Registration open for CRCOG’s Annual Meeting, legislative updates + more updates

May 15, 2025| Issue 5

The CRCOG Connection

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On May 22, CRCOG and UConn’s School of Public Policy will host its final event of the CT Policy Talks series! The session will highlight measuring and addressing transportation insecurity in Connecticut. Matt Hart, our Executive Director, will moderate a discussion with the following guest speakers:

Lydia Wileden, Assistant Research Professor, UConn School of Public Policy
Eric Harrison, United Way of Central & NE CT, President & CEO
Doug Holcomb, Greater Hartford Transit District, Executive Director
Senator Christine Cohen, Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee & State Senator of the 12th District

We hope you’ll join us. Register here.

This newsletter is 1,723 words and is approximately a 9-minute read.

CRCOG’s Legislative Update: Legislative Breakfast recap and session updates

On April 24, we hosted our first Legislative Breakfast, fostering an energizing and productive dialogue between municipal leaders and state lawmakers. We extend our gratitude to all attendees for their participation.

The legislative session will conclude on June 4. Lawmakers are diligently working to pass critical legislation before the session ends. Here are some of CRCOG's legislative priorities:

State Bond Funding: Secure additional funding to repair crumbling foundations in eastern Connecticut.
Infrastructure Improvements: Increase funding for local bridges, multi-use trails, and water & wastewater systems.
Road Safety: Support CTDOT’s recommendations to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on roadways, enhancing safety for all users.
Transit Services: Improve transit services in under served areas, focusing on connections to workplaces, schools, academic institutions, and commercial centers.

Here is the latest legislative update. Thank you for reading.

Annual Meeting Registration is NOW OPEN

Join us for Our 51st Annual Meeting! Registration is now open for this exciting event at the New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT. Our keynote speaker will be New Britain Mayor and Policy Board Chair Erin Stewart.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect and celebrate. We look forward to seeing you there!

We Want Your Feedback: CRCOG’s Public Participation Plan

We want to hear from YOU! CRCOG's draft Public Participation Plan is now available, and we're inviting your feedback.

Join one of our upcoming virtual or hybrid meetings to share your thoughts and help shape how we engage with the public on transportation planning.

May 19, 12 PM – Transportation Committee (Virtual)
May 21, 12 PM & 6 PM – Virtual Public Meetings (Register here)
May 28, 12 PM – Policy Board Meeting (Virtual)
June 23, 12 PM – Transportation Committee (Hybrid)
June 25, 12 PM – Policy Board Meeting (Virtual)

Submit your comments by June 8 for full consideration, or anytime through June 25.

📧 Email: dnoll@crcog.org

📞 Phone: (860) 742-4321

📠 Fax: (860) 724-1274

📮 Mail: CRCOG, Attn: Dagmar Noll, 350 Church St, 3rd Fl, Hartford, CT 06103

EZIQC Rebranded: CRCOG & Gordian's Cooperative Job Order Contracting (JOC)

Town government leaders face a constant stream of renovations, repairs and operational construction projects, all while overseeing limited budgets, managing dwindling resources and working to maintain relationships with quality local contractors.

CRCOG and Gordian understand these obstacles, and we believe that Cooperative JOC (formally known as ezIQC®) is the key to maximizing your time, reducing your efforts, and delivering for your community.

Why choose Cooperative JOC for your next project? Here are three compelling reasons:

Streamlined Processes: Gordian’s competitively awarded contracts give you the power to accelerate project initiation and completion. By removing the necessity of sending every individual project out for bid, you save time and resources while complying with applicable public procurement laws.
Cost Control: Say goodbye to budget surprises! Cooperative JOC provides access to a comprehensive and verified Unit Price Book, ensuring transparency and predictability in project pricing.
Quality Assurance: Cooperative JOC enhances collaboration between contractors and project owners, fostering an environment of trust and shared goals. This results in higher-quality work and greater satisfaction for all involved.

Excellent construction work completed in less time and at a fair, predictable price. That’s what you get with CRCOG’s Cooperative JOC program.

Earth Day Recap: CRCOG Joins Community Clean Up

A big thank you to Sonya Carrizales for getting employees to grab their CRCOG t-shirts and volunteer for an Earth Day community clean up. Our staff walked to the meetup location, loading up on gloves, trash bags, litter grabbers, and other key supplies from the City of Hartford’s Adopt Your Block Clean Up Trailer before heading to Heaven Skate Park for the cleanup.

Breaking into small groups, we collected enough trash and litter to fill more than five 30-gallon bags in just two hours! By removing trash, including dangerous items like broken glass, we made Heaven Skate Park cleaner and safer for the community.

Our efforts demonstrate how a little collective time and effort spent caring for a neighborhood goes a long way. Working together to clean up, conserve, and protect our environment means showing up and engaging in local cleanup activities. Getting involved transforms us into local stewards, allowing us to take care of the Earth and each other.

Thank you, CT League of Conservation Voters, for hosting this public cleanup event. We were grateful to get outside and make a difference in the local community through participating in this event!

Reminder: Ride safely it’s Bicycle Safety Month

May is Bicycle Safety Month, and communication is key to help create awareness about bicycle safety programs and the difference we all can make for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. Help to spread the word and amplify bicycle safety messaging. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) makes it easy with this messaging toolkit.

You will see posts about Bicycle Safety Month all across social media. Don’t forget to like, comment, and share! Thank you for your proactive support.

CRCOG Anniversaries

We absolutely love celebrating our amazing team! This month, let's give a huge shoutout to:

Karen for her incredible 25 years of dedication! 🌟
Viola for her amazing 23 years of service! 🎊
Roger for his fantastic 6 years with us! 🎉
Ryan for his wonderful 5 years of hard work! 🌟
Kim for her impressive 1 year of contributions! 🎊

Thank you all for everything you do! Your commitment and hard work make a world of difference. Let's celebrate these milestones together!

CRCOG Funding Opportunities

State and Federal Funding Opportunities

View the latest issue of the Funding Newsletter and the Red Hot special issue. Contact Elizabeth Sanderson for more information or to share specific information about a project that you need funding for. Here are a few recent highlights from the newsletters:

US DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program is back, with nearly $1B available for Planning and Demonstration or Implementation Grants. On April 29, CRCOG hosted a virtual workshop about this funding opportunity – learn more and watch the recording. Grant applications are due by June 26, and CRCOG is here to help with member applications.
CTDEEP has several open funding opportunities:
The ConneCTed Communities Grant program seeks to bring quality, reliable internet services to communities across Connecticut. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
The Sustainable Materials Management Grant Program seeks to support municipalities through sustainable waste management and diversion programs and services. Up to $7.5M in funding is available in this round. Applications are due by June 27.

CT DECD’s Community Investment Fund (CIF) program is back, making $875M available for 55 eligible municipalities across the state. Nonprofit organizations and community development corporations may also be eligible for funding. Applications are due by noon on June 6.

CTDOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program makes $12M available for municipal construction projects that aim to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users in urban, suburban, and rural communities in Connecticut. Apply by May 21, 2025.

See the Requests for Your Input section of the newsletter to share your thoughts with CRCOG and state agencies that are seeking to improve services such as broadband infrastructure, data systems, and transportation.

Visit CRCOG’s BIL/IIJA web page for summaries of many funding opportunities.

MetroHartford Brownfields Program

Application deadline: Ongoing