Department of Transportation

At a Glance

RALPH J. CARPENTER, Commissioner

Established – October 1, 1969

Statutory authority - P.A. 69-768

Central office – 2800 Berlin Turnpike,

Newington, CT 06131-7546

Authorized number of full-time employees – 3,225

Recurring operating expenditures 2006-2007 – $439.9 million

Capital budget 2006-2007 – $2.1 billion

Organizational structure – Office of the Commissioner, Bureau of Aviation and Ports, Bureau of Finance and Administration, Bureau of Engineering and Highway Operations, Bureau of Policy and Planning, Bureau of Public Transportation, State Traffic Commission.

Mission

To provide a safe, efficient and cost-effective transportation system that meets the mobility needs of its users.

Statutory Responsibility

The agency shall be responsible for all aspects of the planning, development, maintenance and improvement of transportation in the state (Section 13b-3 C.G.S.). The agency serves its customers by providing safe and efficient systems for the movement of people and goods within, to or from the state, whether by highway, air, water, rail or other means (Section 13b-2[I]).

Information Reported as Required by State Statute

The agency shall develop and revise, biennially, a comprehensive long-range transportation plan designed to fulfill the present and future needs of the state and to assure the development and maintenance of an adequate, safe and efficient transportation system (Section 13b-15 C.G.S). The purpose of the Master Transportation Plan is to provide its customers, the Administration, the General Assembly, local elected officials, and the general public with a comprehensive understanding of the transportation projects and programs that the agency will be pursuing over the next 10 years. The strategic goals of the agency are to ensure safety, maintain the existing system, increase system productivity, promote economic development and provide required capacity.

Affirmative Action Policy

The Department of Transportation is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the established policy of the Department to assure equal opportunity and to implement affirmative action programs. All services and programs of the Department are administered in a fair and impartial manner, pursuant to the State Code of Fair Practices and all other relevant state and federal laws and regulations including, but not limited to, C.G.S. 46a-60, Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Department continues to work cooperatively with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and other state and federal compliance agencies in conducting various reviews and providing requested information.

Improvements/ Achievements 2006-07

For the Bureau of Aviation and Ports, FY 2007 was a year of marked achievement for Bradley International Airport management. Significant accomplishments were realized in the areas of air service development, private investment in new facilities, and improved customer services and amenities, while planning for the next major phase of terminal development got underway.

On the air service development front, the Bureau of Aviation and Ports achieved the long-standing goal of establishing direct, nonstop service from Bradley to Europe. Northwest Airlines commenced daily nonstop service to Amsterdam, with convenient connections to all of Europe, on July 1, 2007. The Bureau was also successful in attracting Frontier Airlines to Bradley. Frontier began daily scheduled service to Denver in March 2007. Financial incentives and large-scale marketing campaigns, made possible by the Bureau’s creation of the Bradley Air Service Development Fund, helped to secure these flights and ensure their success.

The Bureau was also successful in securing major private investment in Bradley in FY 2007. In a highly competitive selection process, Embraer Aircraft chose Bradley as the site for its Northeast air service center. Embraer will invest approximately $11 million in a five-acre facility that will employ 60 people at the Airport. In addition to the Embraer facility, Bradley was chosen as the development site for two major hotels. A 212-room Hyatt Place hotel and a 168-room Embassy Suites hotel will be constructed at Bradley in two phases beginning in 2008.

The Bureau has also focused on improving the customer experience at Bradley. Beginning in August 2006, new concession venues were opened within the terminal including new food, beverage and retail concepts, a “10 Minute Manicure” facility, a variety of kiosks providing cell phone charging and additional food and beverage options, and a “Pizzeria Uno.” These added options have translated into significant increases (more than 20 percent) in total concession sales per passenger within the terminal. Budget surpluses available in FY 2007 also allowed the Airport to undertake a number of initiatives also aimed at improving the customer experience. These include providing music throughout the terminal, live entertainment, art displays from Connecticut colleges and other enhancements to décor, lounge and waiting areas.

