DUMMERSTON — The Brattleboro Development Review Board is considering whether to allow cars and trucks to drive though the Brooks House to get from High Street to the Harmony parking lot. The board should continue the ban on vehicles.
The world's leading scientists say that climate change is a major threat to earth's ability to support human life. Cars and trucks are a major cause of climate change. Walking and riding a bicycle reduces obesity. Treatment of obesity-related health problems for people without health insurance costs taxpayers billions of dollars a year.
In related news, last year Amtrak began providing service from Brattleboro to Greenfield, Mass. This year, the trip on Amtrak from Brattleboro to New York City will get about 30 minutes faster. Next year, Connecticut will replace its train tracks, making this trip even faster.
Plans are underway to increase the number of trains that run daily between Greenfield and New York City via Northampton, Mass., from one to five.
I urge people to contact their local, state, and national elected officials and ask them to extend this more frequent train service to Brattleboro.