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ICfan
Top Member
USA
1251 Posts |
 Posted - 07/20/2006 : 10:04:50 AM
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Another lost contract for Laidlaw, this time to one of Connecticut's biggest cities: WATERBURY. Here is the Artilce about it: http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=9977
Sorce Waterbury Republican American
$67,000 model includes CD City's new school buses called top of the line
Thursday, July 20, 2006
BY RANDY JAMES
Copyright © 2006 Republican-American
WATERBURY -- They weigh a combined 4 million pounds, resemble giant bugs and each includes a CD player.
They're the city's new school buses, and they'll be rumbling soon through a neighborhood near you.
More than 100 brand-new buses have descended on Waterbury in recent weeks, part of a five-year, $26.5 million transportation contract taking effect this summer. By the end of the month, a 7-acre lot on Fulkerson Drive will be home to 122 of the buses, each costing $67,000.
With large black-framed mirrors jutting prominently from their modern-looking front ends, the Thomas Built buses appear markedly different from their predecessors, which were manufactured by International.
"This is the top of the line," said Matthew Veach, a vice president with the company handling the contract, Durham School Services, before showing off bus No. 81. The HDX-ER model boasts lower emissions and better visibility for drivers than other models, he said.
The 33,000-pound machines also get high marks for fuel economy, he said -- even though their rear-mounted engines manage just 8 miles per gallon of diesel fuel.
The new buses will be repaired locally in a maintenance facility at the Fulkerson Drive lot. Previously, school buses had to be taken to Seymour for engine work. And the presence of 122 new buses in the city, worth more than $8 million, will help to boost local tax revenue, said Paul Guidone, chief operating officer of the school system.
Not much will change for Waterbury's 18,000 students, Veach said, with the possible exception of their audio entertainment. CD players weren't something the city requested, but drivers may welcome the luxury.
"It will calm the kids, and keep the noise level down," joked Jeff Hunter, the school system's transportation coordinator.
"We're going from Cadillacs to Mercedes."
Something else students may want to know: Each 71-passenger bus will include a video camera, recording everything that happens on board.
Previously, about 30 cameras were rotated among the city's school buses, a tool that helped discourage fights and other disruptions, Hunter said.
"It worked out pretty well, and it did cut down on a lot of incidents," he said.
"The bottom line is it's hard for the driver to monitor things while he or she is driving."
Durham, based in Downers Grove, Ill., is keeping about 95 drivers from the previous contract with Laidlaw Education Services and adding about 35 new ones, Veach said. The city's 110 bus routes will remain unchanged.
The new models aren't air-conditioned, which may make for some sweaty, stick-to-the-seat rides to summer school.
And like previous models, they lack seat belts. Veach said they aren't necessary, since benches are close together and padding in the seats is designed to absorb impact from the front and the back.
"If you get on a school bus, you're probably safe," he said.
Thank God, Laidlaw is finally leave Litchfield County and Connecticut! |
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Bluebird62
Top Member
USA
530 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 10:24:08 AM
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| Wow! They only paid $67000 per bus. I thought RE's were a lot more than that, especially Thomas. That's a pretty good deal. I wonder what some of the other specs are on them. |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 1:31:00 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bluebird62
Wow! They only paid $67000 per bus. I thought RE's were a lot more than that, especially Thomas.
It probably helped that they bought 110 units.  |
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Salaskie
Advanced Member
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 2:00:26 PM
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quote:
Thank God, Laidlaw is finally leave Litchfield County and Connecticut!
Didn't find this quote in the story....good practice to state your own opinion as such. Please.
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OperationsM
Top Member
USA
515 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 2:01:29 PM
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| By the way, does anyone know about how much a new school bus costs in today's time. Mine is about 10 year's old so the pricing probably changed. |
Hotel's Ford Girardin |
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B. Busguy33
Top Member
USA
3444 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 2:08:42 PM
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quote:
By the way, does anyone know about how much a new school bus costs in today's time. Mine is about 10 year's old so the pricing probably changed.
Being an operations manager, I am sure you have an idea of how much new school buses cost.  |
Edited by - B. Busguy33 on 07/20/2006 2:13:13 PM |
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IC
Top Member
USA
3413 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 2:09:06 PM
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$67000 per bus can't be right....not for an ER.
