By Ken Valenti

WESTPORT–Westport Transit District Co-Director Peter Gold was appointed to another four-year term last night by his colleagues on the Representative Town Meeting last night.

In appointing him with a 32-2 vote, the RTM affirmed the recommendation made the night before by its Transit Committee, which had interviewed Gold and former RTM member Sal Liccione for the post.

“The committee determined that Peter Gold’s extensive experience and deep knowledge make him well-suited to continue serving in the role of Co-Director,” Transit Committee chair Melissa Levy told the entire RTM in its meeting in Town Hall.

The vote was 32-2, with RTM members Jennifer Johnson and Joseph Carson voting against the appointment. Johnson and Carson both praised Gold, but objected to the RTM appointing one of its own to hold the executive position over the transit district. Gold is an RTM member from District 5.

Carson argued that it was a conflict of interest for Gold to be responsible for the transit district’s finances when he is also a member of the RTM, which is responsible for overall town finances.

“Whoever runs (the transit district) should be someone outside of the RTM,” Carson said, adding, “I’m new to this process, but it doesn’t make sense to me.”

Johnson also argued that the district should merge with its counterpart in Norwalk.

Levy said the difference in size – Norwalk’s population is three times as large – would put Westport at a disadvantage in transit decisions. She also the committee had spread the word that the position was opening but the only ones who applied were Gold and Liccione.

“We cast a wide net and only had two candidates,” Levy said. The Transit Committee approved recommending Gold with eight votes in favor and one member, Jill Grayson, abstaining. Gold, a member of the Transit Committee,  recused himself from the vote.

Before last night’s meeting, Gold said he was eager to continue his work in the position when the new term starts May 1.

“I enjoy what I’m doing,” he said. “I want to get ridership up. I want to expand the services we provide,” he said.

With Gold as a co-director, the district took on the Wheels2U on-demand van service. He has watched ridership soar many times over from its 4,166 pandemic-era rides in 2021. This fiscal year, it is on course to set a record, breaking 31,000 rides.

Gold and co-director Karina Betfarhad have expanded the service by, for instance, beginning mid-week, mid-day runs from anywhere in town to Jesup Green at the Westport Library and the Westport Center for Senior Services.

They also have begun service to and from the corner of Post Road East and Compo Road North for residents of Homes with Hope’s Susie’s House. Gold said they soon plan to make that service available to all, taking people to a shopping center including CVS, Trader Joe’s, two banks and more.

The district also provides daytime door-to-door transportation for Westport seniors and citizens with disabilities.

Gold’s co-director, Karina Betfarhad, strongly supported her partner in running the district.

“Peter is steadfast in his convictions and consistently champions the needs of underserved communities within our town, always working to maximize service and impact within the budget approved by our funding body,” she said. “He looks creatively and persistently for ways to do more for those who depend most on public transit without losing sight of fiscal responsibility.”

Ken Valenti

^{_{A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.}}