By late 2019, there were several initiatives in the Greater Hartford Region, such as the I-84 Hartford Project, CTfastrak expansion, Amtrak/Hartford Line Rail Corridor enhancements, I-84 / I-91 interchange improvements, East Coast Greenway planning, and expanded bicycle and pedestrian networks – each at different levels of completion. Because independently advancing one of these projects could possibly interfere or conflict with others, CTDOT decided to holistically assess these initiatives and other multimodal mobility improvement opportunities with one overarching study. In early 2020, the Greater Hartford Mobility Study (GHMS) was born!
The GHMS is considering the travel needs of people using all modes including bicycle, bus, car, train, truck, and walking to develop a plan for improved mobility. This is groundbreaking because while CTDOT and others have looked at multiple needs in individual studies before, they have never pulled so many initiatives together with the aim of providing a unified path forward. This holistic outlook reflected in one vision and plan to serve all mobility needs across Greater Hartford.
What are the outcomes of this study? The study has recommended an implementation plan of assessed improvements be advanced into environmental review, design, and construction. As the mobility challenges were considered together and in relation to one another; only projects that supported the overall vision and plan moved forward. The study considered how to prioritize these improvements to best achieve the goals set out in the plan with the available resources.
The GHMS has been actively informed by the public and stakeholders. This is critical because so many in Hartford and beyond depend on all modes to get where they need to go.
The study was done in two phases. Phase 1 involved collecting data, analyzing traffic, determining mobility needs, and identifying concepts to study in Phase 2. Phase 2 involved developing and evaluating alternatives to meet these needs. The entire study was completed in 3 years.
In Winter of 2023, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) published the Greater Hartford Mobility Study Planning and Environmental Linkages Report. You can read the full report by visiting the Library Section of the website.
