The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) and the Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum announce the next meeting of the Metropolitan Mobility Network on Tuesday April 12, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be available as a webinar using the following link: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=m2a803a7578a0828e73ee7d835667c108.
PRESS RELEASE
Do you have paints, cleaners, and other chemicals you need to dispose of? Let the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) help you dispose of these hazardous wastes. NVCOG and participating towns will sponsor a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Paint Collection Day event on Saturday, April 16. The collection will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to the following towns: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Derby, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Prospect, Seymour, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury.
The event will be held at the Ansonia Public Works Department located at 1 North Division Street, Ansonia. There is no charge to residents. Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, tax bill, or other identification, is required for entrance. There is no need to line up before the 8 a.m. start time.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, protocols in effect at the event include:
Household hazardous wastes are any wastes produced in the home that are poisonous, flammable, reactive, or corrosive. These wastes are harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed of properly.
Examples of wastes that will be accepted include: oil- and latex-based paints and stains, thermometers and thermostats containing mercury, drain and oven cleaners, upholstery cleaners, wood cleaners, strippers and varnishes, pesticides, poisons, pool and photo chemicals, automotive cleaners and fluids (excluding motor oil), grease and rust solvents, aerosols, and metal polishes.
Items that will not be accepted include: auto batteries, motor oil, 20 lbs. propane tanks, compressed gas cylinders, asbestos, smoke detectors, explosives, radioactive or medical waste, grout, joint compound, lead paint chips, and empty containers of any kind. The contractor reserves the right to reject additional materials.
Up to 50 lbs. of residential waste will be accepted per vehicle. Residents should leave materials in the original container whenever possible. When arriving at the collection site, residents are asked to stay in their cars at all times. Trained waste handlers will remove materials from the cars.
Unacceptable materials will be returned or left in the vehicle and information, if known, will be provided on how to dispose of them. For further information, please contact hhw@nvcogct.gov or call (203) 757-0535.
Ozone and PM 2.5 Air Quality Conformity Determination (February 2022)
Available for public review and comment
The Naugatuck Valley Planning Region includes municipalities located in the Connecticut portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island eight-hour Ozone Moderate Nonattainment Area, Greater Connecticut eight-hour Ozone Moderate Nonattainment Area, and the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut PM2.5 Attainment/Maintenance Area. As areas that have previously or currently not met ambient air-quality standards, transportation projects must demonstrate that they will contribute toward reductions to acceptable levels of future transportation related emissions. This analysis is completed by modeling transportation projects approved or proposed in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) or Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and any approved amendments to those documents.
Air quality emissions analysis is a responsibility of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), which coordinates TIPs and MTPs from all of the state’s planning areas. A version of the emissions analysis, available here combines both the Ozone and PM2.5 Air Quality Conformity Determinations of the 2019-2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plans and the FY 2021-2024 Transportation Improvement Programs, as Amended. The February 2022 report shows conformity to the motor vehicle emission budgets for both Ozone nonattainment areas as noted in the current State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality, as well as the PM 2.5 attainment/maintenance area. Emissions were calculated using the latest version of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required software, MOVES2014b. Additional information about the process used to calculate future conformity can be found on the NVCOG website at https://nvcogct.gov/what-we-do/transportation-planning/air-quality-conformity/ or the CTDOT website at https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/PP_Bureau/ConnDOT-Plans/Air-Quality-Conformity.
To ensure the public has an opportunity to comment on this determination, NVCOG has established a forty-five (45) day review period, during which public comments will be accepted via email or presented to our board of elected officials. This period will formally begin on March 15, 2022 and run through April 28, 2022.
For anyone who would like to comment virtually to the region’s elected officials, public comment time will be made available at the meeting of the Central Naugatuck Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (CNVMPO), a subset of NVCOG towns, during the regularly scheduled NVCOG and CNVMPO meeting scheduled to take place on April 8, 2022. At this meeting the CNVMPO will be asked to endorse the air quality determination, with a contingency that no major adverse comments are received before the end of the public comment period on April 28.
