Transit and Transit Oriented Development in the Naugatuck Valley: Restoring Balance to Connecticut’s Most Neglected Corridor Presenters: Mark C. Nielsen Director of Planning/ Assistant Director, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Stephen A. Gazillo, AICP Market Sector Lead, Transportation Planning, New England Region, AECOM David V. Sousa, RLA, AICP Senior Planner/ Landscape Architect, CDM Smith Route 8/ Waterbury Branch Line Corridor Transit-Oriented Development and Alternate Transit Modes Assessment Project Naugatuck Valley Planning Region Naugatuck Valley Region . West-Central CT Thomaston Bristol . 19 Cities & Towns Plymouth Bethlehem . Watertown Centered around Waterbury Wolcott Woodbury . Bristol to the north Waterbury . Middlebury Shelton to the south Prospect Cheshire Naugatuck . Good connections to Southbury Beacon Bridgeport, Danbury, Oxford Falls Hartford, New Haven & Seymour Stamford Ansonia . 447,390 (2016 ACS) Derby Shelton . Home to 158,781 jobs . Work force of 237,050 4 Project Area . Waterbury Branch Rail Line . Route 8 Expressway – Waterbury to Bridgeport . Station Areas in: – Derby-Shelton – Ansonia – Seymour – Beacon Falls – Naugatuck . Bridgeport Avenue Corridor 5 Project Goals Route 8 Corridor . Enhance and improve Bus Rapid public transit, including: Transit . Commuter rail . Local bus connectivity Commuter Rail . Bus rapid transit Waterbury Branch . Transform town centers Line into vibrant, high-density communities that have Transit Oriented access to efficient, high Development quality transit . Advance HUD’s livability principles and extend Station Area sustainable communities Enhancements . Avoid expensive highway expansion costs 6 Existing Transportation Systems “Region in Motion” . Over 2 million daily trips Thomaston Bristol Plymouth Bethlehem Watertown Wolcott Woodbury Waterbury 2 MiddleburyMillion Prospect Cheshire Naugatuck Southbury Daily Beacon OxfordTripsFalls Seymour Ansonia Derby Shelton 8 “Region in Motion” . Over 2 million daily trips . Over 455,000 daily Thomaston Bristol commute trips Plymouth Bethlehem . 124,000 commute trips Watertown Wolcott toward Hartford/NE Woodbury Waterbury Middlebury Prospect Cheshire Naugatuck Southbury Beacon Oxford Falls Seymour Ansonia Derby Shelton 9 “Region in Motion” . Over 2 million daily trips . Over 455,000 daily Thomaston Bristol commute trips Plymouth Bethlehem . 124,000 commute trips Watertown Wolcott toward Hartford/NE Woodbury Waterbury . 91,200 commute trips Middlebury Prospect Cheshire toward New Haven/SE Naugatuck Southbury Beacon Oxford Falls Seymour Ansonia Derby Shelton 10 “Region in Motion” . Over 2 million daily trips . Over 455,000 daily Thomaston Bristol commute trips Plymouth Bethlehem . 124,000 commute trips Watertown Wolcott toward Hartford/NE Woodbury Waterbury . 91,200 commute trips Middlebury Prospect Cheshire toward New Haven/SE Naugatuck Southbury . 70,600 commute trips Beacon toward Oxford Falls Bridgeport/Stamford/SW Seymour Ansonia Derby Shelton 11 “Region in Motion” . Over 2 million daily trips . Over 455,000 daily Thomaston Bristol commute trips Plymouth Bethlehem . 124,000 commute trips Watertown Wolcott toward Hartford/NE Woodbury Waterbury . 91,200 commute trips Middlebury Prospect Cheshire toward New Haven/SE Naugatuck Southbury . 70,600 commute trips Beacon toward Oxford Falls Bridgeport/Stamford/SW Seymour . 30,000 commute trips Ansonia toward Danbury, New York Derby State Shelton 12 “Region in Motion” . Over 2 million daily trips . Over 455,000 daily Thomaston Bristol commute trips Plymouth Bethlehem . 124,000 commute trips Watertown Wolcott toward Hartford/NE Woodbury Waterbury . 91,200 commute trips Middlebury Prospect Cheshire toward New Haven/SE Naugatuck Southbury . 70,600 commute trips Beacon toward Oxford Falls Bridgeport/Stamford/SW Seymour . 30,000 commute trips Ansonia toward Danbury, New York Derby State Shelton . 140,000 commute trips stay in region 13 Travel Patterns Express to Torrington . Diverse and mature transportation system CT Transit Thomaston NewBristol Britain Plymouth . I-84 and Route 8 anchor the Bethlehem Watertown highway network Wolcott Woodbury CT Transit CTfastrak . Commuter rail – Waterbury WaterburyWaterbury Middlebury Branch Line Prospect Cheshire Naugatuck . Southbury Local fixed bus route Beacon Oxford Falls . Individuals overwhelmingly commute alone Seymour VTDAnsonia . More travel toward New Derby Haven than Bridgeport Shelton CT Transit . More WBL riders transfer at GBT New Haven Bridgeport 14 Highway Infrastructure . Highway infrastructure is deteriorating and needs upgrades . Route 8 carry more vehicles than designed to handle . Several critical bottlenecks . Route 8 doesn’t meet modern design standards . Investments in transit will help avoid costly highway expansions 15 Commuter Rail . 15 trains operate daily on the 17% Waterbury Branch Line (WBL) Increase in Ridership . 2½ hour headways from 2016 . About 1,000 daily riders . Reliability of aging equipment is a major issue . 