Substitute House Bill No. 5599
          Substitute House Bill No. 5599

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-119


AN ACT CONCERNING THE SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section   1.   (a)    The    Commissioner   of
Transportation  shall  establish  a  comprehensive
intermodal and interregional  transportation  plan
for the southwest  corridor  of  Connecticut  from
Greenwich to Branford to be known as the Southwest
Corridor Implementation Plan.  Said  plan shall be
based  on  the   Department   of  Transportation's
recommendations  contained in  the  February  1998
Southwest   Corridor   Study   Update,   and   the
recommendations of the Coastal Corridor Coalition,
the  Southwestern  Region   Metropolitan  Planning
Organization and the  Greater  Bridgeport Regional
Planning Agency.
    (b) The Southwest Corridor Implementation Plan
shall reduce highway  commuter  demand during peak
periods from 1997  base  levels  by  five per cent
within five years  as  recommended  by special act
97-13.
    Sec. 2. (NEW) (a) There is created a Southwest
Corridor Action Council  which  shall  advise  the
Commissioner   of   Transportation    on    issues
pertaining    to    the     Southwest     Corridor
Implementation   Plan  established   pursuant   to
section 1 of this act.
    (b)  The council  shall  consist  of  nineteen
members  as  follows:   (1)  The  Commissioner  of
Transportation,   or   his   designee;   (2)   the
chairpersons  and ranking  members  of  the  joint
standing committee of  the General Assembly having
cognizance of matters  relating to transportation,
or their designees;  (3)  two members appointed by
the   Governor,   one   of   whom   shall   be   a
representative of a  regional  planning agency and
one of whom  shall  be a member of the public; (4)
two members appointed by the president pro tempore
of the Senate,  one  of  whom  shall  be  a  chief
elected  official  of   a   municipality   in  the
southwest region of  the  state  and  one  of whom
shall be a  representative  of the motor transport
industry;  (5)  two   members   appointed  by  the
majority leader of  the  Senate; one of whom shall
be a chief  elected  official of a municipality in
the southwest region  of the state and one of whom
shall be a representative of business and industry
in the southwest  region  of  the  state;  (6) two
members appointed by  the  speaker of the House of
Representatives,   one  of   whom   shall   be   a
representative of business  and  industry  in  the
southwest region of  the  state  and  one  of whom
shall  be  a   representative  of  a  southwestern
Connecticut  regional  planning  agency;  (7)  two
members appointed by  the  majority  leader of the
House of Representatives,  one  of whom shall be a
representative of business  and  industry  in  the
southwest region of  the  state  and  one  of whom
shall be a  representative  of an environmental or
civic organization; (8)  two  members appointed by
the minority leader  of  the  Senate,  one of whom
shall  be a  representative  of  an  environmental
organization in the  southwest region of the state
and one of  whom  shall be a representative of the
Metro  North  New  Haven  Rail  Commuter  Council,
established pursuant to  section  13b-212b  of the
general statutes; and (9) two members appointed by
the   minority   leader    of    the    House   of
Representatives,   one  of   whom   shall   be   a
representative of a council of governments and one
of whom shall be a public member.
    (c) The council shall establish its procedures
and  shall  select   a  chairman  from  among  its
members. The council shall meet quarterly and more
often upon the  call of the chairman or a majority
of its members.
    (d)  On  or   before   October  1,  1998,  the
Commissioner of Transportation  shall  prepare and
present to the  council  a  five-year schedule for
the  implementation of  said  plan.  The  schedule
shall include, but  not  be limited to, the amount
of funding necessary  for  implementation  of said
plan. The commissioner shall update the council on
the status of such schedule every six months.
    (e) On or before January 1, 1999, and annually
thereafter,  the  council   shall  report  to  the
Governor and to  the  joint  standing committee of
the General Assembly  having cognizance of matters
relating to transportation  on the progress of the
Southwest Corridor Implementation Plan.

Approved May 22, 1998