NADORural Transportation Conference

Burlington, VermontApril 2012

Project Location

Regional Characteristics

• 1,250 square miles • 64 towns, 3 regional planning agencies, 2 tribal nations

• Population 430,331• Poverty Rate near 25%• One out of three working households fails to meet the self‐sufficiency standard in the region

• 25.5% of area adults have bachelor’s degree

How did this begin?

A Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant from:• US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development• US Dept. of Transportation• US Environmental Protection Agency

To develop a cohesive regional plan of sustainable development for Eastern CT

Lead Partners

• Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board• Northeastern CT Council of Governments• Southeast CT Council of Governments• Southeastern CT Housing Alliance• Windham Region Council of Governments

ConsortiumMembers

• 1,000 Friends of Connecticut• The Access Community Action Agency • City of New London, Connecticut• City of Norwich, Connecticut• EASTCONN• Eastern Connecticut State University• Mohegan Tribal Utilities• Northeastern Connecticut Economic 

Partnership• Norwich Community Development 

Corporation• Quinebaug Valley Community College• Southeast Area Transit District• Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise 

Region

• The Last Green Valley, Inc.• Thames Valley Community Council for 

Action• Town of Groton, Connecticut• Town of Killingly, Connecticut• Town of Putnam, Connecticut• Town of Windham, Connecticut• Transportation to Work Consortium• United Way of Central and Northwestern 

Connecticut• Windham ARTS Collaborative• Windham Region Community Council, Inc.• Windham Region Transit District

What is the Project?

The creation of this plan will include an analysis to:– Identify benefits of a fully integrated plan– Identify current and future challenges the plan should try to address

– Evaluate system issues contributing to the mismatch between current plans

MOBILITY HOUSINGEMPLOYMENT

QUALITY OF LIFE

Workforce development

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

1%

Health Care and Social Assistance

15%

Manufacturing14%

Educational Services13%

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

12%

Retail Trade10%

Accommodation and Food Services

8%

Professional, Scientific, and 

Technical Services4%

Public Administration3%

Transportation and Warehousing

3%

Construction3%

Wholesale Trade3%

Administration & Support, Waste Management and 

Remediation3%

Other Services (excluding Public Administration)

2% Finance and Insurance

2%

Utilities1%

Information1%

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing1%

Management of Companies and Enterprises

0%

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

0%

57,349

Who works in region?

113,082

45,845

INFLOW

2010 Census OnTheMap

OUTFLOW

INTERNAL

Transportation is a means to an end‐

Housing, Jobs, and Retail

Affordable transportation?

Traditional solutions are not the answer‐ need innovative 

solutions based on collaboration and partnerships

Underserved are under appreciated and not communicated with

Reach out beyond your traditional stakeholders

Create awareness of options and opportunities

More Information

• www.sustaineasternct.org• Follow us on Twitter @sustaineastct• http://www.facebook.com/sustaineasternct

Ken Livingston, AICPFitzgerald & Halliday, Inc.www.fhiplan.comklivingston@fhiplan.com860‐247‐7200

Mark PaquetteExecutive DirectorWindham Regional Council of Governmentswww.wincog.orgdirector@wincog.org(860) 456‐2221

Real Life

“I know a lot of people looking and cannot find anything”

“No affordable housing for low income single mothers”

“There are not enough jobs in general”

“Minimum wage jobs – not even enough to cover rent –let along buy food”

“No buses to the towns where they have jobs”

“Public transportation doesn’t run often”

“Minimum wage doesn’t cover the cost of living”