Cameron appointed to new Connecticut commuter council

Connecticut State Rep. Larry Cafero appointed Jim Cameron to a four-year term as the first member of the new CT Rail Commuter Council.

Created by the state legislature earlier this year, the council will replace the CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council that was created in 1985. The new council will oversee MTA Metro-North Railroad operations in Connecticut, as well as the Shore Line East Railroad and a new commuter-rail line from New Haven to Springfield, which is scheduled to open in 2016.

The new council will have 15 members appointed by Gov. Dannel Malloy and legislative leaders. Cameron has served on the old commuter council for 18 years, 10 as vice chairman and the past four as chairman, according to a press release issued by Cafero's office yesterday.

"I look forward to working with the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North to keep improving service for the railroads' 120,000 daily riders," said Cameron.

A Peabody Award recipient in his earlier days as a journalist at NBC News, Cameron now runs a communications consulting firm.