We buy 100+ REs a year, also under a 5 year contract and pay around $86000 each. |
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Thomas Ford 85-16
Top Member
USA
4177 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 2:45:19 PM
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| A base spec'd bus from Michigan (but that's still pretty decent in Michigan) would in the previous school year cost $74,804, just for comparison sake. (From my sources anyhow) |
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CPCSC_TD
Top Member
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 4:35:27 PM
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That sounds about right for a base unit.
Start adding bells and whistles and the price keeps climbing. |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 4:51:22 PM
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Those Waterbury buses are pretty sweet, I've seen them driving along Interstate 84, and at one of the dealers here after a couple of the transmissions crapped the bed on the way to CT. 
But $67,000 should be right, afterall they ordered 100 of them... and Durham also buys many other buses from Thomas, and gets 'em factory direct. |
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OperationsM
Top Member
USA
515 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 5:05:52 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by B. Busguy33
quote:
By the way, does anyone know about how much a new school bus costs in today's time. Mine is about 10 year's old so the pricing probably changed.
Being an operations manager, I am sure you have an idea of how much new school buses cost.
You're are right but we purchase in high quantities and most of our new buses are new International CE's. The whole company mainly purchases International CE's so the price is much cheaper. But I don't always know the price - I think the IC was $72,000 or $74,350. something around that.....but I was wandering about the other buses |
Hotel's Ford Girardin |
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B. Busguy33
Top Member
USA
3444 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 10:17:46 PM
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quote:
"...This is the top of the line," said Matthew Veach, a vice president with the company handling the contract, Durham School Services, before showing off bus No. 81. The HDX-ER model boasts lower emissions and better visibility for drivers than other models, he said..."
These new Thomas Saf-T-Liner HDXs from Durham are a HUGE difference from the 1995 Genesises that Laidlaw was running there. I'm sure the drivers in Waterbury will be pleased with these new units. |
Edited by - B. Busguy33 on 07/20/2006 11:39:45 PM |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2006 : 03:35:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Salaskie
quote:
Thank God, Laidlaw is finally leave Litchfield County and Connecticut!
Didn't find this quote in the story....good practice to state your own opinion as such. Please.
Yeah, that is a very good point. IcFan, this is in no way to pick on you at all! As you move on to college after you graduate high school in 2008, you will notice that it is very important to quote what is actually factual from non factual in an article. You possibly could have and still can change it to say (at the top) Another lost contract for Laidlaw, this time to one of Connecticut's biggest cities: WATERBURY. Thank God Laidlaw .............. Here is the article that I have posted:
link (which you did)
then you put the source
just watch out for little things like that because at first glance it makes it seem as if the paper added in "Thank God Laidlaw ......"!!!
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SchoolBusFan
Top Member
USA
1769 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2006 : 08:51:13 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by IC
$67000 per bus can't be right....not for an ER.
We buy 100+ REs a year, also under a 5 year contract and pay around $86000 each.
I agree, they should be more that 67K. I think CCSD is paying under or around $100,000 for theirs. |
Check out my new Yahoo group:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ccsdschoolbuszone/
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ICfan
Top Member
USA
1251 Posts |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 7:50:36 PM
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| Waterbury actually was running '99 Blue Bird TC2000 RE's (originally Dufour Transportation buses) mixed in with quite a few '02 Amtran RE's that Laidlaw had been repalcing the TC's with. Durham actually bid lower than what Laidlaw had previously been charging Waterbury. So Waterbury will be saving some money, and they get all new buses. Pretty good deal for the city. How is Durham doing it you may ask? Cutting driver's wages. They're offering straight, across the board, $13/hr for everyone. Apparently Laidlaw had quite a few drivers making more than that, and when this was announced there was almost a riot in the dispatch office. This is why, if you notice in the article, they are in need of 35 new drivers before the start of the school year. They make it sound in the article as if they have 35 new drivers... the help wanted ads I keep seeing in the newspaper tell a different story! The company I drive for bid on this contract and we lost because Durham came in and bid lower than what even Laidlaw had been charging them just to get their foot in the door here in CT... with rising fuel costs how can one do that??? Cutting driver's wages is just wrong. |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 8:24:22 PM
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I thought they passed that law in CT that when a new contractor takes over they have to offer all qualifying current drivers a job at the same rate of pay. Or did that law get killed too?
