to people back home. Traffic means stress. Congestion means being late for work. Delays mean missing dinner with your kids night after night.

As I travel across Connecticut, I hear countless stories from people about how our transportation system has failed them. A barber commuting from Waterbury to Bridgeport has to choose between serving customers from the after-work rush and making it home for dinner because there is a four-hour wait between trains. A parent in Trumbull has missed kids’ little league games, recitals, and family dinners. A Fairfield businessman loses hours of valuable time to traffic—losing revenue for his company and employees.

I promised my constituents to take their stories to Washington to bring a human face to the debate over the future of transportation in America. It’s my hope that you will heed the stories of my constituents and take note of their proposed solutions. As you note, “the federal government alone cannot achieve resolution of all of the issues and concerns the future will bring.” Together we must fight for smart, safe, and transparent investments in transportation that will work for us and for future generations. I look forward to working with you.


Sincerely,

______________________
Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator