Strong Industry
Attendance is Needed at an Infrastructure Press Conference
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
10am (Please arrive early)MDC Parking Lot – 231 BRAINARD Road, Hartford (THE SAME LOCATION AS THE FEBRUARY PRESS CONFERENCE)
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will be releasing their Connecticut Infrastructure Report Card on:
Roads, Bridges, Rail, Clean Water, and Waste Water.
This is our last
opportunity to show support for infrastructure investments before election
day.
Please join us as we
make a strong showing that infrastructure investments mean jobs and a better
Connecticut!Mill River trail celebrated in New Haven
Mary E. O’Leary
NEW HAVEN — Standing near a group of recently planted red cedar, Tupelo and American linden trees, several-dozen nature lovers this week celebrated the start of a walking trail along the Mill River in Fair Haven.
The cleared portion represents hundreds of hours of work by volunteers, mainly organized by J.R. Logan and Aicha Woods, who replaced knotweed and other invasives with native species that will attract birds and butterflies.
Having won a highly competitive $290,000 grant from the Greenway program at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Reed Hilderbrand Associates put together a design guide for the trail.
That guide, as well as the comprehensive grant application itself, which was done by Donna Hall and others in the City Plan Department, is expected to be used as a model for others in the state interested in similar projects
The section where the crowd gathered is behind Radiall, which manufactures coaxial connectors, a short walk from Grand Avenue and parallel to John Murphy Drive.
Sections of the 17-mile river that starts in Cheshire and ends in New Haven will continue to be worked on for the next two yearThe multi-use trail eventually will extend west to Criscuolo Park and east to East Rock Park and, when completed, will include kayak launches at several locations, including at District New Haven, a technology and innovation center at 470 James St.“This is really a wonderful example of a multi-partner project. Not any one of the groups could have done it themselves,” said Woods, who worked as a volunteer on the trail before recently joining the City Department staff, where she got bids for the plan and the construction piece started.Some $80,000 was used for phase one, which was celebrated this week. The rest of the funds will be put toward engineering work needed from the Ralph Walker Skating Rink to New Haven District.
The Mill River trail framework website details the project from the discussions that began in 2014 with places to stop along the way, although most of it is still undeveloped.
With a little ingenuity, Logan said interested walkers can make their way north for a total of four miles to the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority property on Whitney Avenue, following a map on the website that lists points of interest.
One such stop is “Lost in New Haven,” a collection of city memorabilia curated by artist Robert Greenberg, at 424 Grand Ave.
“I just happened to land in Fair Haven at exactly the right time,” Greenberg said.
Logan said one of the characteristics that united everyone “is the ability to see something that is not there — to have a vision to imagine the possibilities in our city, something that can be much better.”Beka Sturges, a landscape architect at Reed Hilderbrand, said its goal was to “connect people to nature, to the land around them, bring neighborhoods together. We are stitching people and systems and the natural world together.”
Mayor Toni Harp thanked all the groups that contributed to the effort.
“These cooperative efforts to connect sections of riverfront trails, parallel public policy efforts to connect city residents, students and visitors with the natural splendor that surrounds New Haven,” she said.Bill Neale, vice president of operations at Radiall, said there is a variety of birds along the river.
“I think it is a great project,” Neale said of the Mill River trail. His was one of several businesses that worked with city to make it possible. “It connects an urban population with nature.”
Chris Ozyck, associate director at Urban Resources Initiative, also was a major volunteer on the project. He said it is a great asset for the city and Fair Haven, in particular, which “is park poor. It provides a great opportunity for kids to explore.”
URI and the Audubon Society worked with local volunteers to establish a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Urban Oasis near the beginning of the trail.Fair Haven resident Rob Fecke, who runs Reclamation Lumber , said it is not an easy task to weave a greenway amidan industrial area.
“It is a great concept, but I think it takes extra special work from the people involved to make it actually happen,” Fecke said, although he supports the effort. “I think it is a great exercise teaching people about co-existence and having nature still be a part of the working world that we are obviously a part of. I don’t think there is a better time for all of us to take the time to make these things work.”
Stamford resident questions Oaklawn Avenue roadwork
Angela Carella
STAMFORD — Bob Rabinowitz says enough with the jutting manhole covers, the crazy detours, the stopped traffic, the “Beep! Beep!” of big trucks backing up, and the bouncing from road surface down to road bed and up again.
Five months into the reconstruction of Oaklawn Avenue, Rabinowitz is frustrated, made worse because he doesn’t understand why the street needed work in the first place.