50% of riders travel beyond Bridgeport . Major capital investments underway: . Full signalization . Positive Train Control (PTC) . Passing sidings Bus Transit Systems . Fragmented services & connections – 5 operators serve the region . Buses in the Valley carry 6,000 passengers daily . Waterbury to New Haven: 23 min. shorter by bus than by rail . Derby to Bridgeport: 25 min. longer by bus than by rail .Waterbury. Bus Routes New Haven Bus Bridgeport Bus Routes Routes Challenges for the Next 20 Years . Growing population and increased traffic congestion. Aging population requires focus on mobility and access. People are shifting back to cities and want walkable neighborhoods . Autonomous/ Connected vehicles will have implications on transportation systems . Focus investments on existing infrastructure 18 Transformative Rail Enhancements . Purchase new equipment – replace existing rolling stock and to provide expanded service. Provide 30-minute service . Construct station improvements – new station buildings, high level platforms, passenger amenities . Construct transfer station at Devon wye – operate shuttle type service, meet all peak main line trains . Implement station area / TOD plans DEVON WYE CONTEXT Waterbury Branch Line (WBL) New Haven Line (NHL) Union Station (New Haven) Devon Wye Bridgeport Station AERIAL VIEW OF TEMPORARY DEVON WYE TRANSFER STATION Potential Bus Rapid Transit . To complement current bus and commuter rail services, the team is studying the potential for a new Bus Rapid Transit route between Derby-Shelton Station and Bridgeport. The BRT route would provide better travel options for large corporate campuses along the Bridgeport Avenue corridor. Potential Bus Rapid Transit Options . Median running BRT along Route 8 . Shoulder running BRT along Route 8 . Transit Hub or Hubs at Bridgeport Ave. employment centers . The BRT route would provide better travel options for large corporate campuses along the Bridgeport Avenue corridor. Enhanced Express Bus Service downtown Derby to downtown Bridgeport Key Elements of TOD What is Transit-Oriented Development? TOD is a proven economic growth strategy that integrates Land Use, Transportation, and the Environment and is characterized by: • Compact mixed-use development that creates critical mass of people and activity and enhances economic vitality. • A diversity of housing types within walking distance of a transit station. • Walkable, bikable, multimodal streets. • Easy links to multiple modes of transportation. 25 Benefits of TOD . Sustainable . Efficient travel reduces fuel consumption . Less parking = more land available for higher economic uses . Decreased greenhouse gas production . Interconnecting . Reduces household transportation costs . Increased mobility choice . Helps solve “Last Mile” & builds transit ridership . Safe . Safer for pedestrians & cyclists . “Eyes on the street” discourages crime . Healthy . Encourages active, healthier lifestyles . Improved air quality 26 Can TOD Work in My Town? • Naugatuck Valley Towns and Cities are prime candidates for TODs – compact downtowns, available infrastructure • They developed along the river and around train stations • TOD can help position the valley to benefit from the digital revolution. Visualizing TOD . Visual Preference Surveys and ‘Complete Streets’ Toolbox were used as tools to help residents visualize TOD in their community. 28 TOD “Model Blocks” . Development of Model Blocks based on VPS results allowed team to quantify TOD build-out in Valley towns and cities. 29 Interactive Session: TOD Priorities for your city “Think Like a Future Resident” • How do you want people to view your downtown in the future - including people who live here, who work here, and who may visit? • What qualities will retain your children and attract the next generation of productive citizens? • Build a Poster: Pick three cards of the qualities that you think will make your community a more desirable place to live or work. What are Priorities for Your Community • A variety of Affordable Housing types. • Low Crime rate in your Downtown. • Car Share service. • Quality parks or Recreation • Fun Places to meet friends before or after work. • Variety of Shops/ Services for daily needs. • Other criteria you feel important. • Easy access to Transit to job, friends or family. Other • Parking near my home. • Better/safer streets for Walking and Cycling. Wrap-Up Your Future Community • Are there commonalities among groups? • Are choices similar to the choices of people in the Naugatuck Valley? • Was it difficult to find consensus for priorities? • Were your choices made to: – Retain your community’s youth? – Attract new employers and jobs? – Minimize cost of public investments? – Create a more livable community? Questions For more information: Mark C. Nielsen Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Email: [email protected] Stephen A. Gazillo AECOM Email: [email protected] Dave Sousa CDM Smith Email: [email protected] Thank You..