Larson, Murphy Announce $750,000 for Torrington’s Downtown Redevelopment Project
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2009
CONTACT:
PaulMounds/ 860-278-8888
Larson, MurphyAnnounce $750,000 for Torrington’s Downtown Redevelopment Project
Washington,D.C. – Last night, The House of Representatives passed legislation thatincludes a $750,000 grant for the City of Torrington’s Main Street RealignmentProject, an effort which will make the downtown business and entertainmentdistrict safer for residents by building new roadways and intersections.Currently, The Connecticut Department of Public Safety grades the intersectionwith near failing grade of “D” for vehicular traffic disruptions and overallrisk to public safety.
BothU.S. Congressmen John B. Larson (CT-01) and Chris Murphy (CT-05) advocated forthe inclusion of the funding for Torrington in the House Transportation, Housingand Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations bill.
“Thereconfiguration of Downtown Main Street is essential to the Torrington’sredevelopment efforts. Currently, the city’s downtown intersection ranks as oneof the most dangerous roads in the state. With public attractions, businesses,and educational institutions, Downtown Torrington is a heavily congested areawithin the city. This funding isessential to the city’s economic development and to ensuring the public safetyof visitors and local residents,” said Congressman Larson.
“DowntownTorrington is a great place to catch a show at the Warner or grab dinner at oneof its many great restaurants. But asmore people utilize what the city has to offer, the traffic increases. This road project will alleviate a lot of thegridlock we see now, and make it safer for pedestrians,” said Murphy.
TheCity of Torrington is currently in the process of redeveloping its downtowndistrict. A major component of these redevelopment efforts includesreconfiguring the existing roadway on Main Street to be both pedestrian- andvehicle-friendly. Furthermore, the realignment of Main Street will improvepublic safety and meet state-imposed standards on safety and traffic flow.Downtown Torrington is home to many small and emerging businesses, UConn’s TorringtonCampus, and the Warner Theatre.
Earlierin the year, both Congressmen Larson and Murphy met with Torrington Mayor RyanBingham in Washington, D.C. to discuss the downtown redevelopment project andthe overall benefits of growing the economy in Torrington and LitchfieldCounty.
TheTransportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill that willmake targeted investments to provide short term housing and job relief to thosehurt most by the economic downturn, as well as long-term solutions likeimproving our national infrastructure toput our economy on sound footing for the future. It invests in the next generation ofhigh-speed passenger and commuter rail service to increase access to publictransportation, save consumers money, and help wean us off of our addiction toforeign oil. In addition, the billinvests in grant programs that will revitalize neighborhoods, spur economicdevelopment in vacant commercial and industrial sites and improve our nation’saging highway system to make transportation safer and more efficient.
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