“What are they doing?” asked Rabinowitz, who lives on Stanwick Place, a side street off Oaklawn Avenue. “I think this whole thing started with a plan to straighten out the road, but I don’t see any straightening. I see some new sidewalks, but not much of anything else.”
The project is the bane of Belltown residents and hundreds of motorists who use Oaklawn Avenue each day to cut between High Ridge Road and Newfield Avenue, two busy north-south thoroughfares.
Construction crews work an arm’s length from traffic, which is held to one direction at a time to allow space for dump trucks to unload and backhoes to reposition.
Police officers direct vehicles off Oaklawn Avenue to detours along tight, hilly side streets congested with parked cars, and out to intersections with High Ridge Road.
Some of the intersections have no signals, so motorists wait several minutes to pull out into racing High Ridge traffic.
“For what?” Rabinowitz said. “If Oaklawn had potholes all over the place, if the street was sinking, I would understand why they are fixing it. But it didn’t. There were rather sharp curves, but it looks like they’re not really changing the geometry. I wish someone would explain the reason.”
It goes back about 10 years, said Jim Travers, chief of the city’s Transportation Bureau, who’s been on the job almost two years.
“At some point, there was a desire from the community to make Oaklawn more walkable. It had some sidewalks but they were not continuous,” Travers said. “It’s a curvy roadway, and a cut-through, and it didn’t create safe conditions for people to walk.”
City engineers examined the right of way and decided to do more than sidewalks, he said.“Some of the intersections created problems with cross-traffic patterns, so they wanted to soften the curves and move some intersections to create better sight lines,” Travers said. “It was the foresight of prior traffic engineers, who said, ‘if we’re going to make this investment, let’s do it a on larger scale.’”
According to the city’s website, the project calls for rebuilding 1,500 feet of Oaklawn Avenue from Halpin Avenue west to Camore Street. It includes replacing the pavement, minor widening, minor intersection realignments, drainage improvements, construction of concrete sidewalks, and installation of granite curbs.
It is a federal aid project funded through the state Department of Transportation, with a projected construction cost of $1 million to $2.5 million, according to the website. Travers said the city paid the cost of design, which he estimates at $75,000 to $100,000.
Rabinowitz said he’s lived off Oaklawn Avenue for 60 years and didn’t hear the call for sidewalks.
“I see some people walking, but it’s not a caravan,” he said. “Buses come and take the kids to school, so that’s not it. Maybe people on the other side of Oaklawn walk to the Grade A supermarket or the CVS on Newfield Avenue, I don’t know. Maybe there were a few vocal families who had connections and wanted new sidewalks.”
It seems like there are a bunch of streets with more pedestrian traffic that could use new sidewalks, Rabinowitz sai “I have to wonder what distinguishes Oaklawn Avenue for this big a job,” he said.
It’s difficult to tell whether the improvements will be worth the noise, manhole-cover dodging, traffic jams and devious detours, Rabinowitz said “I’d like to know the basis for all this inconvenience,” he said. Travers said he understands the effect on residents and motorists. Projects take longer on busy streets like Oaklawn, where equipment needs to maneuver in small spaces and traffic must be allowed to flow through the work site, he said. The contractor was directed to extend work hours to shorten the duration of the project, he said.
“The biggest challenge now is relocating the utilities. The poles have to be placed,” Travers said. “The utility companies are working hard for us, but we had tornadoes in Connecticut and they had to leave the jobs they were on to go and restore power to thousands of people.”
One of the tornadoes that touched down Oct. 2 hit New Canaan with winds exceeding 100 mph.
Travers said Oaklawn Avenue should be finished at the end of the year. “We are doing a lot of great work, but people might not understand all the complexities,” Travers said. “We can do more to communicate things, so people will see the positive.”
That’s why he’s asking, Rabinowitz said. “If I knew they were doing something materially important, I would certainly understand,” he said.
Reimagined Hartford market includes food trucks, makerspace
Joe Cooper
A consultant hired to develop options to spruce up Hartford's Regional Market has released a conceptual plan that includes space for food trucks, live music and winter use.
Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), the quasi-public agency slated to take over the market's ownership, hired East Hartford's Goman + York to recommend ideas on how to redevelop the aging parcel in Hartford's South Meadows.
In a recent report, Goman + York pitched several upgrades to the 32-acre lot including space for food trucks, live music, winter use, a community garden and gathering areas, according to a preliminary report.
