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CCRPA assisted Plainville, Plymouth, and Bristol in applying for grants under the Home Connecticut, a program that provides municipalities with fiscal incentives to create housing their workforces can afford. The grants provide $50,000 to undertake affordable housing studies. To date, Plainville and Plymouth have received grants and contracted with CCRPA to conduct the studies. CCRPA has completed extensive community profiles and suitability analyses and has begun work on draft maps and housing regulations for the Towns of Plainville and Plymouth.
Calls for a resumption of train service between Hartford and Waterbury have grown of late, with the Governor and State legislators down to local residents voicing interest. This line would make stops in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville, Bristol, and/or Plainville. CCRPA convened a regional roundtable to on transportation and transit to explore this project. Roger Bergeron of Pan Am Railways was invited to speak. According to Pan Am’s estimates, getting trains running at the desired level of service would require a $52 million investment. The project would connect Central Connecticut with the lucrative New York metro region. A feasibility study on the project has been published; the next step is an Environmental Assessment (which must be commissioned by the legislature.) CCRPA supports this project. If you are interested, please contact Ken at (860) 589-7820 x16.
With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, federal funds are identified for infrastructure improvements such a road reconstruction, multiuse trails, streetscape enhancements and roadway mill and overlay projects. Funds for municipal transportation projects have been allocated to Connecticut’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) from the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation. The process to initiate these projects requires adherence to federal guidelines, similar to those required for STP-Urban road improvement funds. CCRPA is receiving $5,744,512 as its allocation. The Agency’s Transportation Improvement Committee (TIC) is managing the process for project submission along with staff. Call Ken at (860) 589-7820 x16 for more information regarding this program.
CCRPA has submitted bus routes, timetables, and stops to Google for inclusion in its Transit program. When approved by Google, this will allow Google Maps to add door-to-door public transit directions for the region to the driving directions it already gives. Google Transit handles transfers between routes, modes, and operators seamlessly. The service, which is free, has been adopted by hundreds of cities and regions, such as the entire New York MTA (spanning buses, subways, trains, and ferries), NJ Transit, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, various transit agencies in Massachusetts, and all rail, airlines, and ferries in Japan. CCRPA has provided Google with comprehensive information for the New Britain and Bristol divisions of CT Transit as well as Middletown Area Transit and the Meriden and Wallingford Transit Districts. Google is reviewing the information CCRPA has submitted and expects to live with the data no later than June.
CCRPA has taken an active role in the update of the Connecticut Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, with staff acting on the Steering Committee. This project will culminate in the adoption of a new plan and map for pedestrians and cyclists by the DOT.
CCRPA congratulates the Town of Plainville and the Plainville Greenway Association on receipt of $45,000 to pay for design of Plainville’s portion of the Plainville-Southington Greenway! This segment of trail will stretch from the northern end of Southington’s linear park to the Farmington town line, and will comprise a vital segment of the East Coast Greenway. CCRPA has been working with interested parties from Southington and Plainville to identify a preferred route for the trail and establish preliminary cost estimates, to help the towns move forward to complete this exciting project.
ADA Paratransit Service is now accepting offers for its upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) for fiscal year 2009. The service operates in Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Kensington, and selected locations in the region. Ridership is up 92% from this time last year. The current contractor is Dattco, Inc. located in New Britain, CT.
CCRPA, along with a coalition consisting of the Pequabuck River and Farmington River Watershed Associations, applied for a Farmington River Enhancement Grant. The grant would fund a feasibility study and preliminary design for removal of the defunct Middle Street Dam in Bristol. The dam disrupts the natural environment of the Pequabuck River, barring salmon and other aquatic life from returning to the river’s upper reaches. Upon notification of award, CCRPA will solicit bids from private consultants to conduct the engineering study.
To help OPM with updating its Conservation and Development Policies Plan for the years 2010-2015, CCRPA has created or collected new GIS data for the sewer lines in six of its seven members. This data, when submitted to OPM, will inform the Office’s strategy, allowing it to steer development to areas with infrastructure already in the ground.
The King’s Mark Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area, on whose governing board CCRPA staff have and continue to serve, updated its Area Plan for the years 2009-2014. King’s Mark is a USDA program that assists communities, addresses development issues, and protects natural resources in Western Connecticut. In the past, King’s Mark has supported local agriculture with events such as the Tour des Farms bicycle tour, protected water quality with the Horse Environmental Awareness Program, and enhanced transportation and recreation with the new boat launches, portages, river trails, greenways, and wooden bridges. The new five-year plan foresees similar benefits for the region, including boat launches in Burlington, expansion of the river trails program to the Farmington River, and a study of the potential for a Cross-Region Bikeway. If you would like to take part in these programs, please contact Francis at (860) 589-7820 x18.