Several neighborhoods near bus hubs around Connecticut are ready to take on new housing, according to a new report by housing policy group Regional Plan Association (RPA).
RPA was behind the “Work, Live, Ride” portion of the housing bill approved during a special legislative session last year. The bill incentivizes municipalities to add more housing near transit centers, such as train or bus stations.
The report “Homes on Track” expands on that work, ranking the CTfastrak bus neighborhoods in terms of which are primed for housing development and which will need more time to prepare before adding more apartments.
Every CTfastrak bus station in the state was analyzed to determine which are most prepared and have the capacity to expand multifamily housing in the area.
It follows a report from last year that outlined Transit-Oriented Communities and how they could fit into Connecticut’s housing landscape.
Phoebe Allen with Pro-Homes CT, a branch of RPA, authored the report.
“Transit-oriented communities are places where people live near trains and buses,” Allen said. “That means more apartments near transit stations, grocery stores, childcare, all within walking distance. Safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists. Neighborhoods where people can get around without spending quite so much money a year on cars and gas.”
The report considered cities with booming job markets in the area. Nineteen were identified as being most prepared for construction.
Environmental factors that could impact expansion were also considered. The report analyzed whether the neighborhood is prone to flooding or has reliable sewer and water hookups available, Allen said.
Adding new housing near bus hubs in densely populated cities such as Bridgeport and Stamford, will need more creative options to increase housing capacity, according to the report.
Areas like New Britain and Hartford have more readily available space.
"What we're hoping this report accomplishes is really just continues to make the case and beat the drum that we do not have to reinvent the wheel for significant growth in Connecticut, but we do have to make priorities and streamline how we do partner at the local and state level," RPA’s Connecticut Director Pete Harrison said.
The state’s recent investment in its bus routes have paid off, according to Harrison.
“The Waterbury branch line and the Hartford branch line ridership has surpassed pre-COVID numbers, so those investments, not surprisingly, are working,” Harrison said.
“If you have better service, you're going to get more riders, that's going to attract more development.”