The recommendations also include a makerspace for food processing, and sponsorship or branding partnerships. Common area ideas include rooftop uses, restaurants, brewpubs, distilleries and collaborative workspaces for entrepreneurial companies.
Immediate plans are aimed at stabilizing the market's current tenant base, addressing operational and security issues, creating a marketing plan and plotting a five- to 10-year plan to address capital improvements and other recurring investments.
The expansion could "play an important role in supporting food processing and distribution" for businesses in the area, the report says.
Hartford region moves closer to levee system repairs
Joe Cooper
Connecticut moved a step closer Tuesday to receiving federal funding to rehabilitate the Connecticut River levee systems in Hartford and East Hartford.
President Donald J. Trump signed a sweeping law that directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address numerous water resource projects nationwide, including an expedited study on repairing the aging levee systems in Connecticut.
The U.S Senate and House of Representatives had already voted to pass the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, but Trump's signature Tuesday moves Hartford and East Hartford closer to gaining eligibility for federal funding to repair the decades-old flood control system. The measure passed by near unanimous vote.
The Army's engineers unit built Connecticut's levee systems in the late 1930s in the wake of catastrophic flooding caused by hurricanes, said U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, who fought for the feasibility report in Washington, D.C.
Larson said the engineers have identified repairs needed to strengthen the aging levee system to prevent the risk of flooding. Failure to improve the levees, he says, would jeopardize the I-84/I-91 interchange, in addition to commercial, institutional and residential properties along the river.
"These levee systems keep the communities of Hartford and East Hartford safe and protect critical infrastructure for the region," Larson said. "Extreme weather events that increase in likelihood due to climate change are more reason to take this threat seriously."
The 53-page bill will authorize federal funding for water infrastructure projects, upgrade wastewater, drinking and irrigation systems, and expand the nation's water storage capacity, among other projects and programs.
It also negates $4 billion set aside in water resource development projects that Congress deemed unnecessary for construction for various reasons.
Congress typically reevaluates the bill every two years to approve new water projects at levees, harbors, and dams and to provide direction to the Army's engineers, Larson said.
Berlin's Hartford line station bows
Joe Cooper
The CTrail Hartford Line has a new full-service stop in the heart of Connecticut.
State and local officials on Tuesday afternoon unveiled the new station at 51 Depot Road in Berlin during a grand opening event. The once decrepit rail station had been under construction since Dec. 2014, and was partially open to passengers when the commuter rail launched June 16.
Berlin's station, located just off the town's downtown strip on Farmington Avenue, will connect to the rail line's New Haven-to-Springfield train service and Amtrak trains.
The rail line also includes stops in Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Meriden and Wallingford. Other stations are under development in West Hartford, Newington, Enfield and North Haven, state officials said.
The Berlin station includes raised platforms on each side of the tracks, elevators, an overhead pedestrian bridge, canopies, ticket vending machines and an information display system, state officials said. For safety, the platforms also feature automatic snow melting systems, security cameras and emergency call boxes.
The parcel also houses a new 235-space parking lot with two electric vehicle charging stations.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state lawmakers and local officials on Tuesday lauded the rail line's ability to raise the profile of transit-oriented economic development in towns like Berlin.
Officials have estimated the $769 million Hartford line created almost $400 million in transit-oriented development (TOD) before it opened in June.
In Berlin, a mixed-used development housing commercial and 16 residential units opened across the street from the station about four years ago. The town has also scored a portion of state funds for pedestrian improvements near the station and is plotting a TOD for future projects there.
Trains on the Hartford line travel up to 110 mph and takes about 81 minutes to travel the 62 miles between Springfield and New Haven.
The line provides 17 round trips daily between Hartford and New Haven, including a dozen continuing north to Springfield.
A Transportation 'Lockbox' Constitutional Amendment: What Voters Need To Know
One of the statewide questions awaiting Connecticut voters on the Nov. 6 ballot is whether to change the state constitution in an effort to protect state transportation funding. The so-called “transportation lockbox” constitutional amendment is intended to prevent the General Assembly from using money in the state’s Special Transportation Fund for anything other than transportation-related purposes.
Here’s a look at some questions voters may have about this proposed constitutional amendment, and some answers: Here is the wording: “Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to ensure (1) that all moneys contained in the Special Transportation Fund be used solely for transportation purposes, including the payment of debts of the state incurred for transportation purposes, and (2) that sources of funds deposited in the Special Transportation Fund be deposited in said fund so long as such sources are authorized by statute to be collected or received by the state?”A “yes” vote supports passage of the amendment; a “no” vote would reject it.
Where does the transportation fund money come from?
