Connecticut ranks as the 5th worst state for road conditions. It may be more complicated.
Connecticut’s roads are ranked as some of poorest quality in
the United States, according to data collected by the Federal Highway
Administration. But assessing the state's true standing for road quality may be
more complicated than that.
According to data from the Highway
Performance Monitoring System, Connecticut is ranked as the 5th worst state
for road conditions, which came as a shock to Eric Jackson, the executive
director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute.
"There's a lot of different reasons that may play into
it, but I wouldn't necessarily put Connecticut, as you know, one of the worst
states," he said.
For one, it was important to acknowledge the factors around
the data, Jackson said. The state annually collects data on its roadways, which
he said can skew the rankings.
"So sometimes, a lot of these lists, you end up kind of
either high up on the list, or it makes you look worse than you are, because
the state is actually collecting more data than other states," Jackson
said. "So we have more information that's available on the condition of
our roadways than maybe some of the other states have."
According to data from the Bureau of Transportation, around
2,100 miles of Connecticut’s roads are classified as poor.
Connecticut's road quality assessment is based on the
2023 dataset of the Highway Performance Monitoring System. A spokesman for
the state Department of Transportation said that the Highway Performance
Monitoring System data "is not ideal for comparison, especially when just
a one subset of one factor is used, due to differences in collection methods,
network composition and size of network."
Even so, Jackson acknowledged there are a number of
challenges that the state faces when it comes to its roadways, like location
and weather.
"One of the other things that obviously works against
Connecticut is we are in the Northeast," Jackson said. "We have to
deal with winter weather conditions where places in the Midwest or in the South
may not have winter to deal with."
According to the Bureau of Transportation data, Alabama is
ranked as the state with the highest percentage of roads considered
"good." In fact, almost all of the states with the
highest rankings are located in the Midwest or the South.
Winter is "very tough on the roadways," as water
can get inside the cracks in roadways and freeze, causing the cracks to expand
and eventually destroy the pavement, Jackson said. "That's where you get a
lot of the potholes that come in. So, you know, that's kind of working against
us as well," he said. "I don't see Connecticut as any worse than
any of the other northeast states that have to deal with a similar type of
weather."
Regardless of where Connecticut's true ranking actually
lies, poor road quality on any level doesn't come without a price. Poor road
conditions are costing Americans an average of $1,400 annually in operating
costs and lost time, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Whether it be tires, suspension part or alignment issues, a
survey of hundreds of car repair shops and service centers across the country
found that a majority of respondents reported an increase in the number of
vehicles requiring repairs due to poor road conditions in their area, according
to reporting by Hearst
Television's National Investigative Unit.
“Driving on deteriorated roads costs Connecticut motorists
$2.2 billion a year – $841 per driver – in the form of additional repairs,
accelerated vehicle depreciation, and increased fuel consumption and tire
wear,” according to a May
report by TRIP, a nonprofit national transportation research group.
But at the same time that roadway quality is costing drivers
more, it's also costing more money to maintain the roads themselves.
"Construction cost inflation, the erosion of motor fuel
taxes due to inflation, improved fuel efficiency, and the adoption of hybrid
and electric vehicles threaten the state’s ability to keep pace with growing
transportation needs," according to TRIP.
"The Federal Highway Administration’s national highway construction cost
index, which measures the rate of inflation in labor and materials cost,
increased 45% from the beginning of 2022 through the second quarter of
2024."
Many states, and municipalities, are struggling with how to
keep funding road maintenance and improvement while budgets are strained,
Jackson said.
"Basically, asphalt is a petroleum product, so as the
price of gasoline increases, the price of the black, sticky stuff inside the
pavement also increases. So we're seeing increases in cost to be able to put
the asphalt down on the roadway," he said. "Everything's getting more
expensive these days, and the payment and labor to put it down is the same --
it's costing a lot more."
That can lead to differences in road quality between states
and between the local and the state level. The Connecticut Department of
Transportation maintains 3,728.86 miles of roads, whereas the towns maintain
17,470.46 miles, according to a spokesman.
Even though local roads typically have lower traffic volume
and take longer to wear out, when public works funding is cut in a town budget,
it impacts a municipality's ability to pave and improve its streets.
"The budgets that people are voting on have a direct
impact on how well their roads are maintained, and how well during wintertime,
how those roads are plowed or salted, and that kind of really impacts the
longevity and quality of the roadways, town by town," Jackson said. And
the state also faces funding challenges as well.
