Press Releases
GOV. MALLOY ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF $275 MILLION IN FEDERAL TRANSIT FUNDS FOR NEW BRITAIN - HARTFORD BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT
Construction to Begin Spring 2012
(NEW BRITAIN, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Federal Transit Administrator Peter M. Rogoff today announced the approval of the $275 million Full Funding Grant Agreement to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) for the construction of the New Britain-Hartford Busway project, which will break ground in the spring of 2012.
The federal New Starts program provides funding for a dedicated bus rapid transit system that will connect New Britain and Hartford with stops at 11 stations along a 9.4 mile corridor, and will improve access and reduce drive times for commuters on I-84 west of Hartford.
"If we're going to reinvent Connecticut, we need to re-imagine how we can improve our transportation infrastructure, and we do that by utilizing transportation options never before offered in the state," said Governor Malloy. "The busway brings jobs to Connecticut, and long-term economic growth and development to the corridor. I want to thank our Congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Transportation for their work and their advocacy on this project and our rail projects-all of which will improve our economy and our quality of life."
DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said the Busway is expected be up and running in 2014, providing some 16,000 passenger trips each weekday and cutting bus travel time between New Britain and Hartford in half.
"Our shared vision for Connecticut is dependent on a transportation system that is efficient, convenient, environmentally friendly, and that encourages investment and economic development," Senator Joe Lieberman said. "This project meets that standard, and it keeps Connecticut moving forward."
Total costs for the Busway are $567 million with 80 percent of the funding coming from the federal sources, including the New Starts funding, and the state covering $112 million.
The Busway will:
-
Break ground in early 2012 in New Britain.
-
Begin serving the region's commuters in 2014.
-
Create or sustain an estimated 4,000 short-term construction jobs and one hundred permanent jobs.
-
Provide a projected 16,000 passenger trips per day along the Busway from New Britain to Hartford with direct connections to points west along I-84 and with businesses, hospitals, schools and cultural attractions along the Busway corridor and throughout the region.
-
Increase peak hour highway travel speeds by 10 percent in the heavily congested New Britain-Hartford I-84 corridor.
-
Provide a projected bus city-to-city travel time of 20 minutes, compared with the existing CTTRANSIT bus which takes between 42 and 52 minutes depending on time of day.
-
Incorporate a circulator shuttle service from Busway stations to the Central Connecticut State University campus.
-
Improve access to Elmwood, Westfarms Mall and the UConn Health Center via Busway services.
-
Improve service to Bristol by providing 12 minute peak period service frequency, more days of service, more hours of service per day and a faster trip to New Britain.
-
Employ 60-foot articulated coaches for Busway shuttle services.
-
Utilize the latest in clean bus propulsion technology including diesel-electric hybrid buses.
-
Accommodate commuters on new CTTRANSIT Express Bus service from Waterbury and an existing route from Cheshire-Southington who seek fast access to New Britain and Hartford.
-
Include a five-mile multi-use trail for walkers and cyclists
In April, Governor Malloy allocated $1 million for a rail study between Bristol and Waterbury.
To learn more about the New Britain-Hartford Busway, visit
www.ctrapidtransit.com
, or follow the project on Facebook and Twitter (@ctBusway).
###
For Immediate Release: November 21, 2011
Facebook:
Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy
- Twitter: @GovMalloyOffice
- Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy