Metropolitan Transportation Plan

The Metropolitan Transportation Plan

The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) identifies transportation deficiencies, recommends improvements, and advances priority transportation projects, in cooperation with CTDOT, municipal officials, and other organizations and interested citizens.

NVision50, The MTP for the CNVMPO and Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, was completed and adopted by the CNV MPO on March 17, 2023. For an overview of the plan’s contents and priorities, the NVCOG has prepared an Executive Summary of NVision50.

In line with the NVCOG’s goals of improving mobility for all residents, the MTP must consider all forms and modes of transportation. This includes identifying current conditions, possible improvements, and the 20+ year vision for the following parts of our overall transportation system: 

• Public transit systems
• Micro-mobility options
• Freight infrastructure
• Specialized transportation services for the elderly and persons with disabilities
• Pedestrian facilities
• Bicycling facilities
• Highway network

Sustainability and Air Quality

Sustainability and livability are key to ensuring the Naugatuck Valley continues to be an exceptional place to live, raise a family, work, and recreate. To help us achieve these goals, the MTP aims to create walkable/rollable towns and cities, high quality infrastructure for those traveling more than short distances, and a range of alternatives so that all users can choose how they would like to travel. The plan provides a long term vision for the transportation networks and systems of the Naugatuck Valley metropolitan planning area.

The MTP must also demonstrate that the projects and program support the attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and conform to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality. Because of the close proximity and interconnectedness of our regions, The CTDOT performs the air quality analysis for all of the state’s MPOs. The analyses demonstrate that the transportation emissions from the implementation of the transportation improvement program included in the MTP will be less than allowable levels, referred to as budgets.

Who needs an MTP?

Every MPO must, under federal regulations, develop and adopt a MTP every four years. Because the Naugatuck Valley planning region falls within two metropolitan planning areas, separate MPTs have been developed.  The NVCOG prepared a MTP for the 15-town area under the jurisdiction of the CNVMPO area and collaborated with the GBVMPO on the MTP for its metropolitan planning area that includes the four-town lower valley area.

The MTP must be financially constrained. That means, the proposed transportation improvement programs and the projects included in the plans must be consistent with the amount of funding that can be reasonably expected to be available over the life of the plans.

Planning based on performance

Federal guidelines have established national performance goals that the MTP must address:

• Safety – with the recent adoption of a Vision Zero goal for the region, all projects and priorities identified within the MTP must help to eliminate crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries. 
• Infrastructure Condition – Projects within the MTP aim to ensure that all of our transportation infrastructure, from sidewalks to roads, bridges, and rail, remain in a state of good repair. 
• Congestion Reduction – through targeted roadway improvements and alternatives to single occupancy vehicles, the MTP will help to alleviate congestion throughout the region’s roads. 
• System Reliability – It is not enough to be able to get where you want to go sometimes. The MTP and its projects will help ensure that the transportation system can be relied on at all times, especially as damaging weather events occur more regularly. 
• Freight Movement and Economic Vitality – The ability to import and export goods from the region is critical to growing the region’s economy, and the MTP will identify strategies to improve freight movements into, out of, and through the region. 
• Environmental Sustainability – Transportation is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the US, as well as a detriment to air quality throughout Connecticut. To help address this, the MTP will consider the impact that the transportation system has on the environment and work toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. 
• Reduced Project Delivery Delays – reduce project costs and promote economic growth.