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News Briefs

Envisioning a brighter future for Colony Street in Meriden

Posted February 5^th – With a future increase in NHHS rail service likely to lead to more pedestrian activity in the downtown, the City of Meriden has developed a vision for  revitalizing Colony Street with a new transit oriented district and a new train station. Read full article and view video.  

City of Meriden Transit Oriented Development Website

To capitalize on the benefits of increased train service with the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program, the City of Meriden has developed a plan for a transit oriented development district including a new Intermodal Center in downtown Meriden. The City’s TOD website provides the design concepts, market assessment and recent presentations prepared for this project. View the website.

Connecticut Must Focus its Transportation Needs, Advocates Say

Posted January 20 - The “Connecticut’s Transportation Future” forum, organized by the Transit for Connecticut Coalition, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, brought together more than 100 people to hear presentations by former Department of Transportation Commissioner Emil Frankel, current DOT Commissioner James Redeker, U.S. Reps. John Larson, D-1, and Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and a panel discussion featuring five state legislators and Don Shubert of the Keep CT Moving advocacy group. Read the complete article in the New Haven Register.

Residential Focus Questioned as Meriden Transit Center Plan Airs

Posted January 18^th – The City of Meriden is hosting a series of meetings to introduce city officials and community leaders to plans for a multi-modal transportation hub and transit oriented development that builds on the NHHS Rail improvements. Read the complete article in the Record Journal. 

Malloy: Integrated Effort Needed to Repair Transportation Infrastructure

Posted January 15^th – Governor Malloy describes how the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program is part of a long term solution to traffic along the I-91 corridor and how interconnections of NHHS Rail and other key projects will strengthen Connecticut’s transportation system. Read the complete article in the Hartford Courant. 

Plan to Renovate Old Kensington School for Housing

Posted January 10^th – The Metro Realty Group LTD, of Farmington, has submitted a proposal to the Town of Berlin for the adaptive reuse of the former Kensington Grammar School which is located near the Berlin train station. The project will reinforce the Town’s initiative to redevelop the area around the train station as a mixed use, transit oriented village. Read the complete article in the Record Journal. 

Connecticut: One of the Best Places --- and one of the worst

December 26, 2011 – While Connecticut ranks among the top states in income and quality of life, the state’s higher than average housing and utility costs as well as sparse public transportation make living here more difficult for those with low and moderate incomes. It is critical to get the New Britain-Hartford Busway and the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program running to correct this imbalance and improve the quality of life for everyone. Read the full article in the Hartford Courant.

Will Meriden crosstown traffic be two-way again?

December 26, 2011 – The City of Meriden is developing plans to restore two-way traffic in downtown to improve the traffic pattern and enhance access to businesses. The traffic improvements are part of the City’s plan to create a “transit-oriented district” around a new train station on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail line. Read the full article in the Record Journal.

A farewell to Factory H in Meriden

Posted December 21 – At a ceremonial ribbon cutting yesterday, Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde marked the beginning of demolition activities at the Factory H site behind 116 Cook Avenue in Meriden.  Mayor Rohde said, “This is the start of something amazing.  This is a huge transformational project for Meriden.”  Redevelopment of the Factory H site is part of the City’s plan to develop a transit-oriented development district related to the NHHS Rail Program. Read the full article in the Record Journal.

Factory H Demolition in Meriden to Begin Soon

December 8, 2011 – The City of Meriden announced plans for a kick-off event for the redevelopment of the Factory H building site, which is located near the Meriden train station and is part of the Transit-Oriented Development District. Demolition activities at the old Factory H building are scheduled for December 20, 2011. Read the Record Journal article. See the announcement on the City of Meriden’s website.

Congressional High-Speed Rail Hearing Misses the Point

December 6, 2011 – The Transportation & Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives held a hearing on December 6^th to evaluate the U.S. Department of Transportation's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Members and witnesses outlined growing concerns with the Obama Administration’s high-speed rail program. Read more about the hearing.

On December 7^th, the America 2050 website posted a response stating that “The concerns that were voiced at the hearing missed the point of this critical program -- which is not only to build new high-speed rail corridors, but to expand and improve service on existing passenger rail corridors -- by focusing excessively on whether funded projects are truly 'high-speed.'" The America 2050 response also states that the high-speed rail program includes a variety of passenger rail services operating at different speeds, which meet the needs of local communities, connected at intermodal stations integrated with other transit services. Higher-speed regional trains supporting smaller regions and emerging markets, supported by local transit service, act as feeder routes for core, dedicated, high-speed rail. Read more on America 2050’s website.

$500,000 Grant Awarded to Fix Future Police Station Site

December 2, 2011 - The town of Berlin has been awarded a $500,000 Regional Brownfield Development Grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development for the remediation and redevelopment of 889 Farmington Avenue, which is located next to the town’s future police station and within 50 feet of the Berlin train station. The redevelopment of this property is a critical part of the town’s effort to revitalize the area near the train station. The grant will provide funds to demolish blighted buildings and undertake environmental remediation to prepare the site for future development. Read the full article in The Berlin Citizen. 