The Bureau also began planning for the future development of the terminal area at the Airport. A design and engineering firm has been selected and the scope of work established to determine the appropriate phasing for demolition of the Murphy terminal, construction of new terminal facilities and realignment of the terminal roadway. Once the phasing has been established, this firm may also be authorized to proceed with all design and engineering work necessary to undertake these developments. A consolidated rental car, ground transportation and public parking facility is also being planned for the future terminal area. Consistent with Transportation Strategy Board recommendations, this facility would accommodate a bus terminal to facilitate public transportation between the Airport and a re-activated Hartford-Springfield rail line. In this area, the Bureau is working closely with all of the stakeholders to identify and pursue a feasible development approach including financing, construction and future operation of the facility.

The Bureau also continued its development program for the State-owned general aviation airports. Projects at Hartford-Brainard Airport include reconstruction of a general aviation aircraft parking apron, construction of lighted helipad and various security improvements. An Airport Master Plan is being prepared for Danielson Airport, where construction of a transient aircraft parking apron and aircraft service building improvements have also been undertaken. At Waterbury-Oxford Airport, the Bureau is also preparing a Master Plan and a noise compatibility study. Major private investments are also coming online at Waterbury-Oxford including a restaurant and additional corporate aircraft hangars.

The Bureau of Aviation and Ports in concert with the Bradley International Airport Board of Directors completed a new Master Plan to guide development of the Airport over the next 20 years. The Master Plan focuses on additional terminal, parking, rental car, cargo and related infrastructure improvement projects. The Bureau and Board also took a major step forward in securing efficient funding of these Master Plan projects by executing two forward-starting interest rate swap agreements. These arrangements lock in today’s favorable interest rate environment and provide significant savings on either a refunding of existing Airport revenue bonds or issuance of additional bonds for future development in the year 2011 when funding will be needed to implement the Master Plan. The current terminal improvement program at Bradley will be completed with the opening of the renovated Terminal A scheduled for the fall of 2007. The Relocation of Runway 1 Threshold and Reconstruction of portions of Taxiways E &T was completed in the fall of 2006 and the Reconstruction of Taxiways L, T & M has begun with completion scheduled for the fall of 2007. The Bureau continued significant business development efforts for Bradley as well, and was successful in securing additional concession services in the terminal complex. The Bradley Air Service Development Fund was tapped for the first time, providing incentive funding to Delta Airlines for new service to Los Angeles. The Board and Bureau extended the Fund for an additional year and increased its focus on securing trans-Atlantic service to Europe.

Improvements at the State Pier facility include providing utilities to the State’s western finger pier (formerly CVR Pier) and security improvements. The Bureau successfully competed for a FY 2007 Port Security Grant offered by the Department of Homeland Security. The $296,250 grant will be used to improve the video surveillance capability at the State Pier complex. The grant has a three-year performance period.

The Bureau of Aviation and Ports in support of the Connecticut Maritime Commission brought needed attention to the dredging needs of the State’s ports and waterways. The Maritime Commission created a State Maritime Policy Statement and submitted a legislative proposal to establish a Harbor Maintenance Fund to facilitate dredging projects in the State. The Harbor Maintenance Fund would be used to pay the local cost share of dredging projects and could be used in the absence of federal funding to complete much-needed channel maintenance.

The Maritime Policy focuses on two areas; dredging and economic development. The policy statement addresses the importance of dredging to maintain channels and harbors that are vital to the state’s economic stability and the regions that extend beyond Connecticut borders. The Bureau of Aviation and Ports created and filled a dredging project coordinator position.

On a related matter, the Bureau of Aviation and Ports brought a new focus to the Connecticut Pilot Commission (CPC). Working with the CPC, the Bureau submitted legislation to increase the Commission’s membership and responsibilities. A regulatory change is being processed that would increase the pilotage rates for the waters of Connecticut and Long Island Sound. The rates charged for piloting a commercial vessel have not changed since 1983.

