Hard Hittin’ New Britain, Matt’s legislative overview, May’s National Safety campaigns + more

May 16, 2024| Issue 5

The CRCOG Connection

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The Beehive Bridge in New Britain, Connecticut, won the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence National Merit Award.

Which CRCOG municipality is home to Stanley Black and Decker, has a bee that is a prominent symbol, and is home to the oldest public university? It’s “Hard Hittin’, New Britain.

The city is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford and has approximately 75,000 residents.

More fun facts

New Britain's moniker 'Hard Hittin' might carry a rough-and-tumble connotation, often linked with crime, but the nickname actually originated from the high school football fields in the 1950s. Opposing football teams dreaded facing off against 'Hard Hittin' New Britain.
The bee is a key symbol for the City of New Britain because they are featured on the City’s flag, representing the seven original manufacturing companies that helped found the City. The motto that can also be found on the City flag translates from Latin to “Industry fills the hive and enjoys the honey.” Learn more about the story behind the bee/beehive symbol in New Britain.
Central Connecticut State University, a well-known academic institution, started in 1849 in one room of a small building in New Britain. Get more about CCSU's history.
Stanley is a prominent name that can be found throughout New Britain, from Stanley Street to Stanley Quarter Park or Stanley Black & Decker. These references all pay tribute to Frederick T. Stanley, the first Mayor of New Britain.

This newsletter has 2,308 words and is an 11.5-minute read. Thank you for reading.

Join us our at our 50th Annual Meeting

Join us for CRCOG's 50th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 5, from 2 to 5 p.m. This year's gathering will be held at BLDG4, 642 Hilliard St, Manchester, CT 06042. The parking attendants will be happy to guide you to your spot.

We'd love for you to be a part of it all. Register here.

New Britain’s Fresh Line Upgrades for Sanitary Health (FLUSH) program and why it matters

Camera footage of damaged sewer and stormwater pipes.

A common challenge that many municipalities all over the state are facing is finding a way to fund costly improvements to aging infrastructure systems that remain critical to the operations and quality of life of that municipality. The City of New Britain is certainly no stranger to this type of dilemma.

To help address this problem head-on, Mayor Stewart created The NB FLUSH program, which stands for Fresh Line Upgrades for Sanitary Health, in partnership with the City’s Water Director Ray Esponda and the City’s Public Works Director, Mark Moriarty. In total, The NB FLUSH program will include $90 million in upgrades to old or cracked storm water and sewer pipes over the next 20 years. Read the full article here.

The 2024 session is adjourned: CRCOG's legislative highlights

On May 8, the Connecticut General Assembly adjourned the 2024 legislative session sine die. As an even-numbered year, 2024 was considered a budget revision or “short” session, in which individual legislators can only propose budgetary legislation. Policy-oriented bills must be introduced by one of the General Assembly’s joint committees. However, much can be proposed and debated in a short session despite its characterization. 2024 was no exception. Read the full overview.

CRCOG’s Earth Day recap: Making it more than just one day

In April, CRCOG staff volunteered at Earth Day events and community cleanups. We organized an Earth Day Volunteer Initiative to practice local environmental stewardship and engage in community-building efforts across the region.

CRCOG staff shared the following about their Earth Day Volunteer experience:

“For Earth Day I was so excited to be able to volunteer at my children’s school at Montessori Magnet at Batchelder in Hartford! Watching all the kids gently handle their flowers or vegetables, dig holes, excitedly point out worms, and take turns watering was a great way to share the importance of Earth Day with the next generation and ways in which we can sustainably source our food. I loved sharing this opportunity with my kids and their classmates as they gained an appreciation of our planet through hands on learning.”

“Volunteering at the Avon Trails Clean Up was an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only did I get to contribute positively to the environment, but I also had the chance to meet wonderful like-minded individuals, making new connections while making a difference.”

“Arrived at Center Springs Park at 9am, got a trash bag, a grabber, and gloves, and around the parking lots cleaning up cigarette butts, nips, flossers, Q-tips, and then made my way to the Broad St. parking lot, where there was TONS of trash. I ended up filling two bags over three hours.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with other CRCOG staff at the FVTC Avon Cleanup event. We had a great time competing to collect the most trash and reminiscing about our time spent in nature. I couldn’t stop thinking about the life cycle of trash, wondering how two spare tires, handfuls of nips, ten Gengar Pokémon cards, decomposing Styrofoam cups, and a metal funnel ended up scattered alongside the trail.”

“This Earth Day clean-up was a great reminder that we all have the power keep our communities green. It was amazing to see how many people showed up and how much fun we all had. I'll be keeping my eye out for more opportunities to stay involved, whether it's through a community event or things I can do every day to be more sustainable.”

Amidst the Volunteering Initiative, CRCOG partnered with the Rails to Trails Conservancy to host Celebrate Trails Day on April 27. We invited the Greater Hartford community to join us on a bike ride along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (FCHT) and Farmington River Trail. CRCOG staff highlighted how it was a great day to be with friends, colleagues, and community members enjoying the trail. Public spaces like trails are critical to communities large and small. Trails provide opportunities for recreation, social interaction, and connection with nature, which are all important for individual and community well-being.

