Bridgeport To Get $4M In Federal Funds For Park Ave. Improvements

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport will receive $4 million in federal funds to reduce transportation emissions, according to a news release from the governor's office.

The money will go toward improving traffic flow, reducing delay and alleviating congestion along the Park Avenue corridor.

The funds are part of $24 million in federal money awarded by the Connecticut Department of Transportation to ten projects aimed at improving air quality in Connecticut, which were announced Thursday by Gov. Ned Lamont. As part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, Connecticut invests federal funds in local, cost-effective projects that will reduce vehicle exhaust emissions in areas of the state that do not attain national air quality standards.

“These strategic investments will not only help eliminate traffic bottlenecks in certain communities and build out electric vehicle chargers in others, but they will also help move Connecticut towards cleaner air and a cleaner transportation system,” Lamont said in the news release. “Technology in transportation can help unlock climate solutions for our state. By reducing air pollution in communities most impacted by its harmful effects, we can better deliver transportation equity and ultimately, better health outcomes for the people of Connecticut.”

The funds will be distributed to municipalities to support local projects, which include upgrading traffic signal technology and the installation of electric vehicle charging stations. Modernized traffic signals use real-time traffic information to accommodate changing traffic patterns, which reduces unnecessary idling at traffic lights.

“These projects represent the future,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti said in the news release. “We remain committed to using technology and innovative solutions to have a cleaner, more equitable, and resilient transportation system for all people across Connecticut.”

The Department of Transportation solicits municipal projects for the federal program through the state’s metropolitan planning organizations and rural councils of governments, and awards funding based on project eligibility.