The Bureau of Engineering and Highway Operations continued to manage all programs and projects to maximize federal funds allocated to Connecticut for improvements to all transportation facilities. Significant projects include: Route 6 in Brooklyn; Devon Bridge in Milford; Amtrak bridge over 372 in Berlin; New Haven Rail Yard – Phase I – Running Repair Shop; the replacement of the Route 15 bridge over the Housatonic River (Sikorsky Bridge), Stratford; the reconstruction of I-95 in Bridgeport; and the reconstruction of I-95 in East Haven (Contract C1). These projects have been substantially completed. Major projects underway include the reconstruction of Route 7 (Brookfield Bypass); the reconstruction of Route 7, New Milford; the reconstruction of I-84 in Waterbury, Cheshire and Southington; the reconstruction of I-95, Interchange 42, West Haven; the reconstruction of I-95 in New Haven – (Contract C2); the reconstruction of the Madison Railroad Station Platform; and various safety and operational improvements throughout the state.

The largest capital program within the Department’s current plan is the I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program. The Program includes both roadway and transit improvements to increase capacity and reduce congestion between New Haven and Branford. A new commuter railroad station at State Street in New Haven was opened in 2002, and the Branford portion of the highway reconstruction was completed in 2004. The reconstruction of I-95 in the East Haven portion of the highway is completed and a soil preloading and advance utility contract at the I-95/I-91 Interchange is completed as well. The reconstruction and widening of I-95 east of the Quinnipiac River Bridge is well underway and is anticipated to be completed by June 2008. The Department received no bids for the construction of the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge when the bids opened on December 20, 2006. The Department is re-packaging this project and the I-95/I-91 Interchange project to reduce the size and scope to better elicit bids. The advance breakout projects will commence in 2007 and 2008, and the major projects will follow in the later years. The entire New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program is estimated to cost $1.95 billion and will be completed in late 2016.

The Department is also developing a preliminary design for a new transit system, the New Britain-Hartford Busway. This new transit system will provide a direct connection along a new fixed guideway between downtown New Britain and downtown Hartford. Up to 10 intermediate station stops are planned along the Busway route. The Department received approval from the Federal Transit Administration to begin final design in October 2006. The design of the Busway is presently underway and is expected to be complete by 2008. Construction is expected to start in 2009 and take approximately four years, resulting in an anticipated revenue operations date for the bus rapid transit system of 2012.

The Department’s Bridge Safety and Evaluation Section continued to execute its ongoing bridge inspection program. This critical function ensures the safety of the public by identifying bridge deficiencies and rehabilitation needs in a systematic and timely manner.

The Department’s Utility Section has taken the lead coordinating and facilitating the $2 billion installation of Northeast Utilities and United Illuminating 345 kilovolt underground transmission lines. This project impacts more than 40 miles of state right-of-way and is within state highways such as Route 7 and Route 1. The Section has worked closely with the Connecticut Siting Council and the Department of Public Utility Control on this project. Extensive coordination has been required to ensure that safety and traffic concerns are properly and cost-effectively addressed for this massive and unique undertaking. Connecticut has become a world leader in underground transmission facilities.

The Office of Maintenance and Highway Operations provided roadway and roadside maintenance to 5,682 effective two-lane miles of roadway and provided snow removal and other roadway maintenance services to 61 state agencies. With respect to snow and ice control, there were 9 winter storms which required the use of 104,793 tons of sodium chloride and 271,948 gallons of liquid calcium chloride and 6,785 cubic yards of sand abrasives applied by 632 state trucks and 178 contracted trucks. Maintenance of existing roadways included 185 miles of vendor-applied bituminous concrete overlay. In addition, 17,258 feet of drainage pipe was installed along with 117 drainage structures. During the past year, maintenance repairs were performed on 992 of the 3,829 state-maintained bridges through the combined efforts of Department personnel and contractors. The Traffic Services Units painted 4,716 miles of center lines and lane lines; erected 2,485 new traffic regulatory, warning and directional signs; renewed or removed 5,910 existing signs; continued maintenance of 3,774 traffic signals and 1,066 miles of highway illumination; and installed 17 new traffic signals and 168 signal revisions.

