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A road diet in East Haven created wider shoulders for walkers and bikers, and slowed down traffic, at low cost. (Click to view larger.) Six months ago, ConnDOT announced it would adopt several policies putting walkers and bikers on more equal footing with drivers. What’s happened since then? MTR recently spoke with agency staff [...] (Click to read.) Many governments in our region are leading the way on using complete streets laws and policies to ensure roads are designed for everyone who uses them. According to the National Complete Streets Coalition’s new report, Complete Streets Policy Analysis 2010: A Story of Growing Strength: Connecticut’s complete streets law is [...] Busway service would run on a 9.4-mile trunk line, with feeder service (not all of which is pictured here) from further away. After months of deliberation, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced today that his administration will “aggressively pursue construction” of the Hartford-New Britain Busway, one of the state’s most important transit projects. The Governor [...]
A new video from the Regional Plan Association previews central Connecticut’s transit future and what the completion of the state’s two major transit projects — the New Haven-Springfield commuter rail line and the Hartford-New Britain Busway — will mean for cities like Bristol and New Britain. Narrated by RPA’s David Kooris, [...] A grant program to help municipalities plan around transit will include towns on the Hartford-New Britain Busway. Pictured is an early concept for transit-oriented development on Ann Street in Hartford near Union Station, where the busway will stop. CT Governor Dan Malloy went to bat for transportation during his administration’s first Bond Commission [...]  Multiple lanes of fast-moving cars, destinations that draw foot traffic from surrounding areas, and scarce crosswalks or other pedestrian accommodations: The ingredients which make a deadly road for walkers are all present on Long Island's Hempstead Turnpike. For the third year in a row, Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County is the region’s most dangerous road for walking, according to Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s just-released Most Dangerous Roads for Walking report. Between 2007 and 2009, twelve pedestrians were killed on that 16-mile stretch of suburban highway cutting through Nassau County’s most densely populated towns. The victims included three seniors, and a pair of adult brothers. At four to six lanes across along most of its length, and lined with strip malls, fast food restaurants, and shopping centers, the Hempstead Turnpike serves as a perfect example of a wide suburban “arterial” road. In the tri-state region, nearly two-thirds (63%) of pedestrian fatalities occur on these types of roads. Manhattan’s Broadway ranked second in the Campaign’s report, with 11 fatalities over the three-year period. With the exception of one fatality near City Hall, all of the Broadway pedestrian deaths occurred in northern Manhattan, where the road handles two-way traffic. There were no fatalities along the stretches of Broadway that have been transformed through NYC Department of Transportation’s Green Light for Midtown program.  TSTC's Most Dangerous Roads for Walking report includes a ranking of roads in the region by number of pedestrian fatalities, fact sheets and Google Maps which break out the analysis by county, and recommendations for how to make roads safer. Click to read. The Campaign’s analysis found that the Burlington Pike (US-130) in Burlington County was the most dangerous road in New Jersey. Over three years, ten pedestrians were killed on the road. Like the Hempstead Turnpike, Burlington Pike is four to six lanes across most of the route’s 23 miles, with shops and retail destinations along both sides of the road, but few crosswalks. The Campaign’s findings confirm previous reports which concluded that road design — and in particular, the design of conventional arterials — is a primary contributor to pedestrian risk. With multiple lanes, long sightlines, and fewer interruptions from cross traffic or pedestrians, arterials encourage traffic to speed. Prevailing travel speeds on arterials tend to be upwards of 40 mph. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at this speeds has a dismal 15 percent chance of survival. Communities across the tri-state region are beginning to recognize the hazards of typical suburban-style road design. Connecticut has implemented a “Complete Streets” law requiring that new construction seek to accommodate the needs of all roads users. And late last year, outgoing governor Jodi Rell announced significant changes to ConnDOT’s bicycle and pedestrian policies aimed at improving the delivery and increasing the funding available for bicycle and pedestrian projects. New Jersey’s Department of Transportation has increased funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects and recently signed a Complete Streets policy. New York State has implemented a SafeSeniors program seeking to address pedestrian safety for older New Yorkers, and NYCDOT has emerged as a national leader in carving out safe public spaces for pedestrians and bicyclists. Elsewhere in downstate New York, at least six communities have adopted Complete Streets policies or resolutions. But with approximately 415 pedestrian killed on the region’s roadways every year, there’s still a long way to go. A good place to start would be for the New York State legislature to pass the critically-needed Complete Streets bill that has languished in Albany for nearly a year. Beyond that, the Campaign recommends that all three states in the region:
After the jump, the full ranking of the region’s most dangerous roads. Late last year, TSTC sent a letter to then Governor-elect Dannel Malloy outlining transportation priorities in Connecticut for 2011 and beyond. Much of the letter reiterated the issues that he himself supported in our 2010 gubernatorial survey, namely an emphasis on ‘fix-it-first,’ cycling and walking investments, and support for smart growth and transit-oriented development. Now that Gov. Malloy has taken office, we look forward to working with him to implement his vision.