While giving back to our communities, we witnessed the power of collective action and shared responsibility to protect our environment. We aim to continue supporting environmental action and promoting outdoor recreation throughout the region.

Congrats and best wishes to our interns

Every year, we often hire interns to help support our full-time staff and enable talented students to gain valuable work experience, while learning about local and state government. This year, we were especially fortunate to have several talented interns help us with our work to serve the Capitol Region and who are each about to begin their next big adventure. Let’s meet and congratulate them!

Lindsay Drotman was CRCOG’s Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) Program intern for 2023-24. The IPP program is run through the UConn School of Public Policy and connects state agencies, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations with second year graduate students from Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs. IPP interns work 15 hours per week with partner organizations for an entire academic year (late August through late May) and gain meaningful, significant managerial and/or analytic work experience.

Prior to interning with CRCOG, Lindsay graduated from UConn with a bachelor's degree in Applied and Resource Economics and minor in Analytics. She previously interned as a Merchandising Analyst for Walmart, working with their Fresh Produce team analyzing the impact of changing demographics on fresh produce sales. During her time at CRCOG, Lindsay tackled a variety of projects from multiple departments, including Regional Planning & Development and Municipal Services. Over the past year, she had the opportunity to further develop her interest in sustainability, contributing to research on anaerobic digesters and Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT), household carbon emissions in the region, and developing surveys on climate change.

“Throughout my internship at CRCOG, I have learned the importance regional planning plays in shaping the sustainable development of communities while promoting policies and programs to increase opportunity and access for all people. During my internship, I participated in a diverse range of projects and community outreach which strengthened my skills in data analysis, communication, and planning. Going forward, I am joining VHB as a Community Planner in June. My internship experience and the mentorship from the regional planning team was vital in preparing me with the knowledge and skills needed for my next role. I am excited to continue my journey in planning and shaping more sustainable communities!”

Aidan Caron is a graduating senior majoring in Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Political Science at UConn. Prior to his internship with CRCOG, Aidan interned with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Spatial Analysis and Visualization. He was a CRCOG summer 2023 intern and immediately became a valuable contributor to the Regional Planning & Development team, particularly on the department’s work updating the Regional Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD). Aidan stayed on part-time throughout the remainder of his senior year, balancing a busy schedule of schoolwork by contributing his GIS skills to the POCD update.

"During my time with CRCOG, I've had the incredible experience of 'learning by doing'. From day one, CRCOG not only welcomed me as an intern, but treated me as a valuable member of their team. I have enjoyed getting to work on a diverse array of important initiatives, including the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), GIS mapping, and affordable housing. While I will miss the team greatly, I look forward to applying the skills I've acquired during my internship to my work as a Geography PhD student at Clark University beginning this fall."

Morgan Tirrell is a graduating senior at Eastern Connecticut State University studying anthropology with a concentration in archaeology. She developed an interest in GIS after taking an introductory course at school and learned how it could be applied in almost every industry. She chose to intern at CRCOG to expand her GIS skills with hands on experience and better understand all the applications of Esri Software.

During her time at CRCOG she helped create many maps and advanced her GIS skills working on projects such as the regional POCD and assisting with CRCOG’s $2.5M Berlin Turnpike RAISE grant application. Morgan also spent time learning Esri Experience builder and developing a web app called Parks and Pours that will be available on the CRCOG website.

After graduation, Morgan will attend an archaeology field school through the University of Connecticut, then starting a career in cultural resource management where she can utilize both her archaeology background and GIS skills.

Nearly all of CRCOG’s staff started their careers with internships and we’re committed to providing our internships with a valuable (and hopefully fun!) experience. We wish Lindsay, Aidan, and Morgan the best as they continue their careers.

May is National Motorcycle Safety and National Bike Safety Awareness Month

During May public and private agencies use the month to promote and increase the awareness of bicycle and motorcycle safety.

Fast facts

The fatality rate for motorcyclists was 22 times more than the passenger car occupant fatality rate in 2022, per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
35% of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2022 were speeding, compared to 22% of all passenger car drivers. Motorcycle riders 21 to 24 years old involved in fatal crashes had the highest speeding involvement at 51% in 2022.
In 2022 there were 1,105 bicyclist fatalities.
In 2022 an estimated 46,195 bicyclists were injured.

Help us spread the message with these social media resources:

Talking Points | English (Bicycle)
Talking Points | Spanish (Bicycle)
Social Media Posts | English (Motorcycle)
Social Media Posts | Spanish (Motorcycle)

CRCOG Funding Opportunities

Federal Funding Opportunities

View our Funding Newsletter for the latest updates. Contact Elizabeth Sanderson for more information or to provide specific information about a project for which you are seeking funding. This helps us bring you the most relevant information.

Here are a few highlights from the May issue:

U.S. DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program funds projects that will prevent deaths and serious injuries on roadways. Over $1.2B is available this round. Planning and Demonstration Grant applications will be reviewed in three waves, with upcoming deadlines on May 16 and August 29. Implementation Grant applications are due May 16. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) here.
Join us for an in-person workshop on May 31 to discuss Stormwater Management. Learn more and register here. Please register by May 24.
Visit CRCOG’s BIL/IIJA web page for summaries of many funding opportunities.