Connecticut Officials Remain Confident in Rail Project

Posted on November 23, 2011 – The NHHS program remains on track despite the current debate in Washington on funding for President Obama’s rail initiative. The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail program has already received funding to launch service in 2016.  John Bernick, CTDOT Project Manager, said that the state will continue to seek future funding to complete the upgrades to Springfield. Read the full article in the Hartford Courant. Read the full article in the Record Journal.

Gov. Malloy Announces Approval of $275 Million in Federal Transit Funds for New Britain-Hartford Bus Rapid Transit Project

Posted on November 21, 2011 – Governor Dannel Malloy and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff announced the approval of $275 million in federal transit funds for the construction of the New Britain-Hartford Busway project.  The project, which will connect New Britain and Hartford with stops at 11 stations, will improve access along the corridor, reduce travel times, and provide connections to the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail corridor at Hartford Union Station and Newington Junction. Construction of the Busway project is expected to begin in the spring of 2012 with service starting in 2014. Read the full press release.

Hartford Will Acquire Capitol West Building near Union Station

Posted on November 19, 2011 – The abandoned Capitol West building on Myrtle Street in Hartford will be acquired by the City for $1.7 million. The site, now an eyesore, is located near Hartford’s Union Station, which will be the focal point of three planned transportation projects: the Hub of Hartford project, the New Britain-Hartford Busway, and the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail program. Creating and coordinating these transportation projects with proper planning at the Capitol West site is vital to the city’s future. Read the full article in the Hartford Courant.

Plans for Meriden’s Downtown Transit-Oriented District Unveiled at Public Meeting

On November 10, the City of Meriden held a public meeting to discuss the future of the city’s downtown Transit-Oriented District. Major plans proposed for the area include the possibility of two-way traffic returning to downtown, the transformation of the HUB site into a 14.4-acre park, significantly enhanced passenger rail service, and associated transit-oriented development. John Bernick, CTDOT Project Manager, briefed the audience on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program, which will bring increased train service and a new intermodal station to Meriden.  The program is on track to launch new rail service in 2016. View the presentation. Read the article in the Meriden Patch.

Congressman John Mica: Northeast Corridor A High-Speed Rail Priority To Include Amtrak Participation

November 8 -  Speaking on Tuesday at the U.S. High Speed Rail Association conference in Manhattan, Congressman John Mica (R-FL), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said that the Northeast Corridor is the nation’s best chance for a viable high-speed rail success. “Any further money for high-speed rail needs to solely come to the Northeast Corridor,“ said Mica, who pledged to direct any rejected high-speed rail money to the Boston-to-Washington corridor. Reversing his earlier position on privatizing the Northeast Corridor, Mica stated: “I’m willing to have Amtrak be a full participant in this process.” Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) also spoke at the conference and said “there is widespread agreement that some sort of private capital can be brought into this, but I think – I hope – we have agreement that Amtrak has to be the main vehicle for it.” View the complete article in Transportation Nation.

Revised Schedule for Release of NHHS Environmental Assessment

CTDOT, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), has revised the schedule for release of the Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Evaluation (EA/EIE) to allow time for additional technical and legal sufficiency reviews.  This includes development of a Memorandum of Agreement with the State Historic Preservation Officer regarding upgrades to historic bridges and culverts, as well as work with Amtrak to minimize impacts on adjacent wetland areas.  The Draft EA/EIE, which is being prepared by CDM/Wilbur Smith, is now scheduled to be submitted for FRA and FTA review in December. Following approval by FRA and FTA, the EA is scheduled to be published in February.  Public Hearings will follow and are now planned for mid-March 2012.  The additional 3-4 months in the environmental review schedule will have no impact on the design or construction of the project. The 2016 target date for the launch of service is unchanged.

"Economic Opportunities" Conference Explores NHHS Rail Corridor Strategies

October 26 – The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Project: Opportunities for Economic Growth Conference co-sponsored by the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Regional Plan Association and America 2050 yesterday brought together 80 business leaders and local officials to discuss strategies for capturing the economic benefits of planned improvements for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Corridor. Speakers, including CTDOT Commissioner Jim Redeker, delivered the message that steps can be taken today to take full advantage of this transportation investment and that the region can leverage this improved rail service to spur economic development and generate jobs. Read the article in Hartford Courant. Watch a video of the conference on Connecticut Network.

View presentations made by: 

Kip Bergstrom, Deputy Commissioner, CT DECD
Mark Briggs , Vice President, Finance & Investment Director for Parsons Brinckerhoff
Steve Fitzroy , Economic Development Research Group, Inc.
Dan Hodge , HDR Decision Economics
David Kooris , Vice President and CT Director Regional Plan Association
Tom Maziarz , CT DOT, Bureau of Policy & Planning

Dependable Rail in 2016: What will it mean for the Knowledge Corridor?