 In November, then-Gov. Jodi Rell announced a package of biking and walking projects and policies. In 2010, Gov. Jodi Rell’s administration made good on earlier promises to emphasize transit in Connecticut, even as the state went through budget challenges similar to its neighbors. Both the Hartford-New Britain Busway and New Haven-Springfield Rail Line are close to construction, and they weren’t the only transit improvements the state realized in 2010. The state also made promising steps towards supporting biking and walking. In June, ConnDOT Commissioner Joseph Marie abruptly stepped down. But many of the priorities pushed by Marie continued through the rest of the year. Here are some of the themes from 2010: Transit Projects AdvanceThe Hartford-New Britain Busway got a huge boost in February, when the Federal Transit Administration recommended that the project receive a grant from the New Starts transit program. The FTA had been skeptical of ConnDOT’s commitment to the project in prior years, but the agency was able to turn around the project under Commissioner Marie. Despite some late opposition, the busway gained the support of multiple Chambers of Commerce, advocates, and House Speaker Chris Donovan. A “federal funding grant agreement” that will allow construction to proceed is expected later this year. The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Line benefited from ConnDOT’s repositioning of the project to qualify for high-speed rail funds (a path previously suggested by advocates). At the beginning of the year, the project was awarded $40 million in federal high-speed rail funds. The state stepped up for the project by bonding out $260 million in August, which was rewarded when the project won $121 million in high-speed rail money in October. The project is now on the cusp of a “near-term vision” to increase Amtrak service and introduce a new commuter rail system to Connecticut. Service to and from New London on the Shore Line East rail service was increased in May. Another long-time promise nearing fruition has been the delivery of new M8 rail cars to replace the ancient equipment on Metro-North’s New Haven Line. A last-minute glitch means the new cars will enter service in January, later than planned. Rail riders will surely appreciate the upgrade. For the most part, Connecticut transit agencies were able to avoid the giant fare hikes and service cuts of other states in the region. The Bridgeport Transit Authority raised fares in October, though this garnered little notice from politicians compared to the much larger outcry over relatively small fee increases on Metro-North. A Boost For Bikers and WalkersOne area that ConnDOT has historically neglected has been biking and walking projects. Early in the year, the agency showcased this deficiency yet again with a “blame the victim” response to a Tri-State report on pedestrian fatalities. The State Legislature fell just short of passing a “vulnerable users” bill that would have enhanced penalties for careless drivers who injure or kill walkers, bikers, emergency personnel, and others. But the state’s complete streets law, passed in 2009, went into full effect this year. And Gov. Rell and ConnDOT Acting Commissioner Jeff Parker closed the year by announcing a package of bike and pedestrian projects and policy reforms that will close gaps in the state’s nonmotorized trail network and increase ConnDOT’s commitment to sidewalks and urban bike projects. "As a state, we have made some progress in changing priorities to better incorporate and respond to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists," Gov. Rell said at a press conference on Friday. "However, the time has come to step up the pace." On Friday, outgoing Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced significant changes [...] An Amtrak train at Meriden station in Connecticut. Meriden would see improved intercity service and commuter service as part of the New Haven-Springfield rail project. Connecticut will receive $121 million in federal high-speed rail funding for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail project, putting the state within striking distance of its “near-term vision” for the project [...] |
 
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