The revenue comes from Connecticut’s motor fuels tax, motor carrier road tax, the gross earnings tax on petroleum products, certain motor vehicle fees and revenues, motor vehicle-related fines, and a portion of the state sales tax.
Why is a constitutional amendment needed?
Supporters of the proposal argue that putting this “lockbox” in the constitution will help keep state lawmakers from dipping into transportation fund to pay for other things, particularly when the state is facing major deficits. The transportation fund almost became insolvent this year and the General Assembly had to add money from a new state car tax and a portion of the state sales tax to bail it out.
The proposed amendment has support from both Democrats and Republicans, but some GOP lawmakers worry that the proposed protections for transportation funding aren’t strong enough. Critics say future legislatures could find ways to circumvent this amendment and divert money from the transportation fund. Republican and Democratic supporters of the amendment argue that the amendment will at least make it more difficult for future lawmakers to raid the fund.
West Hartford Officials To Discuss Early Plans For Traffic Improvements At Mountain Road, Albany Avenue Intersection
West Hartford officials will meet Monday to discuss preliminary plans for upgrades to the intersection of Mountain Road and Albany Avenue.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in room 400 of town hall, 50 South Main St.
Gregory Sommer, the town civil engineer, said the discussion of the project started about five years ago, when officials recognized that congestion was causing significant delays. A preliminary plan will be presented Monday night and is expected to be finalized within the next year.
Sommer said the cost is estimated at $1.6 million and would be funded through a state grant. The town staff is handling the design of the project, Sommer said. A construction company has not been selected, and requests for bids are expected to go out next year. Construction is expected to begin spring 2020 and be completed that fall, Sommer said.
Sommer said storm drains in the area will be upgraded, the north and southbound lanes of Mountain Road will be widened, an existing culvert will be extended and a retaining wall will be fortified before mill and overlay paving is done.
Right now, there are two lanes northbound and southbound at the intersection. After construction is completed, each side of Mountain Road will be three lanes — dedicated left-turn lanes, a through and right turn lane and a dedicated right-turn lane, Sommer said.
Traffic signals will be replaced and timings will be altered as well, Sommer said.
The revenue comes from Connecticut’s motor fuels tax, motor carrier road tax, the gross earnings tax on petroleum products, certain motor vehicle fees and revenues, motor vehicle-related fines, and a portion of the state sales tax.
What is the transportation fund money used for?
The money in the fund is intended to pay for highway, road and bridge construction and repair, as well as for mass transit programs like buses and rail lines. The fund also can be used to pay back state bonding, which is the way the state borrows money to finance many transportation projects.Why is a constitutional amendment needed?
Supporters of the proposal argue that putting this “lockbox” in the constitution will help keep state lawmakers from dipping into transportation fund to pay for other things, particularly when the state is facing major deficits. The transportation fund almost became insolvent this year and the General Assembly had to add money from a new state car tax and a portion of the state sales tax to bail it out.
The proposed amendment has support from both Democrats and Republicans, but some GOP lawmakers worry that the proposed protections for transportation funding aren’t strong enough. Critics say future legislatures could find ways to circumvent this amendment and divert money from the transportation fund. Republican and Democratic supporters of the amendment argue that the amendment will at least make it more difficult for future lawmakers to raid the fund.
West Hartford Officials To Discuss Early Plans For Traffic Improvements At Mountain Road, Albany Avenue Intersection
West Hartford officials will meet Monday to discuss preliminary plans for upgrades to the intersection of Mountain Road and Albany Avenue.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in room 400 of town hall, 50 South Main St.
Gregory Sommer, the town civil engineer, said the discussion of the project started about five years ago, when officials recognized that congestion was causing significant delays. A preliminary plan will be presented Monday night and is expected to be finalized within the next year.
Sommer said the cost is estimated at $1.6 million and would be funded through a state grant. The town staff is handling the design of the project, Sommer said. A construction company has not been selected, and requests for bids are expected to go out next year. Construction is expected to begin spring 2020 and be completed that fall, Sommer said.
Sommer said storm drains in the area will be upgraded, the north and southbound lanes of Mountain Road will be widened, an existing culvert will be extended and a retaining wall will be fortified before mill and overlay paving is done.
Right now, there are two lanes northbound and southbound at the intersection. After construction is completed, each side of Mountain Road will be three lanes — dedicated left-turn lanes, a through and right turn lane and a dedicated right-turn lane, Sommer said.
Traffic signals will be replaced and timings will be altered as well, Sommer said.