Stamford Receives Funds To Upgrade Several Traffic Signals

STAMFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont announced earlier this week that the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has awarded $24 million in federal funds to 10 transportation projects around the state aimed at improving air quality in Connecticut.

Included in that funding is $3.37 million for Stamford, which will be used to upgrade old signal equipment at six intersections around the city. Modernized traffic signals use real-time traffic information to adjust to changing traffic patterns, which reduces unnecessary idling at traffic lights.

The intersections are:

• Palmers Hill Road and Westover Road
• Palmers Hill Road and Stillwater Road
• Washington Boulevard and Broad Street
• Greenwich Avenue and South State Street
• South State Street and Elm Street
• Cove Road, Shippan Avenue, and Elm Street

"I'm proud that we'll be bringing home these additional dollars to help improve local transportation infrastructure and public safety," Mayor Caroline Simmons said. "Traffic improvements have the ability to make our community safer, improve accessibility and offer a boost to our local economy. I want to thank Governor Lamont and our great delegation to the General Assembly for investing in the City of Stamford, and I look forward to continuing fighting for state dollars that make a difference for our residents."

The money, which is part of the Federal Highway Administration's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program, invests in local, cost effective projects that will reduce vehicle exhaust emissions in areas of the state that do not attain national air quality standards.

Other projects around the state involve installing more electric vehicle charging stations, and improving traffic flow.

"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 this week. "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."

CTDOT COmmissioner Joseph Giulietti said the funds help confront climate change.

"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," Giulietti said.

According to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, the state's transportation sector is responsible for over 67 percent of smog-forming air pollution in Connecticut.

"The interest we’ve seen in these projects show that municipalities in our state are eager to implement projects that support our transition to a clean transportation future," Dykes said in a news release.

CTDOT 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.