The Connecticut Department of Transportation is allowing the public a chance to weigh in on its envision to reshape transportation in the Greater Hartford area.  The changes would create new opportunities for redevelopment and recreation, both in Hartford and East Hartford.

Two meetings are scheduled to inform the public and garner public opinion as they explore the components of the Greater Hartford Mobility Study. The first meeting will be held at the Chrysalis Center on Homestead Avenue on  Thursday, November 9, and the second meeting will be at the Cultural Community Center, Chapman Place in East Hartford, on  Thursday, November 16.  Both meetings will convene at 6 PM and end at 8 PM.

In both meetings, the study team will host an open house from 6 PM through 7 PM with displays and allow the public a chance to speak with members of the team. At 7 PM there will be a formal presentation outlining the next steps, including state and federal environmental reviews, after which there will be time allotted for questions and answers.

The recommendations outlined in the mobility study report are in the earliest stages, developed partly via discussion with local officials, and neighborhood groups. However, there are hurdles in terms of federal environmental assessments and securing financing that must be cleared for the larger projects, as reported by the Courant.

The center of the study has four major highway projects including the addition of two bridges over the Connecticut River to ease traffic congestion and restore connections between Hartford and East Hartford communities. The plan would include:  relocating the I91/I84,  lowering I84 as it passes through Hartford, rail, bus, and pedestrian access, plus dozens of smaller projects that would start long before the big-ticket highway improvements, maybe within the next five years. The projects could take decades to complete and cost more than $10 billion.

According to the Courant, Kevin J. Burnham, a supervising engineer at the DOT, said “These public information meetings for the Greater Hartford Mobility Study are one of the many ways we are reaching out to community members and stakeholders to both inform and gather feedback about each component of the study.”

Members of the public are encouraged to sign up to receive email updates and provide study comments on the website.  For additional information access the Hartford Courant or follow the Greater Hartford Mobility Study on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Source: Kenneth R. Gosselin | kgosselin@courant.com| Hartford Courant, November 7, 2023.