- Connecticut Public Works Promotions & Announcements
- T2 Center's Transportation Workforce Development Initiative: Empowering the Next Generation of Traffic Signal Professionals
- Safety Matters: Why Vehicle Recalls Matter
- Innovation Station: STEP Up to Help Pedestrians Cross the Road Safely
- National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 21-25, 2025)
- UConn Landscape Architecture Connecting Bridgeport's Waterfront
- Planning for National Public Works Week (May 18-24, 2025)
- News 8 Investigates: How Wrong-Way Detection Systems Are Making a Difference
- REMINDER: 2025 CT Creative Solutions Award Program — Now Accepting Submissions
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Exploring Community Corners: A Resource from NYS LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program
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The Department of Public Works has been recognized as the Outstanding Public Works Department of the Year by the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association (NEAPWA). This prestigious award is given to only one DPW in New England each year and highlights Bloomfield DPW’s excellence and leadership in the industry. The honor follows the department’s third successful reaccreditation with the APWA, reinforcing its commitment to high standards and best practices in public works.
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The Town of Greenwich has appointed Gabriella Circosta-Cohee as the Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, effective March 10, 2025. A graduate of the CT Transportation Leadership Program (TLP), she brings over 20 years of engineering experience, including 17 years with DPW. She has led award-winning infrastructure projects, secured vital grant funding, and advanced transportation, stormwater, and remediation initiatives. Her leadership will be essential to the department’s continued success.
| | Let us celebrate your department's successes with our CT Public Works community. Please email Regina Hackett your agency's great news and we will publish it in an upcoming newsletter. | |
T2 Center's Transportation Workforce Development Initiative: Empowering the Next Generation of Traffic Signal Professionals
The T2 Center’s Transportation Workforce Development Initiative has officially launched! This is the beginning of an exciting effort to introduce technical high school students to exciting career opportunities in the traffic signal industry and transportation fields and foster excitement about joining the workforce. It also brought together municipal and state traffic signal professionals who are actively participating in the T2 Center’s Transportation Leadership Program (TLP). Stephen Frycz from the City of Stamford, a subject matter expert and instructor in the T2 Center’s Traffic Signal Technician Certificate (TSTC) Program, teamed up with Britton Wilson from the Connecticut Department of Transportation to collaborate on this effort. Stephen and Britton were especially interested to engage with and inspire high school students, as they began their own careers in similar classrooms.
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Why Vehicle Recalls Matter
Every year millions of vehicle recalls are issued in the United States. In 2024, there were 1073 safety recalls affecting over 29 million vehicles. In one of the largest recalls in recent history, 67 million Takata airbags have been recalled. Unfortunately, millions of vehicle recalls go unrepaired every year, which puts drivers, passengers, and other road users at risk.
| A recall is issued when a motor vehicle or an item of motor vehicle equipment (including tires) does not comply with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard or when there is a safety-related defect in the vehicle or equipment. A safety-related defect is defined as a problem that exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment that poses an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety and may exist in a group of vehicles of the same design or manufacture, or items of equipment of the same type and manufacture. Motor vehicle equipment related to safety also includes child car seats. Recalls can be initiated by the manufacturer, recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), or ordered by NHTSA. Once a recall is issued, the manufacturer is responsible for notifying dealers, distributors, and owners, as well as for repairing the defect at no cost. | | | | |
STEP Up to Help Pedestrians Cross the Road Safely
Crossing the road doesn’t have to be deadly. But in 2018, it was for 6,283 pedestrians. That’s one death every 84 minutes.
What can be done?