There were 3,906 highway encroachment permits issued. The Oversize/Overweight Unit collected $3,182,938 for the issuance of 108,919 oversize/overweight permits, 468 radioactive permits and 211 industrial permits.

The Department’s computerized traffic control signal systems include a total of 896 traffic signals on 56 major arterials in 54 municipalities. The Newington and Bridgeport Operations Centers monitor 288 highway cameras and operate 89 variable message signs and 14 highway advisory radio stations. The Operations Centers responded to a total of 2,174 reported incidents on the state’s limited access highway system. The Department’s Connecticut Highway Assistance Motorist Patrol (CHAMP) Program provided highway assistance to a total of 8,195 motorists along the I-95 corridor from the New York state line to the Branford/Guilford town line. In the greater Hartford area the CHAMP Program provided assistance to 9,220 motorists.

The Bureau of Policy and Planning conducts planning studies and associated activities for the movement of people and goods for all modes of transportation, including highway, rail, bus, aviation, maritime, rideshare/commuter parking facilities, bicycle and recreational. Alternatives and environmental analysis and documentation are prepared for all proposed projects through a public process.

The Bureau of Policy and Planning administered programs during the 2006-2007 fiscal year for commuter parking facilities, pedestrian access, bicycling, and safe routes to school. Continuing major studies include the Buckland Area Transportation Study (Manchester), the Middletown Area River Crossing (Arrigoni Bridge) Needs Assessment, the I-84 Waterbury – Danbury Environmental Impact Statement, the Statewide Service Plaza Study, the Danbury Rail Branch Electrification Study (Phases I and II), the I-84/Route 8 Waterbury Interchange Needs and Feasibility Study, the Danielson Airport Master Plan Update, the Waterbury-Oxford Airport Master Plan Update, and the Waterbury-Oxford Airport Federal Aviation Regulation Part 150 Noise Study. Major planning studies initiated include the New Haven Rail Line, Waterbury and New Canaan Branch Lines Study, the State Rail Plan Update, and the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Environmental Assessment. The Route 2/2A/32 Environmental Impact Statement was completed, and the Route 82/85/11 Salem-Waterford Final Environmental Impact Statement, and Long Wharf Environmental Assessment were drafted. Other ongoing environmental documents included the Route 7/Merritt Parkway 4F and Re-evaluation and the I-95 Interchanges 70-84 Environmental Impact Statement Assessment.

The Bureau of Policy and Planning initiated a new Division of Asset Management/Performance Measures that will develop goals and policies for a Department-wide strategy to optimize allocation of resources. The strategy will focus on a variety of topics relevant to asset management including research and design, construction, materials, facility preservation, quality assurance of the infrastructure, performance measurement, multimodal analysis, and defining the most cost-effective methods and strategies for the Department’s assets.

The Bureau of Policy and Planning published the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the Public Involvement Guidance Manual, the 2007 Master Transportation Plan, the Transportation in Connecticut: Trends and Planning Data, and Transportation in Connecticut: The Existing System reports. The Bureau also developed various transportation planning-related documents and documentation required by the Federal Highway Administration and provided extensive support for the Transportation Strategy Board program initiatives, studies and projects. The Bureau also participates in various planning studies statewide in coordination with the Regional Planning Organizations and other state agencies. The Bureau also was involved extensively with the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT PM2.5 nonattainment area to develop the PM2.5 Air Quality Conformity Determination document for the STIP and the Regional Planning Agencies Long Range Transportation Plan. The Ozone Air Quality Conformity Determination was also completed. Bureau staff represented the Department on the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) Advisory Board and coordinated the Department’s review and submittal of comments on various NRZ strategic plans.

