Month: March 2023

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) released its five-year Capital Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027, outlining the implementation of funding, policies, and programs from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). CTDOT developed the Capital Plan with feedback from stakeholders, including the state’s Councils of Government (COGs).

The historic federal investment and ongoing robust state-funded programs will move Connecticut forward in reducing transportation emissions and accelerating investments in a safer, more equitable, and sustainable transportation system that is easier to use for all residents.

CTDOT will be presenting the Capital Plan at a public hearing with the Joint Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Transportation Bonding Subcommittee, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Visit cga.ct.gov for meeting room and livestreaming information.

“Connecticut’s residents and visitors will see a lot more orange cones across the state in the coming years,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Over the last decade, CTDOT’s capital investments in our infrastructure have increased and will continue to grow. Most of these projects are being done with an eye towards making it safer and easier to get to where you are going. We will continue to prioritize roadways, bridges, and rail stations based on where repairs are most needed. Our broader goals continue to be reconnecting communities, and creating a more accessible, sustainable, and safe transportation infrastructure for all users in our state.”

CTDOT anticipates utilizing approximately $2.2 billion in total capital funding for all transportation modes in FY23. The 2023 Capital Program includes approximately:

• $850 million for bus and rail
• $1.3 billion for roadway and bridge infrastructure
• $50 million to support renovating transportation facilities across the state

Despite challenges with inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions, CTDOT continues to expedite active projects and initiate new projects to obligate the increased available funding.

Approximately $1.37 billion worth of projects are being accelerated, including:

• Improvements to the I-91/I-691/Route 15 Interchange in Meriden
• Reconfiguration of the Route 17 On-Ramp onto Route 9 North in Middletown
• Resurfacing and safety improvements on I-95 in Stamford
• Rehabilitation and replacement of ten bridges along Route 9 and Route 72 in Berlin, New Britain, and Plainville
• New Haven Line track mobility improvements between Bridgeport and Stratford

IIJA makes more than $100 billion in competitive federal grants available for Connecticut to pursue. CTDOT applied for and received approximately $229.2 million in discretionary funding in 2022. Many grants are available for COGs and municipalities to apply for—in 2022, six municipalities received a total of $2.4 million through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.

Wrong-way driving occurrences on Connecticut’s highways have increased by 500%, often with tragic consequences. CTDOT received $20 million in state bond funding to address this dangerous trend by installing wrong-way detection systems. Ten detection systems are active, with seven additional locations coming online in the coming months. CTDOT is going to install 16 additional systems in 2023 and has launched a new, impactful public awareness campaign on the dangers of wrong-way driving.

CTDOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program recently announced the next grant solicitation for municipalities and anticipates awarding $12 million in 2023 to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians across the state. CTDOT is also updating its Complete Streets Policy in 2023 to include more standard requirements for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit safety provisions for the project design process.

CTDOT is working with the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center at the University of Connecticut to develop a safety management software system, allowing screening and diagnosis of roadway and safety improvements. This software will be used in Connecticut’s completion of a vulnerable road user safety assessment in 2023 required through IIJA.

Connecticut will receive additional formula funding to meet transportation sustainability goals for FY 2023 for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI), Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT), and Carbon Reduction programs. CTDOT will continue a phased approach in FY 2023 while planning for the longer term (FY24-26) as additional guidance from federal partners is released.

CTDOT will continue its focus on several Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies—a process approach that considers environmental, community, and economic goals in the very early planning phase of a transportation program or project. The public is encouraged to follow the studies’ progress and participate in ongoing public engagement activities.

CTDOT PEL studies currently underway include:

• Greater Hartford Mobility Study
• New Mix Waterbury
• I-95 Stamford
• I-95 Eastern Connecticut from Branford to Rhode Island

This press release was made possible by:

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is launching a payment pilot program for all CTtransit and CTfastrak customers on April 1. The pilot program, launched in partnership with Token Transit, will allow customers to buy two-hour Adult, Senior/Disabled, and Youth bus passes for all local CTtransit and CTfastrak buses on their smartphones.

To use Token Transit, customers can download the Token Transit mobile app or use Transit App, Moovit, Agile Mile, or Google Maps, which are all integrated with Token Transit.

Here’s how it works:

• As buses approach, customers who purchased passes via Token Transit will be able to open their app and tap on the pass to activate it.
• The two-hour time period for which the ticket is available begins once the pass is activated.
• Once on the bus, customers should follow the instructions in the app to validate the ticket and show the bus operator.

“We’ve heard from the public that they want easier and more accessible payment methods. The partnership with Token Transit allows customers to pay via apps they already use on their devices. Riders will no longer have to worry about finding exact change to ride the bus or losing a paper ticket,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “This pilot program will give our customers more freedom in paying for their bus fares. Along with the statewide bus service expansion included in Governor Lamont’s proposed budget, this will help us to modernize Connecticut’s public transportation system.”