The FHWA Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) program promotes strategies and countermeasures proven to reduce severe pedestrian crashes. The countermeasures protect pedestrians when and where they are most vulnerable while crossing the street. The program focuses on key safety issues where pedestrians are more at risk for being killed in a crash: nighttime, between intersections, older pedestrians, higher speeds, and multi-lane crossings. Most pedestrian fatalities occur in these conditions.
| Join us for the Road Safety Assessments for Local Roads class on June 18, 2025, in Wethersfield! This Connecticut Safety Academy workshop will equip participants with the skills to assemble a Road Safety Assessment (RSA) team, conduct assessments, and identify safety improvements for all roadway users. Attendees will earn 6 credit hours toward their CT Safety Champion Designation and Local Traffic Authority (LTA) elective credit. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance roadway safety in your community! | | National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 21-25, 2025) | |
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual campaign held at the start of construction season each spring that encourages safe driving through highway work zones. This year's theme is "Respect the zone so we all get home." NWZAW will be held on April 21-25, 2025. NWZAW highlights the deadly dangers of inattention at highway work areas. Make plans now for the weeklong commemoration:
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Work Zone Safety Training Day - April 21
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National Kickoff Event - April 22
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Go Orange Day - April 23
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Social Media Storm - April 24
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Moment of Silence - April 25. The moment of silence was started in 2022 to remember the men and women whose lives were lost in a work zone incident.
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UConn Landscape Architecture Connecting Bridgeport's Waterfront
UConn researchers, students, and alumni are working together to make waterfront areas accessible for Bridgeport residents.
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Bridgeport sits at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound, providing it with the longest waterfront in the state.
However, due to historical and ongoing under-resourcing, 70% of the waterfront is currently inaccessible. This has perpetuated racial and socioeconomic disparities that affect access to the ecosystem and public services in Connecticut.
| | Researchers, students, and alumni from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) are working to create and implement plans that would make waterfront areas accessible for Bridgeport residents. The faculty leads on this effort are Jill Desimini, director and associate professor of landscape architecture, and Sohyun Park, associate professor of landscape architecture. | |
Planning for National Public Works Week (May 18-24, 2025)
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It's that time of year to start planning for National Public Works Week (NPWW)! NPWW will be held on May 18-24, 2025.
This year’s theme, “People, Purpose, Presence,” highlights three cornerstone ideals that motivate public works professionals to serve in their communities every day. Meeting the needs of people is what gives public works its sense of purpose. Many times, public works professionals will never meet those whose lives have been impacted because when things are going right, no one knows that public works is there. Yet, with or without fanfare, public works is ever present, working in the background to advance the quality of life for all.
APWA has lots of resources to help you plan your National Public Works Week.
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News 8 Investigates: How Wrong-Way Detection Systems Are Making a Difference
An update to a News 8 Investigation. Wrong-way drivers in Connecticut are a big problem. But, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) says high-tech warning systems are having a significant impact and saving lives.
News 8 first reported on this issue extensively a year ago in February 2024. Now, we’ve learned the CTDOT is working to get 200 more wrong-way warning systems up as fast as possible.
| | More Stories and Resources | | REMINDER: 2025 CT Creative Solutions Award Program — Now Accepting Applications | |
A friendly reminder that the T2 Center is accepting submissions for the 2025 CT Creative Solutions Award Program. We are looking for examples of gadgets, tools, processes, and programs that public agency employees or road crews designed and built to improve safety, create efficiencies, and make the job easier. It can be anything from the development of tools and equipment modifications to processes that increase safety, reduce costs, or improve efficiency or the quality of transportation. If you have a project that you think is worthy of recognition, fill out this year’s entry form and submit your entry by April 30, 2025.
Aren’t sure if your gadget is what we are looking for? Email Mary McCarthy to share your idea and see if it is a fit.
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Exploring Community Corners: A Resource from NYS LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program
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Our colleagues at the NYS LTAP Center – Cornell Local Roads Program offer a valuable resource called Community Corners.
These infographics were created to help the highway and DPW crews in New York to communicate effectively with the community on items of concern. Feel free to print these out and/or add them to your social media.
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Connecticut Training and Technical Assistance Center
University of Connecticut
270 Middle Turnpike, Unit 5202
Storrs, CT 06269-5202
Phone: 860-486-9373
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