Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • December 10, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 11 "If you're going to fix the economy, you're going to have to improve rail service, improve bus service, and you're going to have to get rid of congestion on highways," Redeker said during a wide-ranging interview. He initially joined the agency in 2009 as chief of public transportation, but was promoted to acting DOT commissioner toward the beginning of 2011, after predecessor Jeffrey Parker retired. Re- deker's position as DOT head was made permanent about five months later. Progress was relatively slow, at first, Redeker said. "In the first term, [transportation] was not the priority," he said. But when Malloy won reelection in 2014, that changed. "He basically called me in the next day, and said, 'Are you ready?' " Re- deker recalled. "I said, 'What are we doing?' He said, 'We're doing transpor- tation for this term.'" That meant a five-year "Ramp-up Transportation Plan" that allocated $2.8 billion in transportation funding to kickstart a host of transportation projects starting in 2015. Some of that went to high-profile undertakings like the $769 million Hartford Line rail project — which re-established passenger rail service between Hartford and Springfield, Mass. — and a $2 billion reconstruc- tion of New Haven's Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, also known as the Q-Bridge, which was completed eight months ahead of schedule. The $570 million CTfastrak busway connecting New Britain to Hartford also debuted under Redeker's watch. When it comes to the Hartford Line, Redeker points to early successes, in- cluding about $400 million in transit- oriented development tied to the train line, and higher-than-expected ridership, including more than 47,000 passengers in October. According to its capital spending plan, the DOT anticipates spending $2.6 billion in federal fiscal year 2019, which began Oct. 1. That amount in- cludes about $1 billion for bus and rail services and $1.6 billion for highway and bridge infrastructure. Construction on the Merritt Parkway corridor improvement project from Fairfield to Westport and the rehabili- tation of the I-84/Route 8 Interchange in Waterbury would continue in 2019. Of the total $12.1 billion in desired funds, which would include state and federal monies, 62 percent would go to highway projects, 36 percent would be used for public transportation and 2 percent for facilities. Meantime, DOT is finishing up an environmental analysis for the planned I-84 Hartford viaduct project, which calls for the replacement of an aging bridge on a key highway stretch in Hartford. DOT officials are current- ly waiting on federal officials to release a record of decision regarding its en- vironmental analysis — likely by early 2020 — which will include a financing and funding plan, Redeker said. Those results will give him a better idea of a construction timeline for the project. DOT is also considering a high-profile proposal by Congressman John Larson to build a tunnel under the I-84, I-91 in- terchange in Hartford, which would put traffic underground and open up about 200 acres of undeveloped land in the city. DOT officials were looking into this option before Larson proposed it, Re- deker said, but right now it's one of six possibilities. A final decision on how to approach the interchange is probably a few years away, Redeker said. Two major projects that were completed under the watch of Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker were the $769 million Hartford rail line and the controversial CTfastrak busway connecting New Britain to Hartford. PHOTOS | HBJ FILE HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | 860.236.9998 DRIVING YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH OUR GROWING DIGITAL TRAFFIC Limited E-news and website advertising opportunities available. Don't miss your chance, advertise today! Advertising@hartfordbusiness.com

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