黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Municipal Redevelopment Authority now has a new name and game plan to boost housing near public transit hubs across the state.
The newly renamed 黑料吃瓜网 Municipal Development Authority (CMDA) will launch a study into the potential for new housing and mixed-use developments in downtown areas near transit stations.
David Kooris, the Authority's executive director, announced the name change at a summit in Hartford Thursday discussing the history and future of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in 黑料吃瓜网.
鈥淲hat is the cumulative potential for transit-oriented development within the state of 黑料吃瓜网? How much of our housing needs can we meet within walking distance of our regional rail system?鈥� Kooris said.
The authority was established last year to help ease the state鈥檚 housing crisis and increase economic development. A the authority conduct a study into potential areas for development across the state.
CMDA is an opt-in, quasi-public agency that can serve any 黑料吃瓜网 community with a train station, CTtransit bus station or downtown area. Of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 169 communities, 161 qualify to join the authority, Kooris said.
For communities partnering with the authority, it helps with new housing permitting, funding and construction.
鈥淭owns can take it or leave it, but you have to work with us in order to get to the point where you can apply to us for funding and we can fund transit-oriented development, housing, building, demolition or rehabilitation,鈥� Kooris said.
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 transportation system was made for development along public transit. Kooris said there is a lot of potential.
鈥淲e have a lot of neighborhood centers throughout the state that have the perfect pattern to support transit,鈥� Kooris said. 鈥淲e have town greens and walkable main streets radiating out from the regional rail system. Unfortunately, a lot of those communities no longer have the rail service.鈥�
The discussion surrounding transit-oriented development highlighted work in New Britain, Windsor and Hartford to bring more eco-friendly transit and affordable housing options to the areas.
Hartford placed a focus on alternative transportation options and tangential benefits of adding more downtown housing, highlighting the trails and ease of access for biking and walking throughout the city and along the 黑料吃瓜网 River.
Grace Yi, senior planner for Hartford鈥檚 Department of Development Services, highlighted the city鈥檚 motorized scooter rental program, allowing residents to use electric scooters for a small fee to get around Hartford.
In the last six months, there鈥檝e been more than 76,000 rides taken and more than 10,000 riders, Yi said.
鈥淚t's not just downtown that benefits from this. Eighty percent of our trip rides and starts are actually in our neighborhoods,鈥� Yi said. 鈥淚t is about connecting with more than your town center, but your other community areas as well. Our riders are using it to go to work, to meet their friends and family and as well as their activities.鈥�
State agencies also work together to make development along main streets and transportation hubs work, by providing gap funding and helping guide projects, according to state Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Laoise King.
鈥淚n the past, we've been a little bit more reactive, either to developers or property owners who had ideas about things that could happen in their stations, but we now want to be the ones laying out that vision,鈥� King said.
