Norwalk Receives $3.4 Million To Upgrade Traffic Signals: State

NORWALK, CT — The city will receive over $3 million to continue upgrading outdated traffic signals in the city, among other traffic-related initiatives, thanks to money the city received from a statewide initiative to improve air quality.

The state Department of Transportation awarded Norwalk $3,401,850 to "continue upgrading the remaining outdated traffic signals, extending the adaptive traffic control system and adding the traffic signal priority and concurrent pedestrian phase" as part of an effort to invest in local projects aimed at reducing vehicle exhaust emissions in certain areas of Connecticut.

According to a news release from Gov. Ned Lamont's office, Connecticut invests federal funds in local, cost-effective projects that will reduce vehicle exhaust emissions in areas of the state that do not meet national air quality standards as part of the Federal Highway Administration's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program.

Norwalk was among 10 Connecticut municipalities to receive funding in amounts ranging from $20,952 (West Hartford) to $4 million (Bridgeport and Greenwich).

A total of $24 million in federal funds were awarded by the state as part of this initiative, according to Lamont's office.

"These strategic investments will not only help eliminate traffic bottlenecks in certain communities and buildout electric vehicle chargers in others, but they will also help move Connecticut towards cleaner air and a cleaner transportation system," Lamont said in a 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."

Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti noted these projects represented the future by confronting climate change.

"With expanded access to electric vehicle charging stations and increased use of adaptive traffic signals across the state, we are confronting climate change with actionable projects that will help reduce carbon emissions," Giulietti said in a news release. "These projects represent the future. We remain committed to using technology and innovative solutions to have a cleaner, more equitable, and resilient transportation system for all people across Connecticut."

Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the transportation sector is the largest contributor to Connecticut's greenhouse gas emissions and responsible for over 67 percent of smog-forming air pollution in Connecticut, which the state grants will help address.

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