Some of the roads on the list for the worst segments in
Connecticut include Cross Street and Wilton Avenue in Norwalk, State Street and
Perkins Street in Meriden, and Main Street in Hartford, according to data from
the Highway Performance Monitoring System.
The road quality data largely goes off of the International
Roughness Index, measuring the roughness of road surfaces. IRI data does not
include other roadway assessment factors, like rutting and cracking, the DOT
spokesman said. In addition, some of the IRI data dates back several
years, and roadway changes and improvements may have occurred since then.
EAST HARTFORD —
The town has finalized the sale of the former Showcase
Cinemas site on Silver Lane, paving the way for a $115 million
development project that will feature more than 300 new apartments and various
amenities.
The site had been dilapidated for years following the
closure of the movie theater and prior to the town agreeing to purchase the
property for $3.3 million in 2019.
Thanks in part to state
and local funding totaling $10 million, the site has since been
cleared and awaits development of a prime piece of real estate along Interstate
84.
Following the agreed purchase in 2019, the Town Council
unanimously approved the sale of the 25.6-acre parcel to developers Jasko
Zelman 1 LLC, which aims to transform the property into a destination dubbed
Concourse Park.
Plans call for a residential community featuring more than
300 apartments and amenities, such as a dog park, pool, clubhouse,
co-working center, and golf simulator.
Once completed, the property will fully return to to the
town's tax rolls for the first time since the movie theater closed.
"This marks a significant step for a project that
spanned three mayoral administrations," Mayor Connor Martin said.
"I'm thrilled to see continued momentum and the strong commitment from
Jasko Zelman."
The town will be sending out a bid for construction, and is
expecting groundbreaking next year, Martin said.
"This has been a marathon to get to this point, and
today we pause to reflect on the importance of this land transfer," he
said. "Concourse Park exemplifies the economic development renaissance
underway in East Hartford — the Silver Lane corridor is on track to become a
thriving commercial and residential hub for our town's future."
The final sale has been delayed for more than a year and a
half, as the closing was initially expected in September 2023.
Since then, the town and Capital Region Development
Authority worked to finalize the use of $10 million in public infrastructure
funding.
Under a revised agreement, the CRDA will oversee the use of
public funds for utility and infrastructure improvements, while the developers
are required to invest $10 million of their own and obtain certificates of
occupancy for at least 300 units by April 1, 2028.
Due to additional delays, the developers were charged two
months of penalties totaling $60,000. Of that, $45,000 will be credited toward
building fees and $15,000 will be deposited into East Hartford's general fund,
according to local officials.
East Hartford Director of Development Eileen Buckheit
praised the town's legislative delegation, Martin, former mayors, the CRDA, the
developers, and local leaders for the bringing the next step in redevelopment
to fruition.
"This project has only reached this critical milestone
because of the collaboration, persistence, and shared vision of all
involved," she said.
Construction to begin this summer on Mystic River Boathouse Park
Gianni Salisbury
Mystic — After almost 10 years of planning, setbacks and
surprises, the Town of Stonington has secured the funding needed to start
construction of the Mystic River Boathouse Park on Route 27.
The $5.3 million project, located next to the new Delamar
hotel and across the street from the former Rossie Mill, will feature a
boathouse, a rowing center and a park. The boathouse will feature two bays to
store rowing shells, oars, coach boats and equipment, while the second floor
will house a 4,500-square-foot training center with rowing machines and
strength training equipment.
Construction is set to begin next month and be completed by
May of 2026.
Following the approval of contracts to construct the park by
the Board of Selectman, the Board of Finance recently approved the remaining
funding for the project. The town is now waiting for the state Department of
Economic and Community Development to review the bid evaluations and
agreements. The contracts are anticipated to be finalized by June 30.
The town had $4.9 million for the project, including $2.7
million in federal and state grants, when the Board of Finance approved the
final $400,000 on June 4. Residents initially approved $2.2 million in bonding
for the project in 2016. The project was then delayed by the need to identify
and address contamination on the site, preserve a home on the property that is
part of a historic district and redesign the boathouse after residents
criticized its initial appearance.
First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough said this week that
it feels great to move forward with the project and she is proud of everyone
involved.
