Bridgeport Awarded $1.6 Million For Bike Route Network

News release from Governor Malloy:

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that nine Connecticut cities and towns will share a $20 million federal grant for transportation projects designed to improve the flow of traffic, improve air quality, and reduce energy use.

“While these projects will produce environmental and transportation benefits, they will also provide jobs and help spur economic growth,” Governor Malloy said. “These local traffic improvement projects include computer-coordinated traffic signal systems that will help eliminate traffic bottlenecks and improve the flow of cars and trucks between traffic signals. With less idling at signals and less stop and go between signals, there will be fewer exhaust emissions and less fuel wasted.”

The grant was awarded under the Federal Highway Administration’s competitive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, which gives funding for active travel infrastructures that improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. To qualify, municipalities must demonstrate that their projects will result in reduced vehicle exhaust emissions and, at the same time, be cost effective.

The towns awarded the funding are:

Bridgeport – $1.6 million to create a city-wide bicycle route network and “Bike-Share” project, which will allow participants to pick up and return bicycles at designated locations when needed.

Glastonbury – $1.16 million to realign the intersection of Griswold, House and Harris streets.

Greenwich – $2.75 million to install Adaptive Signal Control Technology along the Arch Street corridor. This technology will improve the flow of traffic between traffic lights.

Hartford – $3.0 million to upgrade or replace 14 downtown traffic signals along Columbus Boulevard, Prospect Street and Main Street.

New Haven – $2.87 million for a computerized traffic signal upgrade along Chapel Street, Elm Street, Wall Street and Grove Street.

Norwalk – $3.0 million to complete the third phase of an ongoing traffic signal upgrade program on Route 1, Route 123, East Avenue and Strawberry Hill Avenue.

Norwich – $2.08 million for the Regional Alternate Fuel Infrastructure and Clean Vehicle Project to construct two compressed natural gas fueling stations and purchase alternative fuel vehicles.

Plymouth – $86,524 to replace five municipal vehicles with hybrid electric vehicles.

Waterbury – $3.0 million to improve the downtown traffic signal system bounded by Meadow Street on the west, West Main Street to the north, east Main Street to the east and Grand Avenue to the south.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) will now begin working with the towns on final designs for their projects so that they are ready to go when the funds are released (expected in 2013). The FHWA money is administered through the DOT’s Bureau of Policy and Planning.

Last month, Governor Malloy was named Lead Governor for Transportation by the Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG). In this position, Governor Malloy serves as the chief coordinator for advocacy and policy advancement of transportation initiatives for CONEG, a non-partisan association of the governors of the seven northeastern states.