By Thane Grauel
WESTPORT — The Transit Committee of the Representative Town Meeting will interview candidates Tuesday to appoint a second Transit District director.
Two people are seeking appointment — Sal Liccione of District 9 and a member of the committee; and Karina Saryani Betfarhad, a civil engineer and PTA leader who moved to Westport 14 years ago.
The committee will make a recommendation to the full RTM, which will ultimately make the appointment.
The Transit District has been operating for some time with only one director even though it’s required by the state to have two.
The Transit District contracts with the Norwalk Transit District for its buses and drivers. Its director is Peter Gold, who is unpaid. Gold also is an RTM member from District 5, and a member of the Transit Committee. He was reappointed in April 2022 to serve through April 2026.
The Transit Committee plans to interview the candidates in executive session during its online meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,
Karina Saryani Betfarhad
“This unique position allows me to seamlessly integrate my professional experience, academic training, and commitment to serving the community of Westport,” Betfarhad wrote to the committee.
“I bring a deep understanding of the community’s needs and a genuine commitment to its well-being,” she said.
“I hold a B.S. in Civil Engineering from San Jose State University, where I completed all core engineering classes for an MSCE specializing in Transportation and Structural Engineering,” she continued.
“Over the course of a decade, I have worked as a civil engineer for three prominent construction companies as well as the City of San Jose’s Streets and Traffic Department. These experiences have honed my skills and equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of engineering principles and practical implementation.”
“During the past 9 years, while raising my three young children, I actively volunteered in the Westport School District across various capacities and educational levels, from elementary to high school,” Betrarhad said.
“My involvement has been diverse … I am confident in my ability to contribute significantly to the Westport Transit District,” she concluded.
Sal Liccione
Liccione, a two-term RTM member, wrote that he is highly qualified for the position, and that has worked for town government as a paid employee and volunteer.
“For over a decade I have been an active and well-known public advocate for transit improvements in Westport,” said Liccione, who lives downtown.
“I am the only elected town official that relies on public transit,” he noted.
In addition to serving on the Transit Committee, he said he was appointed in 2015 to a Citizen Transit Committee.
“I have served on multiple transit-focused committees in Westport,” he said.
“I am a consistent long-term vocal supporter of creating bus shelters for members of the public that use public transit,” he wrote.
Liccione noted that he is not afraid to speak up, even when his opinion is unpopular. He cited his sole vote out of 36 RTM members against the massive Saugatuck redevelopment plan known as The Hamlet, and what he said is a lack of public transparency in transportation issues.
Transit District facing challenges
The Transit District for years has not had its own fleet of buses or drivers, instead contracting with the Norwalk Transit District.
This past town budget season, it not only faced the challenge of the Board of Finance cutting its annual appropriation (only to be restored by the RTM), but the question of whether or not it should remain independent or merge with a neighboring district, Norwalk or Bridgeport.
That question got trickier when state legislators from Norwalk introduced legislation to dissolve the Norwalk Transit District, and turn its responsibilities and assets over the state.
That effort was paused after Norwalk Transit District officials agreed to take a new look at its routes and services to users.
Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 35 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.
Mr. Hood unwittingly displays the kind of soft bigotry possessed by more than a few individuals in the RTM. Mr. Liccione’s voice is an important one. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with his educational background.
I believe that Sal Liccione is by far more in touch and qualified with the needs of public transportation required. He is one of the few RTM members who is truly “boots on the ground” and relies on public transportation and often is seen discussing the needs with the people that utilize it on a daily basis.
I have known Karina since she moved to town over a decade ago and have served on many of the school committees she has run. She is absolutely lovely to work with. She is kind, friendly and smart as a whip. Any committee she leads runs like a well oiled machine. Simply put, she gets a lot done! Her background of study and experience make her perfectly suited for this position. How lucky Westport is to have such a well qualified candidate throw her hat in the ring.
The clear choice for the Westport Transit co- director position is Sal Liccione. Sal is the only candidate with longstanding substantial experience dealing firsthand with our local transportation issues.
This is an important moment for the town. Under a new state mandate, Westport will soon be merging with another transit district. Our transit co-directors will each have a vote on the board of the newly-merged transit entity. Ms. Betfarhad is undoubtedly a talented, well-meaning and well-credentialed engineering professional. But Sal is the candidate who will be able to hit the ground running.
Sal knows these issues and lives them every day. He is continually following local transit issues, and actively engages with downtown businesses to understand their transit needs. He has worked for years to get us bus shelters. He demonstrated courage and integrity as the only RTM member to vote against the Saugatuck Hamlet project because of its potential impact on future access to the train and railroad parking.
Sal’s long service to Westport, his two terms on the RTM, his popularity with downtown businesses and those who rely on transit, and his zealous and vocal support of transit and transportation improvements is precisely what we need right now for a co-director of the Westport Transit District. I urge RTM members to support his candidacy.
Life is about relationships. Sal Liccione is a terrific choice to serve as Transit District Director. Sal has cultivated deep and meaningful relationships with constituents, business owners, and other members of the Westport community. This understanding allows him to know what motivates each parties issues. Further Sal’s use of public transformation will allow him to take a testimonial approach to solving problems as his transportation pain points are many of our own.
Sal is the only choice for this job..
karina might be great but has ZERO knowledge of the transit system.
In fact I’d question who suggested she run.
Sal has advocated tirelessly for users of transit as a user of public transport himself. He listens to his constituents and he brings a wealth of transit knowledge to the table that I’m afraid Karina clearly does not.
Being A civil engineer has nothing to do with running the transit committee.. absolutely nothing.
Bertram we all have heard you BASH Sal once or twice before in these comments, and your veiled attempts to do so now are not lost on us.
In fact it’s becoming very boring.
I know one thing for sure, Sal has been an advocate for transit and served on the transit committee longer than the chair who was appointed. Not elected, appointed.
I believe it was a fellow rtm member who chose to overlook Sal for the position of transit chair this last term, in spite of Sal having years more experience than her. Hmmmm….
Might be high time to look at the rtm workings and fix them.
Sal is clearly the only sensible choice for this position.
Ciara
I am reminded of Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn’s prophetic response when LBJ marveled at the superb credentials of the incoming JFK Administration described as “the Best and Brightest” – especially Sec of Defense McNamara who lacked the courage to tell the Nation when he had concluded that the Vietnam War was unwinable. Rayburn said: “Yeah, but none have ever been a county Sheriff.” Rayburn instinctively understood the vital importance of real world experience. Sal has that in spades. He uses our Public Transit system. His knowledge and experience is priceless. Give him the job.