The public is invited to attend this meeting and will be afforded an opportunity to comment on the air quality conformity determinations before they are considered by the MPO. Written comments received by 5 p.m. on April 7, 2022, will be included in their entirety in writing to members of the board and will be presented in whole or in part by NVCOG staff during the meeting. All written comments can be sent to Rich Donovan, Transportation Planner, at rdonovan@nvcogct.gov.
The meeting will take place both virtually and at the offices of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. At this time, we request that members of the public who wish to comment during this meeting reach out to 203-757-0535 or info@nvcogct.gov before Wednesday, April 6 to receive meeting dial in information.
GREATER BRIDGEPORT AND VALLEY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO)
Metropolitan Transportation Planning Certification Review
NOTICE, is hereby given that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will be reviewing the transportation planning program of the Greater Bridgeport and Valley MPO. The USDOT must jointly certify the transportation planning process in the Bridgeport-Stamford Transportation Management Area in accordance with federal planning regulations. Additional details are available at ctmetro.org or nvcogct.gov.
The public and interested groups are encouraged to submit comments no later than April 22, 2022. Written comments may be sent to either the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration at the addresses below:
FHWA: Jennifer Carrier, Transportation Specialist, Connecticut Division
Abraham Ribicoff Federal Building, 450 Main Street, Suite 612
Hartford, CT 06103
Via email: jennifer.carrier@dot.gov
FTA: Leah Sirmin, Program Manager
55 Broadway, Suite 920
Cambridge, MA 02142
Via email: leah.sirmin@dot.gov
For more information, please contact either Matt Fulda, Executive Director of the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) at (203) 366-5405 or Rick Dunne, Executive Director of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) at (203) 735-8688.
Click the photos below to view the flyer.
En Español: REVISIÓN DE LA CERTIFICACIÓN FEDERAL 2022
PRESS RELEASE
The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) is offering backyard composters, rain barrels, and related accessories at wholesale prices to residents of the Naugatuck Valley Region. Residents can place orders at the NVCOG online store (www.nvcogct.gov/compostersale) through Thursday, May 19th for pickup at one of two locations on Saturday, May 21st:
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Seymour Community Center, 20 Pine Street, Seymour
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Bethlehem Fire Department, 26 Main Street South, Bethlehem
Backyard composters will help residents turn food and yard waste into valuable compost perfect for amending soil for vegetables, flowers, or lawns. Rain barrels can provide a reliable source of chemical free water for outdoor uses like watering lawns and gardens.
In providing these products at affordable prices and promoting their use to residents, NVCOG strives to help communities reduce the volume and cost of municipal solid waste, keep organic waste out of landfills and conserve drinking water by providing an alternative water source for outdoor needs.
Last year 124 composting units were sold, diverting up to 62,000 pounds of organics from landfills and trash burning plants. The 110 55-gallon rain barrels sold also represent a significant conservation of water resources.
Click here to view the flyer.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will host a virtual public information meeting on Intersection Improvements at Route 6, 61, and Quassapaug Pond in the Town of Woodbury (Proposed Project No. PP-168-003) on Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 7 p.m. Instructions on how to access the meeting and on how to provide comments or ask questions can be found by visiting the project webpage.
The Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum announces the next meeting of its Multi-State Freight Working Group on March 24, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. This virtual meeting will be available as a webinar:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/287337765
Click here to view the meeting agenda.
PRESS RELEASE
Oxford, Conn. — At their regular meeting on February 16th, the Oxford Board of Selectmen voted to endorse the Oxford Route 67 Alternative Transportation Study final report. The report is the result of an 18-month planning process that investigated the potential for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements along Route 67 in Oxford.