“It was such an amazing moment at the Board of Finance, and
everyone that came out to work on this. It’s been really meaningful to see how
much people have stuck with this project and just worked so hard. It’s because
they believe it’s a great community asset,” Chesebrough said.
While the town is developing and funding the park,
Stonington Community Rowing, Inc. has raised around $2 million to build the
boathouse, according to John Thornell, its director of rowing.
The boathouse will be used by the high school rowing program
and a community rowing program.
Nick Kepple, chairman of the Mystic River Boathouse Park
Implementation Committee, said he believes the collaboration will “create a
facility which will have a profoundly positive impact on our quality of life in
Stonington.”
Chesebrough explained the park will be a place that everyone
can use and enjoy, including the public.
In an announcement from the town, Leanne Theodore, the
town’s director of human services, stated her department is looking to partner
with local nonprofits in order to get people to use the boathouse and park.
“We are excited to begin to offer, and to partner with local
nonprofits, to expand riverfront access for youth, families, and residents of
all ages and backgrounds. This initiative reflects our commitment to inclusive,
community-centered recreation opportunities for everyone,” Theodore said.
For Chesebrough, she is eager for the town to be able to use
the park.
“We’re just really excited to be able to have it feel like a
great place for people to get outside and enjoy some access to the Mystic
River,” she said.
More information on the park can be found at www.stoningtoncommunityrowing.org.
Long-vacant CT nursing home site planned for 160 apartments. It’s been deteriorating for years.
Thirteen
years after the HealthBridge nursing home in Wethersfield shut down, a
developer is proposing to demolish the vacant building and put up 160
apartments.
The neary 11-acre property has
been fenced off and deteriorating for years, and town officials are excited
at the prospect of replacing an eyesore with an active use.
“This is great for the town, and Wethersfield needs the
housing,” Mayor Ken
Lesser said Monday.
Developer Joseph
Calafiore is proposing to construct three mid-rise buildings with
predominantly market-rate units, with a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom
units. Calafiore’s consultants contend it would mean a net fiscal improvement
for town, but did not project specific figures.
Calafiore’s 341 Jordan Lane Development LLC will
seek a zone change from the Planning and Zoning Commission; if it succeeds,
it will later put forward a more detailed site plan application. The zone
change hearing is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at town hall.
The project begins with razing the roughly
100,000-square-foot, single-floor building that’s been on the property since
1965, when it opened as the Jordan Lane Convalescent Hospital. The operation
went through a number of names and corporate affiliations over the next 40
years, and at one point had more than 300 beds and served as a significant
employer.
By 2010, it housed fewer than 180 patients and was posting
losses of more than $1 million a year. It shut down in 2012, and the building
has been problematic since, according to a 2023 lawsuit by 341 Jordan Lane
Development LLC that sought to oust the nursing home’s final corporate owner,
Wethersfield THCI Holding Co.
Trespassers had gotten inside, water had puddled in the
basement and exterior stairwells, the eaves were rotting, and “the building has
numerous broken windows and doors, some of which are boarded up,” Calafiore’s
business asserted in the suit.
Last year a judge directed Wethersfield THCI to remove any
remaining effects from the building and ordered 341 Jordan Lane Development to
the company $160,000. Months after the suit was settled, the new housing
complex application was submitted at town hall.
The plan is for two four-story buildings along Folly Brook
and a three-story building closer to Jordan Lane. In all, there would be 98
two-bedroom apartments with either 1,128 or 1,138 square feet; 48 one-bedroom
units of 743 square feet, and 14 studios with either 619 or 683 square feet.
The company said it would reserve about half of the property
as open space, and would have walking trails and other amenities.
Calafiore’s company would set aside eight apartments — or 5%
of the total — as “affordable” for the next 40 years.
In
an analysis, Town Planner David Elder noted the project reuses
property that’s already been cleared for dense multi-family development, and
that it is near transit routes. But he wrote that the company should provide
more details about how it concluded the project would be a net financial gain
for Wethersfield.
Elder also emphasized that a 5% set aside for affordable
housing is short of what Connecticut wants each community to achieve townwide.
“The town has made great strides and spent considerable
effort to comply with the state’s 10% affordable housing requirement,” Elder
wrote. “The application’s proposal for less than 10% of the units being
affordable means the town will need to compensate for these additional units
elsewhere, and puts the town in greater jeopardy for an 8-30g application.”