Of course, towns can always put a clause in the bid specs with that requirement.... |
Edited by - bus724 on 07/22/2006 8:25:08 PM |
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JC Theriault
Top Member
Canada
1326 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 8:35:08 PM
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Until school boards start growing some balls and put in a "wage clause" in their contracts you'll see companies using drivers wages as money to bargain with. I worked for one company that underbid the previous contractor by cutting our wages from $12 to $8 per hour, cut run times to an average of 4 hours a day (from 5/6) and took away any hopes for group medical insurance. I made a whopping $5984.00 (canadian) during that first year. No sick days were paid for so you had to be really sick to take time off. Total days paid = 187/year.
School boards should force contractors to ensure the next years wage is no lower than the previous year. Stock Transportation here in Halifax is a prime example of what happens when you cut wages and benefits - they had some 228 experienced former school board drivers back in 1998 when they took over the bus fleet. Over the past few years they've managed to drop starting wages to just under $10/hr and cut benefits to union members. To get in the union I believe you have to work 90 consecutive days and at that point the company can let you go without reason (labour laws!) or keep you on and you become a union driver. No wonder they run ads for drivers on a year round basis, the turnover rate has to be above average. Needless to say they have less than 30 of those original 228 drivers left.
JC |
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ICfan
Top Member
USA
1251 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 12:11:46 PM
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| Dave, do you know if All-Star was lower or higher than Laidlaw? That amazes me that All-Star would go after something like that. |
Tyler Roys Weatherman and International Fan,
http://www.freewebs.com/thectschoolbusyard |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 4:53:34 PM
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| I'm not sure on the specifics of who came in where, but I'm willing to bet that All-Star underbid Laidlaw, then Durham came in and underbid them both. Don't be surprised if All-Star grows into exactly what Dufour Transportation was. All-Star is run by the same management team that ran Dufour, and they're working on getting back their old contracts as they come up for bid. |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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ICfan
Top Member
USA
1251 Posts |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 10:10:55 AM
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| There is one problem with putting in a "wage clause" though...We had a situation here in CT a few years back, I forget which company it was but someone was upset about losing a contract. The contract included a wage clause, so the old contractor doubled everyone's pay effective the last day of school. While the state average is 11-14, these drivers were all given a raise to over $20, which, according to the contract had to carry over to the new company. The new contractor has been losing money in that town ever since. |
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MeowLeFae
Senior Member
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 5:12:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Richard
Those Waterbury buses are pretty sweet, I've seen them driving along Interstate 84, and at one of the dealers here after a couple of the transmissions crapped the bed on the way to CT.
But $67,000 should be right, afterall they ordered 100 of them... and Durham also buys many other buses from Thomas, and gets 'em factory direct.
$67,000 might be correct for some models.... but did you see the Mercedes-Benz school bus that treks around Waterbury?? It looks like a super nice ride.... no way that only costs $67k |
"Bet you never smelled a real school bus before!" (From Ferris Bueller's Day Off) |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 6:17:45 PM
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| Meow, do you drive for Laidlaw in Seymour? |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 9:35:24 PM
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i think i saw a bus from seymore ct a few months ago when i was doing a charter that went to ct, it said Seymour .
Laidlaw on it. It was off of route 44. Something I thought was wierd about Ct is on Rt 44 they have a set of traffic lights that are horizontal, not vertical, I've never seen that up in our area |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2006 : 10:44:27 PM
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| Those horizontal lights are quite common, mostly at highway exits. I've seen them on roads with higher speed limits (45 and up) at intersections just after a low overpass, to allow a much greater sight distance for traffic approaching when the light is red. |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 05:07:05 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by bus724
Those horizontal lights are quite common, mostly at highway exits. I've seen them on roads with higher speed limits (45 and up) at intersections just after a low overpass, to allow a much greater sight distance for traffic approaching when the light is red.
Really?? Wow, we have none of them (that I know of in Massachusetts),
I thought that was only for states down south that's why I was pretty amazed to see one in CT. At that intersection (it crosses route 44) ---- going one way, the lights are set up vertically, going back; there is a pair that is horizontal.
