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For Immediate Release
June 14, 2006 |
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Fourth District Receives $6.05
Million in Funding For Transportation and Infrastructure Improvements
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives
today passed H.R. 5576, the House FY 07 Transportation, Treasury
and Housing Appropriations, which contains $6.05 million for
transportation and infrastructure development projects in
the Fourth District. Under the bill, Bridgeport is slated
for $2.55 million; Norwalk will receive $2 million; and Stamford
$1.5 million. The bipartisan bill passed by a vote of 406
to 22.
“Each of the cities in the Fourth District has identified
transportation and economic development needs that will help
them work more efficiently and serve residents better,”
Shays said. “This funding will help our urban areas
meet those needs, improving the transportation infrastructure
commuters use every day and encouraging economic development
in the heart of the cities.”
All projects were requested by each city with the endorsement
of each Mayor.
Bridgeport - $2.55 million
Charles Smith EDI: $300,000
The funding will be used to support building a supermarket,
retail stores and a bank as part of the East End Neighborhood
Revitalization Zone's Stratford Avenue Corridor Improvement
Project, to encourage urban growth and revitalization. This
project has received $600,000 in federal funding previously.
Bridgeport Intermodal Center: $1.25 million
The funding will support construction of Phase 2b of the
Bridgeport Intermodal Center – the train station. Phase
1, which was to construct a transit garage, has been completed.
Phase 2a, which is a bus station, broke ground last month
and is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2007. The project
has received $56.5 million in federal funding to date.
Seaview Avenue Corridor Project: $1 million
The funding will support the work to provide access to the
1,000 acres of industrially-zoned land called Lake Success
Business Park, one of the areas Bridgeport intends to redevelop
as part of its economic development strategy. Access will
be provided via the Seaview Avenue Industrial Corridor, which
is a four-lane north-south arterial roadway intended to enable
convenient access from a newly-constructed I-95 interchange
to the 335-acre Lake Success Business Park while, at the same
time, improving development opportunities along the 2-mile
corridor and preventing added disturbance of adjacent residential
areas. Bridgeport has received $11.25 million in previous
federal funding for this project.
Norwalk - $2 million
South Norwalk Intermodal Center: $1 million
The funding will support the South Norwalk Railroad Station
Intermodal Passenger facility, which attempts to improve the
commuter connections for passengers from the train station
to Norwalk's corporate employment centers and transit-oriented
development in the surrounding area. The federal government
has provided $1 million in for this project in past funding
cycles.
Norwalk West Avenue Redevelopment: $1 million
Funding will go towards the West Avenue Corridor Municipal
Development Area Academy Street Extension, which is part of
a larger downtown redevelopment project the City of Norwalk
is undertaking. It will include road improvements, housing,
and economic development. This project received $2 million
in the High Priority Projects of SAFETEA-LU.
Stamford - $1.5 million
Stamford Rail Underpass Project: $1.5 million
These funds will go for the Stamford Railroad Underpass and
Route 1 Realignment Project. This is a four-phase project
to widen and increase the vertical clearance of four constrained
railroad underpasses, and make associated roadway improvements
in order to allow full utilization of the Stamford Rail Transportation
Center and reduce traffic congestion on I-95. The four underpasses
- the Atlantic Street Railroad Underpass, the Route 1 Underpass
and Road Realignment, the Elm Street Railroad Underpass and
the Canal Street Railroad Underpass - are too narrow, too
low and severely constricted, operating at an undesirable
level of service and causing major traffic disruption in the
urban area and around the Stamford Transportation Center.
This project received $8.8 million in the High Priority Projects
of SAFETEA-LU.
As a result of the passage of SAFETEA-LU in 2005, Connecticut
will receive an estimated $495 million in formula funding
for highways and $116 million for transit from the federal
government in FY 07, which will be distributed by the Connecticut
Department of Transportation.
Contact: Sarah Moore, 202/225-5541
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