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New Federal Transportation Secretary Meets With Conn. Lawmakers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The newly sworn in U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, visited with elected officials in New Haven on Monday.

Connecticut's entire congressional delegation and Gov. Dannel Malloy were on hand to meet privately with Foxx, who succeeded Ray LaHood at the agency when he was sworn in on July 2.

After the closed-door meeting, Sen. Chris Murphy emerged with a message that he and others in the room imparted to the secretary.

New Federal Transportation Secretary Meets With Conn. Lawmakers

"Connecticut's infrastructure is our oxygen. We can't live as a state without investment in our roads and our bridges and our rails," Murphy told reporters including WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.

Foxx was going through his confirmation hearings at the time of the Metro-North train derailment and collision outside of Bridgeport back in May.

"While 2012 was the safest year in railroading history, that crash served as a reminder that our job is never done when it comes to safety," said Foxx.

The secretary added investing in the nation's transportation system is the greatest example of what one generation can do for the next.

Murphy also indicated federal dollars invested in Connecticut are well spent since the state connects the two big generating cities of Boston and New York.

The senator added that every time the reliability and frequency of rail services increases, tens of thousands of jobs are created.

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