The Connecticut Transportation Committee is set to hear testimony on a “Complete Streets” bill (SB 735) on Wednesday, March 11 at 10 am at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

The legislation requires that any funds received by ConnDOT or municipality for “the construction, resurfacing, restoration, rehabilitation or relocation of highways, roads or streets, a reasonable amount shall be expended to provide facilities for all users including, but not limited to, bikeways and sidewalks with appropriate curb cuts and ramps.” The legislation also requires that at least one percent of these funds (and 25% of certain federal grants) be dedicated to bike, pedestrian, and transit access projects and explicitly outlines only three exemptions where complete streets do not have to be implemented, all good components of effective legislation.

The legislation stems from a movement throughout the state, highlighted most prominently by the recent passage of Complete Streets legislation in the City of New Haven.  Tri-State became involved in the push to enact Complete Streets in the New Haven effort and on a statewide level at the 1000 Friends of Connecticut Smart Growth Conference last fall.

While championed by Transportation Committee Chairs Representative Tony Guerrera and State Senator Don DeFronzo, as well as other elected officials like Reps. Thomas Kehoe and David McCluskey, the legislation still faces an uphill battle.

One fear is that the legislative language will be watered down to make the inclusion of complete streets optional with little to no oversight of the “opt out” process.  There will be opportunities to testify in favor of the proposed legislation at the hearing; written testimony can be sent to the Transportation Committee and individual members of the Committee can be contacted through the Committee’s website.

For more information on complete streets, visit the National Complete Streets Coalition or TSTC’s Biking and Walking issue page.