The Bureau of Policy and Planning prepares an annual planning document which addresses a set of highway and traffic safety problems with the goal of reducing fatalities and injuries as the result of motor vehicle crashes on Connecticut’s roads. These traffic safety program areas include Impaired Driving, Occupant Protection and Child Passenger Safety, Police Traffic Services, Motorcycle Safety, Roadway Safety and Traffic Records. Also included is the Safe Routes to School program, which provides support for infrastructure projects and educational training for bicycle and pedestrian safety, and Operation Lifesaver, a national nonprofit public information program dedicated to improving public safety by reducing the number of injuries and fatalities associated with at-grade railroad crossing crashes and accidents involving railroad trespass.

In addition, the Bureau of Policy and Planning maintains the state’s traffic counting program, accident records system and an inventory of the highway system. This data, as well as future land use and employment projections, is used to estimate future travel demand, identify current and future capacity deficiencies, analyze alternate highway and transit improvement, and is used in environmental studies.

The Bureau of Policy and Planning provides Geographic Information System (GIS) software and application development support for the Department. GIS is utilized to perform analysis for various transportation attribute data and to produce cartographic products showing the result of the analysis.

The Bureau of Public Transportation’s mission is to provide mobility to the residents of the state and to enhance economic development, access to jobs and the environment by providing safe, efficient, economical, and reliable transportation alternatives.

Significant improvements/achievements:

¨ Continued construction of catenary rehabilitation in conjunction with bridge replacements upgrades and station improvements along the New Haven Main Line.

¨ Development of condition studies and structural improvement plans for the state’s continued railroad bridges and New Haven Line passenger platforms.

¨ The track maintenance program and installation of concrete ties on the New Haven Line.

¨ Continued rehabilitation of the state’s M2 rail cars to maintain reliable service.

¨ Continued the necessary repairs and reconditioning of 33 Mafersa rail cars purchased from the state of Virginia in order to provide additional seats on the New Haven Line and Shore Line East.

¨ Executed the agreement necessary with Metro-North Railroad to procure 300 M8 rail cars to replace the New Haven Line Electric Multiple Unit Fleet.

¨ Executed the agreement necessary with Metro-North Railroad to procure six New Haven Line shuttle locomotives and five non-revenue service locomotives.

¨ Continued the study phase with Metro-North Railroad to evaluate the New Haven Line communication and signal system to ultimately provide recommendations to upgrade the system.

¨ Completed construction of the Running Repair Maintenance Shop in the New Haven Yard.

¨ Completed the construction contract for the New Haven Rail Yard Security project which includes new fencing, gates, lighting, cameras and a security guard shack.

¨ Continued the design phase for the New Haven Rail Yard Master Complex.

¨ Completed the design phase of the joint development project at Fairfield Railroad station to provide a new ADA accessible railroad station with parking for an additional 1,500 cars for New Haven Line commuters.

¨ Continued the design phase for additional railroad station parking facilities in Stratford and Wilton and began the design phase for additional railroad station parking in Stamford.

¨ Began the design and rights-of-way phases for an additional New Haven Line railroad station in West Haven.

¨ Achieved approximately 60 percent design for the rehabilitation of the Walk and Saga movable bridges on the New Haven Line.

¨ Began construction for the new Shore Line East Station with a high-level platform at Madison.

¨ Purchased 73 replacement buses for the Connecticut Transit System and Southeast Area Transit.

¨ Completed final design for a new $110 million bus maintenance facility in Hamden.

¨ Began final design and rights-of-way activities for the Bus Rapid Transit System for the New Britain to Hartford Busway.

¨ Completed the rehabilitation of the CTTransit Stamford Division bus storage and maintenance facility.

¨ Developed a comprehensive package of bus service enhancements that will be implemented using funds provided under the Governor’s Initiative.

¨ Conducted and completed a statewide effort to implement new SAFETEA-LU planning requirements for specialized public transportation programs.