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Transportation INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT › 82 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2017 "We have been very proactive. Route devel- opment is probably our top priority here." CAA officials are continually garnering feedback from the business community, he says, which gives insights into what routes, destinations and services are most desirable. Looking ahead, Dillon says Bradley will aim to add service to Seattle, Wash., Milwau- kee, WI, Austin, Texas and Jacksonville, Fla. domestically — all based on businesses' feed- back — as well as add non-stop international service to London. Efficient roadways More flights from Connecticut airports to more destinations will benefit companies doing business in the state, says David Salinas, who is developing a new tech start-up space in New Haven at a former industry site. "I would say efficiency is the issue," says Salinas, who also is CEO of Digital Surgeons marketing firm in New Haven. A seamless transportation system is key for attracting and retaining top talent and clients, he adds. "While people believe technology has enabled businesses to function remotely, there is still and always will be a necessity for face- to-face business dealings," he says. "Nothing will ever replace the face-to-face meeting." Business leaders continually emphasize one major issue when it comes to transporta- tion in Connecticut: crowded roadways, says Eric Gjede, counsel at the Connecticut Busi- ness and Industry Association (CBIA). "Our number one concern is still highway congestion, with an emphasis in the lower Fairfield County and Hartford areas," he says. "at's the economic pipeline of the state." CBIA urges state officials and lawmak- ers to be more disciplined in how they spend money in the state's Special Transportation Fund, and to focus money on Connecticut's most problematic areas, he says. One way Connecticut residents are getting off the roadways is by taking advan- tage of CTfastrak, the state's first Bus Rapid Transit system. It is a system of bus routes that utilizes a bus-only roadway for all or a portion of the trip. e system has exceeded expectations in terms of ridership and has also spurred real estate development along the route, including 626 New Park, a planned four-story apart- ment complex in West Hartford. Track time A growing number of people in Con- necticut are also ditching their cars to travel by train, with Metro-North Railroad's New Haven line seeing a record number of pas- sengers in 2016. About 40.5 million rides were taken on the line last year, about 20,000 more than in 2015. e railroad ordered 60 more train cars late last year and has an option to buy 34 more, if demand keeps increasing. Previously, the state put 405 new, state- of-the-art M-8 rail cars into service, and it upgraded its maintenance facilities. e New Haven line goes to New York City's Grand Central Terminal but Metro-North's long-term plan involves routing some trains to Penn Station, to help commuters travel more easily to the city's West Side. By sea Cross Sound Ferry, which carries passengers and automobiles between New London and Long Island, offers yet another transportation option for residents of the Nutmeg State. A Norweigan Air plane in flight. The airline is now running direct flights from Brandley International Airport in Connecticut to Scotland. > Continued from page 81 PHOTO/DAVID PEACOCK-NORWEIGAN AIR Continued on page 84 > ' Route development is probably our top priority here. ' — Kevin Dillon, executive Director of the connecticut Airport Authority