According to Yonah Freemark, the FTA announced that with a "New Starts grant," the 9.4-mile bus rapid transit line that has been under consideration since the late 90's, has finally secured funds to complete the project.
The New Britain-Hartford busway will connect the capital of Connecticut and New Britain. The grant funds "will cover about half of the project's $567 million cost; construction of the segregated right-of-way and 11 stations will begin next year, with completion expected in 2014."
"The busway, expected to carry a total of 16,000 passengers a day - 5,000 of whom will be new to transit - will feature all of the elements crucial to a good BRT project, including off-board fare-collection, level boarding, signal priority at intersections, and next bus arrival information at well-outfitted stations."
The project is meeting opposition by other groups including The Sierra Club. The Sierra Club, known for their pro-transit position, claim that "the busway's construction will make future rail expansion in Connecticut far more difficult."
FULL STORY: Now Funded, Hartford’s Busway Survives a Decade of Dissent

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