CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: June 17, 2015

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

CTDOT Applies for Two ‘TIGER’ Grants

      The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has applied for two federal grants – one to promote “Complete Streets” transit-oriented development around Ctfastrak bus stations in central Connecticut, and the other to design a new New Haven commuter rail line station in Bridgeport.

   The grant applications were submitted earlier this month under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program.

      The $15 million CTfastrak grant request is a “Ladders of Opportunity” project, which proposes enhancements to improve access between Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations and employment. The preparation of the application was a coordinated effort between CTDOT, the Capital Region council of Governments, the Central Connecticut Metropolitan Planning Organization, the cities of Hartford and New Britain, and the towns of West Hartford and Newington. The application requested $15,000,000 in TIGER funding, which would be matched by $11,850,000 from CTDOT and municipal sources.

      This project would create Ladders of Opportunity in the CTfastrak corridor by strengthening connections between low-income, transit-dependent neighborhoods that surround most stations and the corridor’s large employment base of 115,900 jobs. Access to employment would be improved by constructing complete streets, enhancing transit operations, and improving infrastructure that supports transit-oriented development. The project includes: reconstructing New Britain’s Columbus Boulevard, Chestnut and East Main Streets as complete streets, extending CTfastrak’s multi-use trail, implementing West Hartford’s New Park Avenue road diet, and evaluating and implementing Sigourney Street, Farmington Avenue, and Asylum Avenue improvements adjacent to Hartford’s Promise Zone neighborhood.

      The second application, for $11.1 million, would pay for the design of a new station on the east side of Bridgeport to be known as Barnum Station, after P.T. Barnum, the one-time Bridgeport mayor, state senator and circus impresario. .  This funding will be matched with $7.4 million previously authorized CTDOT bond funds as well as from funds appropriated to transportation purposes in the biennium budget.

      The total cost for the Barnum Station project is estimated to be $146.1 million, including environmental review, design and construction.  The station will feature two center island platforms in order to provide the flexibility to serve both local and express Metro-North and Amtrak trains. The station will also have about 1,000 parking spaces.

For more information about the USDOT TIGER program, visit http://www.transportation.gov/tiger.