WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved funding for three projects in the state that will advance pedestrian safety, build or improve bike trails, and connect trails to CT Fastrak line.
A total of $41.6 million is earmarked for the programs, from the national Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program designed to advance projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation.
DOT considered how proposed projects would improve accessibility for all travelers, bolster supply chain efficiency, and support racial equity and economic growth – especially in historically disadvantaged communities and areas of persistent poverty.
According to the DOT, the projects funded are:
- CT Trail Connections: Building a Network of Trails to Connect People to Jobs – The Capitol Region Council of Governments will receive $16.4 million to fund design and construction of two connected trails in the municipalities of Plainville and New Britain. The first trail will fill the last major gap in the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT). The second trail will connect the FCHT to the CTfastrak trail in New Britain. The project provides more affordable transportation options for over 120,000 residents within 2 miles of the project area, including underserved communities in New Britain. The separated bicycle/pedestrian trail also addresses a known safety issue, as there were 54 bicycle- and pedestrian-vehicle collisions within the last 5 years in the project area.
- Waterbury Active Transportation Economic Resurgence (WATER) Phase II – The City of Waterbury will receive $23.1 million to fund construction of Phase II of the City of Waterbury's section of the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail (approximately 2.3 miles); West Main Street Renovation and Streetscaping Improvements; and the addition of electrical vehicle charging stations at the Downtown Waterbury Train Station. Project benefits: The project will improve multiple aspects of transportation infrastructure and includes some environmental restoration through capping brownfield sites using a bike trail. The project will increase mobility for underserved residents, particularly by providing safe active transportation options.
- West Main Street Corridor Planning Project – The City of Stamford will receive $2.1 million for this planning project which will support design and engineering of a Complete Street on approximately 1.1 miles of the West Main Street corridor in Stamford that will improve safety at nine dangerous intersections, by adding more visible crosswalks and shorter crossing distances. The planning project also includes adding sidewalks, bus boarding islands, and separated bike lanes where feasible (or shared use of a travel lane). Currently, West Main Street has on-street parking, inadequate sidewalks, and no bike lanes. There have been 480 collisions with 101 injuries over a four-year period at the nine intersections in the project area. This area is ranked top three for total number of injury crashes in the city, and ranked first for pedestrian crashes, with an average of 5 pedestrian crashes per year. The project also supports racial equity because it is addressing severe safety issues in an area with substantial minority populations which heavily rely on walking, biking, or public transit to commute to places of employment.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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