Press Releases

03/02/2022

Governor Lamont Announces $8.2 Million in State Grants to Support Transportation Safety Upgrades and Improved Accessibility in Seventeen Towns and Cities

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti today announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation is providing $8.2 million in grants to 17 Connecticut cities and towns as part of a competitive, state-funded grants program for local projects that support improved mobility and accessibility, as well as pedestrian and cyclist safety.

The Community Connectivity Grants program, now in its fourth round of awards, provides funding for the construction of local initiatives that will improve safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians in and around community centres, encouraging more people to use these healthy and ecological modes of transport. The grant program also facilitates social and economic opportunity for underserved communities by providing equitable levels of access to safe and affordable transportation.

“These road improvement projects are smart investments that will further improve our state’s quality of life,” Governor Lamont said. “These projects will not only make our neighborhoods safer, but support economic growth while becoming more pedestrian-friendly and environmentally friendly.”

“Connecticut’s commitment to improving safety and mobility for all continues to be reinforced with this new series of awards,” Commissioner Giulietti said. “With 2021 being a record year for road deaths in our state and nation, these investments are clearly needed. Not only will these investments improve safety, but they will continue efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse effect of our transportation sector and improve local air quality.

Funding for the program was proposed by Governor Lamont in his FY22-FY23 biennial budget, which the legislature supported in the final enacted budget. This funding round was approved by the State Bond Commission at its last meeting in December. The projects that were submitted by the municipalities during the most recent solicitation have been freshly evaluated in light of this additional funding. The Connecticut Department of Transportation will also use a portion of the funding to support local traffic safety audits to help local governments identify ways to improve safety in specific locations in the community.

Grants approved in this cycle include:

• Beacon falls: Main Street South Connectivity, Multimodal and Safety Improvements ($600,000)
• Bethlehem: Sidewalk improvements, accessibility improvements ($204,105)
• East Hartford: Main Street Intermodal Connectivity Project (Silver Lane to Willow Street), ($594,000)
• Eston: Westport Road and Center Road Pedestrian Safety Improvements ($139,200)
• Enfield: Elm Street Sidewalk Closure ($548,400)
• Essex: River Road Sidewalk ($595,611)
• Glastonbury: Bell Street sidewalks ($600,000)
• Middletown: Butternut Street and Park Accessibility Improvements ($580,000)
• Norwich: Installation of 0.6 miles of sidewalks along West Town Street (State Route 642) ($599,887)
• Oxford: Little River Nature Reserve and Civic Center ($489,621)
• Plainfield: Pedestrian Safety Improvements at Shepard Hill Elementary School ($600,000)
• Perspective: Freestone Avenue, High Street, Marlborough Street (Route 17/66) ($600,000)
• Simsbury: Firetown Road Sidewalk Closure ($584,471)
• Southbury: Selected Pedestrian Safety Improvements from Main Street South Pedestrian Safety Study ($444,946)
• stonington: Sidewalk Ramp Improvement Project ($230,452)
• Westbrook: YMCA Pedestrian Connections, Essex Road (CT Route 153) and Spencer Plains Road (CT Route 166) ($197,578)
• Woodbridge: Woodbridge Bike-Walk Phase 1 ($599,855)

Municipalities that have been selected to receive grants will be required to complete the project within three years.

With this fourth round of funding, 104 scholarships totaling more than $38 million will have been invested in Connecticut cities under the program over the past four years.

For more information on the Community Connectivity Program, visit ctconnectivity.com.

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