All CTfastrak and CTtransit local buses will accept Token Transit, including the Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford Divisions, as well as CTtransit in Bristol, Meriden, New Britain, Wallingford, and Waterbury.

CTtransit Express buses are not currently included as part of this pilot program. Any customer who uses Token Transit on a CTtransit local bus and transfers to a CTtransit Express bus will need to pay the difference in fares with cash at the farebox of the express bus.   

Here’s what passengers need to know when using Token Transit:

• Passengers will need a mobile device with an internet connection to purchase and activate passes. The mobile ticketing technology works for iOS and Android devices.
• Purchased passes can be used immediately or stored for future rides. Fares purchased on Token Transit never expire.
• Passes can also be sent to any phone number, allowing customers to instantly deliver bus passes to family and friends.
• If passengers need to transfer to another bus operated by another participating Connecticut transit agency, they can request a paper transfer upon boarding the initial CTtransit or CTfastrak bus. For a list of the transit agencies that accept transfers from CTtransit and CTfastrak, please visit CTtransit.com/fares/transfers.
• Several security features are used to prevent fraud, including moving imagery to prevent screenshots and a current time ticker to prevent screen recordings.

In Connecticut, 9-Town Transit, Middletown Area Transit (MAT), Southeast Area Transit (SEAT), and Windham Regional Transit District (WRTD) have already begun successfully offering their customers the choice to use Token Transit to pay for fares. With Token Transit as an option, all existing fare payment options will continue to be offered.

“Estuary and Middletown Transit Districts partnered with Token Transit in October 2020 to provide customers with a contactless form of payment during the pandemic,” said Estuary and Middletown Transit Executive Director Joe Comerford. “Token Transit was quick to get up and running, and it was easy to train our team. Customers have found the app straightforward, and their integrations with other widely used apps make fare payment more accessible than ever.”

CTtransit and CTfastrak Customers can use Token Transit to purchase a two-hour pass for $1.75. For seniors (ages 65+) and people with disabilities, the cost is $0.85. A two-hour pass for youth ages five through 18 is $1.40. Children four years old and younger can ride free, with a maximum of three free children per fare-paying adult. Any person seeking a reduced fare must have either a Medicare I.D. card or a Transit Reduced Fare photo I.D. card.

The Go CT card will continue to be available to CTtransit and CTfastrak customers and will use a system called Fare Capping to calculate their fares and pay the lowest possible price with no guesswork for the user.

Token Transit partners with 143 other United States and Canada transit agencies.

For more information, help planning a trip, and a list of routes, visit CTtransit.com.

This press release was made possible by:

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to a new Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering issued by the American Gaming Association (AGA), which includes a prohibition on college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports wagering activity:

“The American Gaming Association’s new sports betting code of conduct is a serious effort to protect young people from gambling addiction. I applaud AGA for seeking to set meaningful industry standards that specifically prohibit college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports betting. Unfortunately, the benefits of this new code are limited given that not all sports betting companies – in fact, many of the largest ones – aren’t members of the AGA and don’t abide by their standards. Caesars’ irresponsible – and on occasion, potentially illegal – marketing to college students through their schools remains entirely unacceptable. I look forward to learning more from the schools themselves about what outreach they’ve received from sports betting companies, particularly in light of AGA’s new industry standards that make clear that any sports betting partnerships with schools is unacceptable.”

Yesterday, Blumenthal wrote to colleges and universities with the top revenue generating basketball and football programs in the United States, seeking information about possible partnerships with sports betting companies and urging the schools to consider the serious risks on-campus sports betting poses to students. Blumenthal discussed the letters on Monday at an event with the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling in Hartford, Connecticut.

“Universities, and their athletic departments, have a duty first and foremost to protect student health. Certain factors – such as their age, stress, and past substance abuse or depression histories – make students especially vulnerable to gambling addiction,” wrote Blumenthal. “Experts have said that it can be difficult for young people to recognize their inability to gamble responsibly, so it is deeply concerning that universities are willing to partner with sports betting companies.”

In November, Blumenthal wrote Caesars Sportsbook & Casino urging the company to “end its practice of targeting colleges and universities, discontinue any existing partnerships with schools, and abide by industry standards that prohibit marketing to college students.” Blumenthal also wrote the American Gaming Association (AGA), which has established standards that explicitly prohibit advertising sports wagering on college or university campuses as well as in college- or university-affiliated news assets.

Blumenthal’s letters follow increased reporting about the ways that sports betting companies are partnering with colleges and universities to target students with online gambling advertisements. For example, in 2021, after Louisiana State University signed a deal with Caesars, the university sent a campus-wide email encouraging students to “place your first bet (and earn your first bonus).” As Blumenthal noted in his letter to the AGA, “experts have said that it can be difficult for young people to recognize their inability to gamble responsibly, which could lead to serious mental and financial consequences.”

This press release was made possible by: