EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of the story said the entire $460 million in federal funding for the busway would come in one-lump sum in the 2012 budget. The allocation actually will be spread out over several years.
The busway project to run between New Britain and Hartford received $90 million in President Barrack’s proposed 2011 and 2012 federal budgets, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Tuesday afternoon.
The busway is among 11 projects approved for funding Tuesday that were recommended in previous years, but left waiting for the money to move forward. Obama’s entire transportation budget includes $3.2 billion for 28 transit construction projects across the nation.
“As President Obama made clear in his State of the Union Address, we must win the future by investing in a modern transportation network that will enable us to out-compete the rest of the world,” LaHood said in a statement. “The projects we are proposing to Congress are an important down payment on the President’s promise to strengthen our transportation networks for the 21st century.”
The proposal for the New Britain busway calls for 11 stops spread out over the 9.4-mile route. The total construction costs are anticipated at $573 million with Connecticut’s transportation fund providing $113 million. The annual operating costs will be $22 million.
The Federal Transportation Administration expects 13,400 average weekday boardings in the busway’s first year, expected as 2013. By 2030, the ridership is expected to reach 16,300 average weekday boardings.
FTA recommended the project for funding because I-84 is one of Connecticut’s most congested roadways, the existing transit service between Hartford and New Britain is limited; and 33 percent of Hartford residents and 16 percent of New Britain residents are transit dependent. The FTA expects the project to promote redevelopment in the older urban centers along the busway.