Study recommendations include developing a 6.5-mile multiuse trail along the west side of Route 67 through Oxford, eventually connecting to the Larkin State Bridle Trail in Southford and the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail in Seymour via that town’s sidewalk network. The recommended trail would be 10 feet wide to allow bidirectional travel by bicyclists and pedestrians and would be separated from road traffic by a minimum five-foot buffer or guardrail. The concept is identical to the section of trail currently being constructed by the town between Oxford Town Hall and Dutton Road. The report breaks the trail down into fundable segments and provides conceptual mapping and cost estimates for each. It provides a cohesive plan for the entire corridor to better enable the town to plan, prioritize, and fund future improvements.
“Oxford residents have repeatedly voiced support for pedestrian and bicycle access along the Little River and Route 67,” said Oxford First Selectman George Temple. “With this report, the town has the information necessary to make further progress toward that goal.”
The study also looked at demand for transit in the town, with a recommendation to institute a micro transit service that could offer on-demand or scheduled rides to residents. Valley Transit District (VTD) operates a micro transit service in Seymour, and the report highlights the potential to expand VTD’s service area into Oxford as a cost-effective solution.
The study was funded and conducted by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) with technical support from TranSystems Corporation, a planning and engineering consultant with offices in Meriden, CT. The project was overseen by the Oxford Main Street Project Committee. The final report and additional study information can be found on the study webpage at www.nvcogct.gov/oxfordroute67.
NVCOG Assistant Director Mark Nielsen said, “The recommendation in this study expands our vision of a multimodal network throughout the region that will provide transportation options to those who do not have, or would prefer not to use, a personal motor vehicle.”
PRESS RELEASE
Waterbury, Conn. — The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated challenges that the Naugatuck Valley Region’s most vulnerable households face in finding affordable, secure housing. With a limited supply of affordable housing options, a growing number of households are spending an unmanageable portion of their income on a place to live. The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments’ Regional Housing Profile provides a clear overview of the state’s requirements and offers useful housing and demographic data to help the region’s municipalities create their affordable housing plan. The profile provides recommendations and strategies to assist municipalities as they consider ways to implement more affordable housing options that are compatible with existing development patterns and infrastructure.
To address the housing issue more broadly, Connecticut state statute requires that all municipalities adopt an Affordable Housing Plan by June 1, 2022, specifying how they intend to increase the number of affordable housing developments. “There is a need for more affordable, accessible, and appropriate housing options in each of our communities,” said Rick Dunne, NVCOG Executive Director. “The broad recommendations and strategies in this document are meant to help our communities decide on the most appropriate solution to meet their affordable housing needs.”
“The work of the NVCOG is exceptional and a critical resource in TEAM’s efforts surrounding workforce housing in our region,” said David Morgan, President and CEO of TEAM Inc. “This Housing Profile’s use of data and information is relevant to the local needs and opportunities that can truly help our towns and cities craft localized plans that are responsive to the state requirements, above all addressing more naturally affordable housing options for today’s diverse workforce in our region.”
Visit https://nvcogct.gov/ to view the Regional Housing Profile.
PRESS RELEASE
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The plan was funded with a grant from FEMA and updates the local HMPs for all municipalities in the NVCOG Region. With this plan approval, all 19 NVCOG communities are eligible to apply to the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) for mitigation grants administered by FEMA.
The NVCOG HMP examines a range of natural hazards including winter storms, hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Strategies and actions recommended in the plan are aimed at reducing the risk and vulnerability of the region to those hazards over the next five years. With approved plans, the region’s municipalities can apply for federal funding to undertake projects that will protect the lives and property of region’s residents and make the region more resilient to future natural disasters.
The project team, consisting of NVCOG planners and consultant SLR, Inc., worked with municipal staff and stakeholders in each community over the past 18 months to review previous plans and identify risks. Input from municipal officials, stakeholders, and the public were all incorporated into a final multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and 19 municipal annexes which were adopted by local governing boards. This regional effort represents a cost and time savings to municipalities when compared to developing individual HMPs as was common previously.
Plan documents can be accessed at www.nvcogct.gov/hmp.