October 25 - The Regional Plan Association released a new report focused on strategies for leveraging public investments in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail improvements to achieve economic growth. The new report title, “Dependable Rail in 2016: what will it Mean for the Knowledge Corridor Region?” includes lessons from successful passenger rail corridors. View the report at: http://www.rpa.org/

NHHS Update on The Citizen Mike Show

On October 6th, The Citizen Mike Show included an update on the NHHS Rail Program.  John Bernick, CTDOT’s Project Manager, indicated that funding has been committed or awarded to launch the new rail service in 2016. View the show: WPAA-TV, Video On Demand

Malloy Administration Approves $5 Million for Local ‘Transit-Oriented Development’ Projects

October 13th  - Governor Malloy announced the award of $5 million in funding to 11 communities around the state for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) projects. Five of the communities to receive funding are located in the NHHS Rail corridor including Hartford, New Haven, Meriden, Windsor and Windsor Locks. The funding will support planning for development around station areas on the New Haven-Hartford- Springfield Rail corridor and is aimed at fostering economic development in these communities and throughout the region.

Read Full Press Release   
Read related articles in the My Record Journal and the New Haven Independent

Windsor Locks - Saving Our Main Street

The Town of Windsor Locks has produced a video promoting the relocation of the Windsor Locks Amtrak Station from the south end of Main Street back to the downtown district. This video describes how moving the station will provide a catalyst for the revitalization of Main Street in Windsor Locks. View the video.

Governor Malloy Announced Release of $30 Million in Federal Funds for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Passenger Rail Corridor

Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced on Monday the release of $30 million in federal funding for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield passenger rail corridor.  The Federal Railroad Administration announced in May that Connecticut would receive $30 million of the $2 billion in federal funding that the state of Florida had declined.

"Improving passenger rail service - and our overall transportation network - is one of the keys to improving our economy and our business climate," said Governor Malloy.  "We were aggressive in pursuing these federal funds and I thank President Obama, Secretary LaHood, and our Congressional Delegation for helping us make our vision of higher speed rail a reality.  Upon completion, this rail line will have a direct and immediate impact on congestion through the I-91 corridor, a benefit for Connecticut and all of our Northeast neighbors."   View the complete text of the Governor's press release    Read complete article in the New Haven Register

"Citizen Mike Show" Focuses on NHHS Rail Project

On September 1st , John Bernick was interviewed on the Citizen Mike Show about the NHHS Rail project and plans for the rail station. View a video of the interview.

John Bernick Meets with Judd Square Residents

As a follow-up to the August 4th public information meeting in Wallingford, John Bernick, CTDOT Project Manager for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail project met with Judd Square residents on August 22nd to discuss a proposed plan to locate the Wallingford rail station in Judd Square. View the draft plan, developed with input received in these public meetings.

Town of Windsor Locks to Hold Public Meeting on September 20th

A Public Information Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Windsor Locks High School Auditorium to discuss proposed plans to relocate the existing train stop from its current location to downtown Windsor Locks.  John Bernick, CTDOT Project Manager for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Project will provide an overview of the project and discuss the proposed plans to relocate the station.Get additional information

NHHS Rail Project’s Potential for Economic Benefits

Posted on August 18, 2011 - The economic benefits of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail project are the focus of the article "Knowledge Corridor – On Track" in the current issue of Connecticut Planning. The article relays the highlights of the Regional Planning Association sponsored forum "Dependable Rail – What it will Mean for the Knowledge Corridor" that brought together experts from rail corridors in California, Pennsylvania, Maine and Massachusetts in June to share strategies for capturing the economic benefits that enhanced rail service offers.

The Town of Wallingford invited CTDOT Project Manager John Bernick to brief the community on plans for expanding passenger rail service on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail line

August 4, 2011 - Mr. Bernick provided an overview of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail project and options for relocating Wallingford’s rail station. The present station location at Hall and Quinnipiac Avenues is not feasible for high level platforms needed to accommodate accessibility, as required by ADA, and facilitate passenger boarding. Sites under consideration for relocating the station include Judd Square and North Cherry Street.

In the discussion following the presentation, comments from residents, business owners and public officials addressed a wide range of topics, including questions about potential traffic delays, emergency access, and noise impacts. Support was also expressed for the project’s potential to spur economic development and provide long term benefits for the town. Mr. Bernick emphasized that a Safety and Security Plan will be prepared to plan for emergency response situations and emergency access routes. Planned improvements at grade crossings will make the town eligible to apply for "Quiet Zone" designation, which does not require horn blowing at grade crossings under FRA regulations.

Mr. Bernick explained that this was only the first in a series of meetings CTDOT intends to hold to discuss options and gather public comments before making a final decision on the station location. View the Presentation Read the article in the New Haven Register