Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is advancing its Greater Hartford Mobility Study, which is aimed at reimagining and reconnecting neighborhoods between Hartford and East Hartford.
The study was launched in 2020 as a community-driven vision for creating a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable multimodal transportation network. A final report will be released in November. Its goal is to improve the movement of people and goods, increase transportation options, accessibility, reliability, and safety, as well as accommodate future needs and emerging technologies, prioritize social equity, and minimize environmental impacts.
Governor Lamont said, “The Connecticut Department of Transportation has created a vision for the transportation future of the greater Hartford region. For too long, our national highway system has ripped cities in half, displacing communities and resources from one another. Through the Greater Hartford Mobility Study, the state – along with local, regional, and community partners – have taken a holistic look at how pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit users move through the city and in and out of the region, as well as how drivers navigate through the region. The future infrastructure and transportation projects coming out of the study will make our capital city economically vibrant and better connected within itself, to surrounding towns, and across the Connecticut River.”
Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said, “CTDOT is proud to advance our Greater Hartford Mobility Study that is planning for the future of Hartford and the Greater Hartford region. Our project team has directly connected with over 10,000 individuals, both at community events and in collaboration with Voices of Women of Color. We listened and learned from many communities that were disconnected by the existing infrastructure to identify problems and solutions. Each program component can create new connections to transform this region into one true modern metropolitan area. The study’s final report will outline the next steps CTDOT will take to mobilize early action projects and plan and design longer-term projects. We thank Governor Lamont, Connecticut’s Congressional delegation, and local officials from the Hartford region for continuing to be key partners in the vision to reconnect and reimagine our capital city for the future.”
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said, “This reimagining of Hartford’s highways has the power to transform the city and make the Greater Hartford area an even better place to live and work. Reconnecting neighborhoods that have long been cut off by the highways, streamlining transportation, and improving safety for all pedestrians and road users will both bolster economic development and improve quality of life for residents across the region. I applaud Governor Lamont and Commissioner Eucalitto for their bold vision and will continue to fight for federal funds to make their plan a reality.”
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said, “An upgrade to Hartford’s transportation system is long overdue. The Greater Hartford Mobility Study is an important tool to help CTDOT develop a plan that is safe for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, minimizes environmental impacts, and connects our communities – not displaces them. I’m glad to see this project move forward, and I look forward to seeing the final report soon.”
U.S. Representative John B. Larson (CT-01) said, “I applaud Governor Lamont and Commissioner Eucalitto for laying out a plan for the Greater Hartford region that has gone unaddressed for far too long. Moving forward with the Greater Hartford Mobility Study will allow CTDOT to hear timely input and further concerns from residents, especially as they relate to the isolation of North Hartford, the mix master in East Hartford, the aging levees along the Connecticut River, and how this plan connects the region intermodally. I look forward to hearing from the community and working with them toward a vision that corrects the planning mistakes of the past and advances the interests of our region during this critical next phase.”
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said, “One of the planning sins of the last century was to cut Hartford in half with I-84 and to cut Hartford off from the river with I-91, and the Greater Hartford Mobility Study seeks to heal those wounds. This is an ambitious and transformative vision to reconnect our neighborhoods and truly recapture the riverfront, while also building a safer, healthier, more connected, and greener region. There’s a long way to go in this process, including lots more planning and community engagement, but this is a really important step forward and I’m grateful to everyone who’s been a part of that work. I’m thankful to Governor Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Transportation for their commitment and for listening and engaging with thousands of our residents, and thankful also to Congressman Larson, who has been a tireless advocate for this kind of transformative vision. We look forward to continuing to work closely with CTDOT so we move this work forward in the years ahead.”
East Hartford Mayor Michael P. Walsh said, “For East Hartford, this study is step one in the development connection of East Hartford to Hartford along the river. In particular, the study articulates an impressive vision, including the design of a new multiuse bridge over the Connecticut River with bicycle and pedestrian amenities between the Whitehead Highway and Riverfront Boulevard intersection in Hartford and East River Drive in East Hartford. This study looks into the future creating a vibrant plan of infrastructure improvement that benefits the region, and in particular East Hartford.”
Matt Hart, executive director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), said, “We are pleased to see the Greater Hartford Mobility Study advance from the Planning and Environmental Linkages Study to the National and Connecticut Environmental Policy Act review phase. We appreciate the transformative nature of the Mobility Study and its many potential benefits for the region and our state. We look forward to a comprehensive analysis of project benefits and impacts in the upcoming planning and review phases to enable our team to continue to properly advise CRCOG’s Policy Board, which serves as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater Hartford area.”
Charles Teale, advocate and retired chief of the Hartford Fire Department, said, “I have truly appreciated the manner in which the Connecticut Department of Transportation has worked with the Voices of the Women of Color and the community they represent in the Greater Hartford Mobility Study. As a resident born and raised in the city of Hartford, I have witnessed firsthand the calamitous outcome that accompanies transportation and infrastructure projects lacking participation of community residents it will impact during the planning stages. The continuous cycle of conversation, outreach, and engagement will be beneficial to the residents of this area for decades, and even centuries to come.”
The Greater Hartford Mobility Study is organized into four major program components:
- CityLink West addresses safety, reduces the number of ramps in the Study Core, and improves connectivity between neighborhoods and green spaces/parks. Lowering the highway would link neighborhoods currently severed by the highway and create additional developable land while improving rail and bus service that share the corridor.
- CityLink East proposes to mitigate highway congestion in downtown Hartford by relocating the I-84/I-91 interchange and creating a new bridge connecting I-84 and Route 2 in East Hartford. This redesign would separate local and highway traffic and reclaim the historic Bulkeley Bridge for local traffic, including opportunities for dedicated high-capacity transit facilities, separated bike lanes, and improve sidewalks.
- River Gateway connects Hartford’s central business district with the Connecticut River. It allows for equitable access to green space, would mitigate some of the visual and noise impacts of I-91, and create an urban boulevard to strengthen local travel options. In addition, a new bridge would connect the Sheldon/Charter Oak neighborhood with a new, river-oriented, mid-rise neighborhood in East Hartford. The bridge would prioritize bus, bicycle, and pedestrian travel while accommodating automobile traffic.
- Founders Gateway proposes to consolidate the I-84/Route 2 interchange ramps in East Hartford. It would open significant acres of land to potential development and provide opportunities to strengthen the local street grid.
Several early action projects would be implemented within the next five years for the traveling public to reap the benefits of improved mobility and safety while the four major components of the program undergo National and Connecticut Environmental Policy Act reviews.
The Greater Hartford Mobility Study utilizes a planning process known as a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study. The Federal Highway Administration encourages PEL use as it considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in transportation planning. CTDOT may adopt or incorporate Planning Products from this PEL Study into a federal or state environmental review process, pursuant to Title 23 U.S.C. § 168(d)(4). The project is formally identified as State Project No. 0063-0716.
For more information about the Greater Hartford Mobility Study, visit hartfordmobility.com.