Ten Connecticut towns and three transit districts across the state are receiving $20 million in federal highway funds for transportation projects centered on improving traffic flow and air quality.
Governor Dannel Malloy’s office said the projects aim to reduce energy use, and some will focus on decreasing the number of car commuters on the road by luring riders to public transit with additional bus routes and easier access to real-time tracking via signage. The projects awarded had to demonstrate both cost effectiveness and result in reduced vehicle exhaust emissions.
With traffic systems and road design varying across the state’s municipalities, the new projects align with a statewide push for street plans that address the vehicular overcapacity of Connecticut’s aging roadways. The projects also follow a trend of more integration of pedestrian and public transit flow into roads that were traditionally car-centric.
The Greater Bridgeport Transit District — serving several towns in Fairfield and New Haven Counties — received $174,000 to purchase equipment to enable real-time live tracking of buses on large LCD screens in major stations.
Funding will also be provided for bus service from Madison to Middletown along Route 81.
Bridgeport, Meriden, New Britain, Greenwich, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, and Windsor will receive money for upgraded traffic signal systems. Connecticut U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said the grant will tie into an initiative to reduce traffic across the state.
“I know that when we make smarter use of clean energy technologies and resources already at our disposal, we can improve quality of life and the flow of commerce throughout our state,” Murphy said.
A recent report showed a spike in traffic fatalities in 2015 — the sharpest percentage in the past 50 years. The study suggests cheaper gas prices and a stronger economy as the likely cause.
For more on traffic signals, listen to this recent episode of WNPR’sWhere We Live.
