DOT awards $10M to CT communities for safety improvements. Here’s where the money is going

Hartford Courant – Wednesday, June 17, 2026
By Sean Krofssik

Seventeen Connecticut communities will receive a total of $10.8 million in grants for projects that improve safety, accessibility and mobility, according to state officials.

Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said the grants will be awarded through the DOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program, according to the DOT.

The Community Connectivity Grant Program is intended to “improve accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians in urban, suburban and rural community centers. The goal of the CCGP is to make conditions safer and more accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists, thereby encouraging more people to use these healthy and environmentally sustainable modes of travel. Making these improvements will make Connecticut’s community centers more attractive places to live and work,” according to the DOT.

This batch of grants is the eighth round of the program to date.

The grant funding can only be used for construction activities. The program has issued 172 grants since 2019, sending a total of more than $84 million into Connecticut’s towns and cities. Municipalities are expected to complete the projects within three years, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

“This program cuts red tape and accelerates local infrastructure projects that make a real difference in people’s daily lives,” Lamont stated in a statement. “Across Connecticut with the support of this state program, communities are building accessible sidewalks, new bicycle connections, and stronger links to jobs, schools, and local businesses.”

“We are proud to help towns and cities bring their own infrastructure priorities to life.” Eucalitto added. “Communities know what their residents need, and this program gives them the resources to build it. Thank you to Governor Lamont and the State Bond Commission for their ongoing commitment to these investments.”

Here are the 17 communities receiving state grants through the Department of Transportation’s Community Connectivity Grant Program, including what it is for:

Bethel: Downtown Bethel Main Street Pedestrian Safety and Connectivity Improvements ($846,400).

Bloomfield: Gabb Road Traffic Calming and Sidewalk Connectivity ($804,523).

Brooklyn: Route 169 Sidewalk Improvement Project ($501,054).

Deep River: Downtown Deep River Pedestrian Enhancements ($846,400).

Derby: Derby Greenway SMART Lighting and Security Project ($555,385).

Essex: Ivoryton Village sidewalk connections ($846,400).

Greenwich: Traffic signal upgrade at Intersection of Railroad Avenue and Greenwich Avenue ($657,653).

Groton: Groton Cross Town Greenway Wayfinding ($141,791).

Middlefield: Middlefield Municipal Campus Connections ($581,256).

Naugatuck: Naugatuck Downtown Pedestrian Connectivity and Safety Improvements ($846,400).

New Britain: Vision Zero New Britain Pedestrian Traffic Signal Safety Improvements ($788,210).

New London: Improved Pedestrian Crossings Project ($142,640).

New Milford: Housatonic Avenue and Young’s Field Sidewalk Project ($556,250).

Portland: High Street, Accessibility Upgrades to Schools ($634,800).

Ridgefield: Danbury Road Sidewalk Extension ($408,811).

Shelton: Safe Access to Pedestrian Riverwalk Konnnections (SPARK) ($837,936).

Voluntown: Gate Street Recreation Complex Master Plan, West Side Improvements ($804,080).

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