Greenwich Free Press (https://greenwichfreepress.com/category/opinion/page/4/)
“It used to be that the Connecticut DMV checked headlight alignments during your bi-annual emissions tests, but that ended in 2001. A bill (HB 6163) before the Connecticut legislature in 2023 would have restored those tests, but it never became law.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
By Jim Cameron
I love the fall. But I hate the leaves! Sure, they look pretty as they change colors, but when those leaves are spent and fall to the ground, they present real problems for travelers. Whether you rake your leaves yourself or have someone “blow” them for you, disposing of leaves is a hassle. Growing up (many years ago) I remember we used to burn our leaves, heedless to the air pollution and health effects. Continue Reading →
“Taking mass transit is great. But when you step off your train or bus, what do you do to get to your final destination? Increasingly, that means BYO wheels: a bike, e-bike or scooter.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
“I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: This really is Amtrak’s train of the future.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
As if our roads weren’t dangerous enough already, there’s a new generation of “micro-mobility” silently swishing around our streets for us to worry about: electric scooters and skateboards. Continue Reading →
“Higher rail fares (with the same slow service) and unending traffic are other reasons more than 17% of Connecticut residents chose to work remotely. In some towns the numbers are much higher: 39% of Weston residents and 36% in Westport.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
The Darien native is one of over 3300 people each year who try to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine. But she’s one of the 25% of them that actually completed the task. Continue Reading →
“As one historian put it, a Pullman porter had the best job in his community and the worst job on the train. There was no room for promotion. Passengers often referred to Pullman porters by demeaning names like “boy”, or “George”, applying the first name of the Pullman cars’ owner.” – Jim Cameron Continue Reading →
By Jim Cameron
Amtrak’s oldest new trains are arriving shortly: the NextGen Acela (finally) starts running between Washington and Boston on August 28. Ordered in 2016 for $1.8 billion, the first trains arrived from the Alstom assembly facility in Hornell, NY in 2020. That meant jobs there for 1300 workers and business for 180 suppliers across 29 states. These new trains are 95% “made in the USA”. Like any new trains, the new Acelas required extensive testing, especially for crash worthiness and compatibility with the aging tracks and wires in the Northeast Corridor. Continue Reading →
I remember one station wagon that pulled in to my toll lane, caked in mud up to the windows and stuffed with a dozen zonked-out kids. “Hey man,” said the driver with bloodshot eyes that struggled to focus. “We don’t have any money,” (to pay the 50¢ toll). “How about these instead?” That day, his Tappan Zee toll was an orange and a warm Coke. Continue Reading →