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

FOR RELEASE: January 8, 2015

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

GOV. MALLOY TOURS SITE OF THE NEW MERIDEN INTERMODAL CENTER

      Governor Dannel P. Malloy today toured the Meriden train station on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) rail corridor, which is the site of an ongoing transit-oriented development (TOD) project with a primary focus on stimulating the area within a half-mile of the proposed new Meriden Intermodal Center. In his State of the State address on Wednesday, Governor Malloy outlined his long-term vision for investing in upgrading and modernizing Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure.

      “This project will transform the 91 corridor with high speed rail while revitalizing cities and towns between New Haven and Hartford,” said Governor Malloy. “The citizens and business community in Meriden and its surroundings will benefit from our investments for years to come. This is a terrific partnership, and I would like to thank the city and the Connecticut state agencies that are moving this project forward – Transportation, Economic and Community Development, and Energy and Environmental Protection.”

      Governor Malloy continued, “Projects like these are examples of what the Connecticut can do when we focus on transportation and will be part of coming discussion we will have on transportation in the months ahead.”

      In October 2011, the Malloy administration announced $5 million for local TOD projects, including approximately $850,000 to the City of Meriden for market analysis, financial planning, environmental benefit analyses and preparation for studies/surveys related to the NHHS rail line.

      Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker said, “The TOD project will foster economic development in the various towns and surrounding regions by supporting local projects that connect state residents to job opportunities, housing, cultural centers and more.”

About the Meriden project:

• The City of Meriden will capitalize on the increased transit connectivity anticipated to begin in late 2016, by taking a proactive approach to “re-visioning” its City Center, with a primary focus on the area within a half-mile of the proposed new Meriden Intermodal Center.
• Meriden Intermodal Center: a pedestrian link across the rail line from Colony Street to the HUB Park; a new mixed-use, multi-modal interface and parking structure.
• Development at 24 Colony Street: revitalize the north-south commercial-retail corridor with strategic infill development and the preservation of historic buildings; connect to the new Meriden Intermodal Center.
• It is a collaborative community process that will include preliminary design concepts for the new Meriden Intermodal Center, a station-area market analysis, a strategy for building long-term public-private partnerships (tax incentives, subsidies, land assemblage), recommendations for improved traffic patterns and parking, and an exploration of the merits of various planning tools (zoning/regulations) and design guidelines (streetscapes/public realm/architecture) for defining the new identity of the City Center.

About the NHHS Rail Project:

• The new NHHS service will be called the ‘Hartford Line’ and increase the number of round trip trains from 6 daily Amtrak shuttles to a total of 17 trains including existing Amtrak trains plus 11 new commuter rail trains.  Service is scheduled to start in late 2016.
• All existing rail stations will be replaced and several new stations will be built.  The expanded service and new stations are expected to generate more riders and provide opportunities for development around the stations.