Earlier this year, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced an initiative that would “draw on broad public input and result in a plan to transform transportation in Connecticut.” Acknowledging that the Nutmeg State’s transportation needs were moving away from just cars and highways toward walkable neighborhoods and healthy communities, the TransformCT initiative was launched in order to engage the public through meetings, surveys and opinion research as well as its interactive website.

Early input* confirms what state officials had surmised: that Connecticut residents want and need a more balanced transportation system that gives them more mobility options than they have today. The highest percentage (22 percent) of responses call for expanding transit and 17 percent of responses call for better operated and maintained roads. Pedestrian and bicycle improvements received the third largest share of responses (15 percent), and only 9 percent of respondents call for expanding roads.

TSTC’s analysis shows that Connecticut residents, like much of the rest of the country, are clamoring for increased transportation options, particularly pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Governor Malloy was on target when advancing the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Line and CTfastrak projects. However, with only 2 percent of the Connecticut State Transportation Improvement Program targeted toward walking and biking, Governor Malloy and ConnDOT must do more to fund this important infrastructure to improve safety, spur downtown economic development and respond to residents’ mobility needs and wants.

*Input was collected from responses to these four TransformCT questions (1, 2, 3, 4) which are now “closed”; comments and voting are no longer accepted for them.