Letter to Gregory Nadeau, Acting Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration - Allow Yale Bike Path Construction

Letter

We write to share our concern regarding an instance of apparent miscommunication between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the City of West Haven, Connecticut. It is our understanding that during the allocation process for a 2010 High Priority Project (HPP) grant, the city received information upon which it relied to move forward with construction of a bike pathway leading to the city's train station. Due to miscommunication, however, the city has been forced to halt progress toward completion of the bike pathway, disrupting an important effort in transit-oriented development. Please swiftly move to devise a solution that will allow for this essential project to continue.

In 2010, West Haven was awarded $973,834 from FHWA for the enhancement of its passenger rail station. FHWA's guidance for the use of this funding provided for streetscaping within the immediate vicinity of the train station. West Haven, since submitting its design plan, has communicated to FHWA that the city intended to dedicate a portion of the grant to constructing a bike pathway, leading from Yale University to the West Haven train station. This bike path was clearly described by West Haven as a critical intermodal link for the city and an integral component to the expansion and improvement of the train station's function. For over two years, as we understand, FHWA never objected to or found issue with West Haven's proposed use of funding for the bike path.

West Haven undertook years of planning, having received dedicated state funding toward the development of the bike path through a $250,000 loan from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. This unfortunate situation is leaving this valuable funding untapped and a crucial link for West Haven incomplete. The bike path is a critical component to the intermodal functionality of the city's train station and for the movement of travelers in the region. We ask for FHWA to work closely with West Haven to find a way forward to make this funding available for the purpose West Haven always intended, whether the FHWA ultimately facilitates the allocation or transfers it to another federal agency for disbursement. Thank you for your consideration.