It was the first time I've seen one like that in "real life" as opposed to just online . Thanks for the info bus724
Note: About that bus I saw from Laidlaw, I don't think it was from Seymour now that i think about it....maybe Storrs? Or Stores? Stores, CT?? I think that's what town the bus said.
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Edited by - 80-RE4 on 07/27/2006 05:15:00 AM |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 09:11:55 AM
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| Wouldn't have been Storrs. Storrs is a village within in the town of Mansfield. Students living in Storrs go to the Mansfield public schools, and the buses say Mansfield, not Storrs. Also, the Mansfield contract has been Double A since summer 2000 (although it was Laidlaw before that). |
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MeowLeFae
Senior Member
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 3:02:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BBInt.10
Meow, do you drive for Laidlaw in Seymour?
Yep, sure do... but tomorrow will be my last trip with Laidlaw... I moved up in the world from driving school buses... I started just this Monday as a dispatcher for a coach company in NW CT. However, I did leave on good terms, so it will always be there if I ever had to go back to it |
"Bet you never smelled a real school bus before!" (From Ferris Bueller's Day Off) |
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MeowLeFae
Senior Member
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 3:07:58 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by 80AmtranRE4
i think i saw a bus from seymore ct a few months ago when i was doing a charter that went to ct, it said Seymour .
Laidlaw on it. It was off of route 44. Something I thought was wierd about Ct is on Rt 44 they have a set of traffic lights that are horizontal, not vertical, I've never seen that up in our area
Well, if it did say Seymour on the side, they has to have been on a charter... either that, or the driver was very, very lost  .
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"Bet you never smelled a real school bus before!" (From Ferris Bueller's Day Off) |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 5:07:19 PM
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| Well congrats on your new job. Certainly does sound like a step up, however I know for me at least I have to be behind the wheel. Good luck! |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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B. Busguy33
Top Member
USA
3444 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2006 : 8:26:47 PM
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quote:
Waterbury actually was running '99 Blue Bird TC2000 RE's (originally Dufour Transportation buses) mixed in with quite a few '02 Amtran RE's that Laidlaw had been repalcing the TC's with.
Ah, thanks for the info., Dave.
I assumed Laidlaw was using 1995 AmTran FE Genesis buses due to the fact a lot of these buses from Waterbury are listed on Allied Bus Sales' website. |
Edited by - B. Busguy33 on 07/27/2006 9:44:41 PM |
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MeowLeFae
Senior Member
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 05:09:37 AM
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quote:
I assumed Laidlaw was using 1995 AmTran FE Genesis buses due to the fact a lot of these buses from Waterbury are listed on Allied Bus Sales' website.
We used to drive those buses from Seymour to the auction yard over in Rhode Island... but the last few batches went to Waterbury... those are probably the ones on the website... they'd have to pay ME to take one because they are real junkers LOL |
"Bet you never smelled a real school bus before!" (From Ferris Bueller's Day Off) |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2006 : 09:38:24 AM
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This is off topic but regards to CT.
I was just wondering if any of you had heard of Thames River in CT. I will be traveling down there for a charter. I am kind of exited about it because that is the furthest I've gone into CT. I didn't realize how close the NY state line came to CT, when I looked on mapquest, it looks as if the mapquest draws the line into the land on CT, but I think that map is wrong.
Does anyone know if
1. Fisher's Island is NY or CT?
2. Groton Long Point is NY or CT?
One map I use shows a variance.
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2006 : 10:26:18 AM
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| I know the Thames river quite well. I know Groton is CT, but I'm not sure where Fisher's Island is. However, if the NY state border appears to come over the south shore of CT, that's probably a mistake. It's about 16 miles across Long Island Sound and the state line is somewhere in the middle of that. |
Edited by - bus724 on 07/29/2006 10:26:46 AM |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 08:05:23 AM
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| Bus 724, do you happen to know if the bridge that crosses the Thames river is a "big" bridge? I did another map search and Fisher's Island is an Island in Long Island Sound (NY). I never realized how close NY came to CT (I know it borders NY / CT, NY / MA) But I didn't realize that it came so close in the Atlantic Ocean on CT’s southern territory. I'm becoming a geography nut with all of these charters I do; but I love it, I get to go see places I've never been to before! |
Edited by - 80-RE4 on 07/30/2006 08:07:39 AM |
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LAIDLAW LOSES CONTRACT BIG TIME!
