Constitution State News

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative John Larson (D-Conn.-01) announced a $19 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant for the City of Hartford’s North Main Street Streetscape and Multimodal Transportation Project. The funding will support streetscape improvements in Northeast Hartford to make it easier to walk or bike on North Main Street and better connect residents to employment, educational, and recreational opportunities.

“Inequitable development policies in the past effectively cut off parts of Hartford from other areas of the city, which has had a tremendously harmful impact on communities in Northeast Hartford. This significant federal funding to revitalize North Main Street will help reverse decades of underinvestment in the city, improve quality of life for its residents, and spur more economic development,” said Murphy.

“Connecticut’s pedestrian deaths are at an all-time high. Too many families have lost relatives and friends. This $19 million investment in one of the most underserved communities will help make critical safety improvements to Hartford’s roads. Road safety is an urgent crisis in Connecticut, and these significant funds will no doubt save lives and create a more vibrant and accessible community for all road users,” said Blumenthal.

“I am thrilled to join Senators Blumenthal and Murphy and Mayor Bronin to announce federal infrastructure funding we secured together to improve Hartford’s Northeast Neighborhood,” said Larson. “I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because of the unique opportunity we have to transform our region, including through efforts to reconnect neighborhoods like Hartford’s North End with the rest of the city, which has been a top priority of mine. The Streetscape Improvements Project will improve road conditions, help cut down on traffic congestion, and offer more reliable transit options to residents.” 

"This $19 million federal grant award is a huge victory for Hartford, and it means that we’ll soon have a more attractive, safer North Main Street through our northeast neighborhood," said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. "This project will make North Main Street more friendly for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike, and it will help support our small businesses by making the whole commercial corridor more beautiful and inviting. This was an extremely competitive process, and I’m grateful to our team for all the work they did to put together a winning application. I'm also incredibly grateful to Senator Murphy, Senator Blumenthal, and Congressman Larson for advocating for this funding, and to the Biden-Harris administration for their commitment to modernizing our nation’s infrastructure at every level."

The U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact.

Original source can be found here