Portland Receives State Grant For Sidewalk Improvements

HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday that Portland was among 40 towns and cities across Connecticut to receive $12.4 million in funding under a competitive state grant program that seeks to support pedestrian and bicycle safety and improve accessibility within urban, suburban and rural community centers where people can meet for work, school, social and recreational activities.

Portland will receive $204,358 for the Main Street Sidewalk Improvement project.

According to a news release, the Community Connectivity Grant Program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and seeks to make conditions safer for people of all ages to walk, bike, and take transit, thereby encouraging more people to use these healthy and environmentally sustainable modes of travel.

At the same time, these improvements will make Connecticut’s community centers more accessible places to live and work.

“Modernizing and updating our transportation infrastructure – including making accessible neighborhoods for pedestrians and bicyclists – is critical if we want to have thriving towns where families want to live, businesses can flourish, and communities succeed,” Malloy said in a release. “These grants are targeted toward strengthening our towns and cities and fostering growth in our local economies.”

“The objective of this grant program is to provide construction funding directly to municipalities for infrastructure improvements that are aligned with the overall program goals,” CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said in a release. “We are excited to work directly with our municipalities to provide safer, more accessible travel for our residents.”

The grants were awarded on a competitive basis in a range between $75,000 and $400,000 based on applications that municipalities submitted to CTDOT. Municipalities were allowed to submit one application per community. CTDOT staff reviewed, rated, and ranked each of the proposals.

For more information on the Community Connectivity Grant Program, please visit ctconnectivity.com.

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