Governor Ned Lamont and the members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation today announced that the Connecticut Dept of Transportation (CTDOT) is receiving a $2 million grant from the U.S. Dept of Transportation to develop a unified, statewide public transit information system for mobile devices.
The grant is being awarded through the competitive Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) discretionary grant program, which was created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
CTDOT will use the funding to support the Connecticut Integrated Transit Mobility Project (CT-ITMP). This project includes the development of a system for mobile devices that will integrate public transit information across Connecticut, while also allowing users to pay fares directly from their smartphones. It will incorporate real-time arrival information for Connecticut’s entire public transportation system, resulting in a better customer experience while promoting equitable access to transportation.
“Making public services as easy to access as possible has been a priority for our administration, and this system for mobile devices will unify everything that transit users in Connecticut need into a convenient, centralized location,” Governor Lamont said in a release. “A project like this, which modernizes our transportation system, is exactly why President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed. I applaud our Congressional delegation for once again helping to secure dollars that were approved as part of this historic law and bringing them back to Connecticut.”
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said, “Improving transportation infrastructure isn’t limited just to buying new buses or repaving roads, it also includes innovating solutions that make transportation more easily accessible to everyone. This federal funding will help bring Connecticut’s public transit system into the 21st century and create a centralized system on mobile devices for riders to check schedules and pay their fares. I am thrilled to see U.S. Department of Transportation make this necessary investment in Connecticut and will keep fighting for more federal funds to support our state’s transportation infrastructure.”
“By making transit more accessible and easier to use, more people will use our public transportation system,” said CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “This grant allows us to plan and create an easy to use, one-stop shop for all things transit in Connecticut. Thank you to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation for supporting this grant and understanding the value and importance of public transit in Connecticut.”
This $2 million in grant funding awarded is the maximum allowed for Stage 1 Planning. Now that CTDOT has received this funding, which includes no local cost share, the agency is eligible for a Stage 2 Implementation grant of upwards of $15 million. CTDOT is partnering with the California Integrated Travel Project and RATP Dev USA on CT-ITMP.
During Stage 1 Planning, CTDOT will seek input and feedback from stakeholders, including Connecticut transit service providers and community organizations.
Planning and development will be ongoing in 2023 and 2024.
Connecticut’s public transit system provides more than 43 million annual passenger trips on bus and Americans with Disabilities (ADA) service and more than 41 million annual passenger trips on rail service.